The Medieval period – Smarthistory

This period saw the Crusades, the Mongol invasions, and the rise of the powerful Timurid empire.

c. 900 - 1517 C.E.

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In this hunting scene from the Persian Book of Kings, the ruler Bahram lives up to his nickname “Gur,” or swift.

Vessels like this one were typically decorated with calligraphy, but a procession of figures is featured here.

This prayer niche once pointed students towards Mecca. Its blue and white patterns comprise verses from the Qur’an.

These stucco statues, with vivid costumes and distinctive round faces, may once have guarded a grand hall.

Made for a Christian ruler by Islamic artisans, this cloak is full of Islamic motifs and cosmological references.

The Islamic world turned writing into an art, but it’s the decoration, not the script, that sets these folios apart.

These two paintings illustrate the same story, but in different styles—as rulers changed, so did tastes for art.

This city within a city is famed for its three highly decorative palaces and their equally elaborate gardens.

This florid box, designed to hold cosmetics, attests to the rich ivory carving tradition of Islamic Spain.

The lavish materials used for this manuscript convey both its patron’s wealth and the sacred text’s dignity.

This sprawling and magnificent mosque, in Iran, has been an integral part of the city’s fabric for centuries.

New rulers emerged, and with them, distinctive styles of art. This period saw a renaissance in the decorative arts.

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