ARTH303: Art of the Islamic World « Saylor.org – Free Online Courses Built by Professors

Art of the Islamic World

Purpose of Course show close

This course serves as an introduction to the pre-modern Islamic artistic traditions of the Mediterranean, Near East, and Central and South Asia. This course is organized around the major dynasties under which Islamic art and architecture were produced. The first unit surveys core Islamic beliefs, the basic characteristics of Islamic art and architecture, and art and architecture created under the patronage of the Umayyads (632-750) and the Muslim rulers of Spain. The second unit focuses on the artistic and architectural innovations of the Abbasids (738-1250) and Seljuks (c.1040-1157), as well as the regional rulers of Anatolia and the Maghreb. The third unit looks at the art and architecture of three successive Islamic dynasties based in Egypt: the Fatimids (909-1171), Ayyubids (1171-1250), and Mamluks (1250-1517). Unit 4 examines the art and architecture of the Ilkhanid (1256-1353) and Timurid (c. 1370-1507) dynasties in Iran and Central Asia. The final unit presents the art and architecture of three later Islamic Empires: the Safavids (1501-1722), Ottomans (ca. 1299–1922), and Mughals (1526-1858). These three later Islamic empires shared diplomatic ties and participated in active trade and cultural exchange with each other as well as Europe and East Asia.

After completing this course, the student will be familiar with the major tenets of Islam, general Islamic history, the relationship of both to major developments in Islamic art and architecture, and the exchange of artistic and architectural forms throughout the larger Islamic, Mediterranean, Asian, and African worlds.

Course Information show close

Welcome to ARTH303, Art of the Islamic World. Below, please find general information on this course and its requirements.

Course Designer: Leslie V. Wallace, PhD

Primary Resources: This course makes use of a variety of different online resources, including:

Museum with No Frontiers: Discover Islamic Art in the Mediterranean
Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
Saudi Aramco World: Virtual Walking Tours and Articles
Archnet: Islamic Architecture Community

Requirements for Completion: To complete this course, you mustwork through all the assigned resources (readings, interactives, lectures, and videos), complete three assignments (“Guided Observation 1: Geometric Patterns and Floral and Vegetal Motifs in Islamic Art,” “Guided Observation 2: Umayyad Mosque and Great Mosque of Cordoba,” and “Guided Observation 3: Art of the Book: The Shahnama (Persian Book of Kings),” and pass the Final Exam with a grade of 70% or more.

Time Commitment: Approximately 90 hours

Tips/Suggestions: Before beginning this course, it may be useful to review ARTH101: Art Appreciation and Techniques, Units 1–4, which focus on general art history vocabulary, materials, and techniques. This knowledge, combined with the more specific vocabulary covered in this course, will be useful when discussing the art and architecture of the Islamic World.

Learning Outcomes show close

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Identify the core beliefs of Islam, the major characteristics of Islamic art, and the major forms of Islamic architecture.
Identify major pre-modern Islamic works of art and monuments from the Middle East, Northern Africa, Spain, and South Asia.
Explain how the core beliefs of Islam contributed to the basic characteristics of Islamic art and architecture and the secular art works and architecture of the Islamic world.
Identify the succeeding dynasties that ruled the Islamic world.
Explain the important role that the patronage of art and architecture had played in definitions of kingship.

Course Requirements show close

In order to take this course you must:

√ Have access to a computer.

√ Have continuous broadband Internet access.

√ Have the ability/permission to install plug-ins (e.g., Adobe Reader or Flash) and software.

√ Have the ability to download and save files and documents to a computer.

√ Have the ability to open Microsoft files and documents (.doc, .ppt, .xls, etc.).

√ Be competent in the English language.

√ Have read the Saylor Student Handbook.

√ Have completed ARTH101: Art Appreciation and Techniques, ARTH110: Introduction to Western Art History—Pre-Historic to High Gothic, and ARTH111: Introduction to Western Art History—Proto-Renaissance to Contemporary Art

Unit Outline show close

1 Early Islamic Art and Architecture of the Umayyad Period (632-750)
1.1 Overview of the Early History of Islam and Core Beliefs
1.2 Overview of Islamic Art
1.2.1 Islamic Calligraphy
1.2.2 Geometric and Vegetal Patterns in Islamic Art
1.2.3 Islamic Art and Figural Representation
1.2.4 The Mosque
1.3 Architecture of the Umayyad Caliphate
1.3.1 Umayyad Religious Architecture
1.3.2 Umayyad Palace Architecture
1.4 Art of the Umayyad Caliphate
1.5 Islamic Art and Architecture in Spain
1.5.1 Art of the Umayyad Period in Spain (711-1031)
1.5.2 The Great Mosque of Córdoba
1.5.3 Later Islamic Art and Architecture in Spain

