This period, directly following the death of Mohammed, saw the rapid spread of Islam and the development of the central characteristics of the art of Islam.
c. 640 - 900 C.E.
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Samarra, a palatial city
The Abbasid caliphs spared no expense to build a palatial city of grand buildings and sprawling residential complexes
Arts of the Abbasid Caliphate
From lusterware ceramics to "Kufic" script to the engagement with classical scientific literature, the artistic legacies of the Abbasid caliphate are varied.
The Mosque of Bāb al-Mardūm (the Church of Santa Cruz), Toledo
The Mosque of Bāb al-Mardūm—and its conversion into a church—embodies the multi-religious reality of medieval Spain.
Paintings in the early Islamic world
One of the widespread myths about Islamic art is that images of living creatures are banned.
The Samanid Mausoleum, Bukhara (Uzbekistan)
An elaborate mausoleum was a monument of the Samanid dynasty's new, thriving capital of Bukhara—and was one of the great architectural masterpieces of Central Asia from the early tenth century.
Mosaics in the early Islamic world
Mosaics were highly valued throughout the first few centuries of Islam and were used alongside other precious materials as one element of elite architectural display.
The Umayyads, an introduction
The Dome of the Rock. The Great Mosque in Damascus. The Great Mosque in Córdoba. These remarkable achievements are all Umayyad.
The Great Mosque of Damascus
Once a temple to Zeus, the Great Mosque of Damascus, has survived the Syrian Civil War, and stands as one of the world's most important historic structures.
Kairouan (from UNESCO)
Kairouan was an important early Islamic city in north Africa. Marble and porphyry columns flank its Great Mosque.
Folio from a Qur’an
The lavish materials used for this manuscript convey both its patron’s wealth and the sacred text’s dignity.
The Great Mosque of Kairouan
Used for Friday prayer, this mosque stood at the center of Kairouan’s commercial, educational, and religious life.
The Great Mosque of Córdoba
Recycled Roman columns fill the prayer hall of this dazzling mosque, one of the oldest built in Islamic Spain.
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