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Arts of the Islamic World
640 to now

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A beginner's guide
Introduction to Islam
About chronological periods
Arts of the Islamic world
The Five Pillars of Islam
Hajj
The Kaaba
Stories of the modern pilgrimage
The complex geometry of Islamic design
Introduction to mosque architecture
Common types of mosque architecture
Early period
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Arts of the Islamic world: The early period
The Umayyads
The Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhra)
The Great Mosque of Damascus
The Great Mosque of Córdoba
The Great Mosque of Kairouan
Kairouan (from UNESCO)
Medieval period
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Arts of the Islamic world: The medieval period
The Great Mosque (or Masjid-e Jameh) of Isfahan
Folio from a Qur'an
Pyxis of al-Mughira
Dado Panel, Courtyard of the Royal Palace of Mas’ud III
Two Royal Figures (Saljuq period)
Coronation Mantle
The Alhambra
Folio from a Shahnama, The Bier of Iskandar (Alexander the Great)
Mohammed ibn al-Zain, Basin (Baptistère de Saint Louis)
Mihrab from Isfahan (Iran)
Bahram Gur Fights the Karg (Horned Wolf), Ilkhanid dynasty
Bahram Gur in a Peasant’s House
Mamluk Qur’an
Later period
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Arts of the Islamic world: The later period
Hagia Sophia as a mosque
Mimar Sinan
Mimar Sinan, Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul
Mimar Sinan, Mosque of Selim II, Edirne
Mimar Sinan, Rüstem Pasha Mosque, Istanbul
Tughra (Official Signature) of Sultan Süleiman the Magnificent from Istanbul
The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii)
Introduction to the court carpets of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires
The Safavids, an introduction
The Ardabil Carpet
The Court of Gayumars
Illustration from the Akbarnama
Bichitr, Jahangir Preferring a Sufi Shaikh to Kings
Spherical Hanging Ornament (Iznik)
Iznik ewer
Divination Bowl with Inscriptions and Zodiac Signs
The Taj Mahal
Qa'a (The Damascus room)
Khusraw Discovers Shirin Bathing

The complex geometry of Islamic design

by TED-Ed

Video from TED-Ed. Speaker: Eric Broug.

Cite this page as: TED-Ed, "The complex geometry of Islamic design," in Smarthistory, January 30, 2016, accessed October 21, 2020, https://smarthistory.org/the-complex-geometry-of-islamic-design/.

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At Smarthistory we believe art has the power to transform lives and to build understanding across cultures. We believe that the brilliant histories of art belong to everyone, no matter their background. Smarthistory’s free, award-winning digital content unlocks the expertise of hundreds of leading scholars, making the history of art accessible and engaging to more people, in more places, than any other provider.

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