2 The Abbasid (750-1258) and Seljuk (C. 1040-1157) Dynasties and Islamic Art and Architecture in the Maghrib
2.1 Abbasid Art, Architecture and City Planning
2.1.1 Abassid Architecture and City Planning
2.1.2 Abbasid Calligraphy and Manuscripts
2.1.3 Abbasid Ceramics
2.2 Seljuk Art and Architecture
2.2.1 Seljuk Architecture
2.2.2 Seljuk Art
2.2.3 Art and Architecture of the Seljuk Period in Anatolia
2.3 Islamic Art and Architecture in the Maghreb
2.3.1 Islamic Art of the Maghreb
2.3.2 Islamic Architecture of the Maghrib

3 Art and Architecture of the Fatimid (909-1171), Ayyubid (1171-1250), and Mamluk (1250-1517) Dynasties
3.1 Fatimid Art and Architecture
3.1.1 Fatimid Architecture
3.1.2 Fatimid Art
3.2 Ayyubid Art and Architecture
3.2.1 Ayyubid Architecture
3.2.2 Ayyubid Ceramics, Metalwork, Wood, and Glass
3.3 Mamluk Art and Architecture
3.3.1 Mamluk Architecture
3.3.2 Mamluk Decorative Arts

4 Art and Architecture of the Ilkhanid (1256-1353) and Timurid (c.1370-1507) Dynasties
4.1 Overview of Ilkhanid Art and Architecture
4.2 Ilkhanid Architecture
4.2.1 The lkhanid Summer Palace at Takht-i Sulayman
4.2.2 The Tomb of Öljeitü
4.3 Ilkhanid Art
4.3.1 Ilkhanid Decorative Arts
4.3.2 The Art of the Book
4.3.3 Ilkhanid Religious Art
4.4 Art and Architecture of the Timurid Dynasty
4.4.1 Timurid Architecture
4.5 Timurid Art
4.5.1 Timurid Metalwork and Jades
4.5.2 The Herat School of Painting

5 The Art and Architecture of the Safavid (1501-1722), Ottoman (ca. 1299–1922), and Mughal (1526-1858) Empires
5.1 Safavid Architecture and City Planning
5.2 Safavid Art
5.2.1 The Art of the Book
5.2.2 Safavid Decorative Arts
5.2.3 Safavid Carpets and Textiles
5.3 Ottoman Architecture
5.3.1 Early Ottoman Architecture: Mehmed II’s Building Projects and the Topkapi Palace
5.3.2 The Royal Architect Sinan
5.3.3 Later Ottoman Architecture
5.4 Ottoman Art: Calligraphy, Miniatures, Ceramics, Textiles, and Carpets
5.5 Overview of Pre-Mughal Islamic Art and Architecture in India
5.6 Mughal Architecture
5.6.1 Humayun’s Tomb
5.6.2 Fatehpur Sikri
5.6.3 Shajahanabad’s Red Fort Complex
5.6.4 Shajahanabad’s Jama Masjid
5.6.5 The Taj Mahal
5.7 Mughal Art
5.7.1 Mughal Miniatures
5.7.2 Mughal Decorative Arts
5.7.3 Mughal Textiles
5.8 Trade, Diplomacy, and Visual Exchange between the Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Empires and Europe, Russia, and China
5.8.1 The Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Empires and Europe
5.8.2 The Safavid and Ottoman Empires and Russia
5.8.3 The Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Empires and China

6 Final Exam

Expand All Resources Collapse All Resources

Unit 1: Early Islamic Art and Architecture of the Umayyad Period (632-750)

This unit focuses on the core beliefs of Islam and the early development of Islamic art and architecture during the Umayyad period and later in Spain. It begins with an overview of Islamic beliefs, early Islamic history, and the general characteristics of Islamic art and architecture. The unit then traces the development of Islamic art and architecture under Umayyad patronage and their adoption and adaptation of pre-Islamic artistic and architectural traditions. The unit concludes by looking at Islamic art and architecture in Spain after the last member of the Umayyad dynasty fled and established his capital at Córdoba. After completing this unit, you will have a comprehensive understanding of the central beliefs of Islam, the major characteristics of Islamic art and architecture, particularly under the Umayyads and later regional developments in Spain.

Unit 1 Time Advisory show close

Unit 1 Learning Outcomes show close

1.1 Overview of the Early History of Islam and Core Beliefs

Reading: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery’s “Arts of the Islamic World: A Teacher’s Guide”
Link: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery’s “Arts of the Islamic World: A Teacher’s Guide” (PDF)

Instructions: Please download this resource by clicking on the link labeled “Arts of the Islamic World: A Teacher’s Guide” under “Teacher Resources.” Read the “Overview of Islam” on pages 5-18 of the PDF file as an introduction to the early history of Islam and its core beliefs.

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Web Media: Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Friday Prayers”
Link: Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Friday Prayers” (Quicktime, HTML Transcript)

Instructions: Please watch this brief video about Friday prayers and the mosque of Sultan Hasan in Egypt (2:47 minutes).

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Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Ka’ba”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Ka’ba” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this webpage about the history of the Ka’ba. After you have finished, make sure to click on “view thumbnail images” at the top right hand corner to view diagrams and images of the Ka’ba.

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Reading: Museum with No Frontiers’ “Pilgrimage”
Link: Museum with No Frontiers’ “Pilgrimage” (HTML)

Instructions: Click on the link titled “Introduction.” Read the text on the page, and then click on the hyperlink in the right hand of the page labeled “Next page” to read each subsequent page. Continue to do this until you have reached the end of the online exhibition that focuses on Islamic pilgrimage (14 webpages total).

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1.2 Overview of Islamic Art

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: The Department of Islamic Art’s “The Nature of Islamic Art"
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: The Department of Islamic Art’s “The Nature of Islamic Art"

Instructions: Please read this page as an introduction to the characteristics of Islamic art. Also, click on “View slideshow” at the top of the webpage (or you may click on each thumbnail individually at the top of the webpage) to examine the artworks associated with this reading.

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1.2.1 Islamic Calligraphy

Reading: The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Calligraphy in Islamic Art”
Link: The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Calligraphy in Islamic Art”

Instructions: Please read this page in its entirety as an introduction to the development, importance, and use of Arabic calligraphy in Islamic art and architecture.

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1.2.2 Geometric and Vegetal Patterns in Islamic Art

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: The Department of Islamic Art’s “Geometric Patterns in Islamic Art”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: The Department of Islamic Art’s “Geometric Patterns in Islamic Art”

Instructions: Please read this page as an introduction to the development, importance, and use of geometric patterns in Islamic art and architecture. Click on “View slideshow” at the top of the webpage (or you may click on each thumbnail individually at the top of the webpage) to examine the artwork associated with this reading.

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Reading: The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Plant Motifs in Islamic Art”
Link: The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Plant Motifs in Islamic Art”

Instructions: Please read this page in its entirety as an introduction to the development, importance, and use of plant motifs in Islamic art and architecture.

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1.2.3 Islamic Art and Figural Representation

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: The Department of Islamic Art’s “Figural Representation in Islamic Art”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: The Department of Islamic Art’s “Figural Representation in Islamic Art”

Instructions: Please read this page as an introduction to Islamic attitudes toward figural representation. Click on “View slideshow” at the top of the webpage (or you may click on each thumbnail individually at the top of the webpage) to examine the artwork associated with this reading.

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1.2.4 The Mosque

Reading: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery’s “Arts of the Islamic World: A Teacher’s Guide”
Link: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery’s “Arts of the Islamic World: A Teacher’s Guide” (PDF)

Instructions: Please download this resource by clicking on the link labeled “Arts of the Islamic World: A Teacher’s Guide” under the “Teacher’s Resources” heading. Read “Art of the Mosque” on pages 26-28 of the PDF file as an introduction to the art and architecture of the Islamic Mosque.

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1.3 Architecture of the Umayyad Caliphate

1.3.1 Umayyad Religious Architecture

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Umayyad”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Umayyad” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this text as an introduction to Umayyad architecture.

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1.3.1.1 The Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Haram al-Sharif” and “Al-Aqsa Mosque”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Haram al-Sharif” (HTML) and “Al-Aqsa Mosque” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read both webpages. When you are finished, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of each page to view images of Haram al-Sharif and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

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Web Media: Saudi Aramco Magazine’s “A Virtual Walking Tour: Al-Haram Al-Sharif”
Link: Saudi Aramco Magazine’s “A Virtual Walking Tour: Al Haram Al-Sharif” (Adobe Flash)

Instructions: After listening to the introduction, click on the play button for “Virtual Walking Tour” to take a virtual tour of Al-Haram Al-Sharif with narration. Please note that there are additional arrows and segments of narration inside individual structures that you need to listen to. The entire tour takes about 2 hours.

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1.3.1.2 The Umayyad Mosque at Damascus

Reading: Out Of Hadhramout’s “The Great Umayyad Mosque, Damascus”
Link: Out Of Hadhramout’s “The Great Umayyad Mosque, Damascus” (HTML)

Instructions: Read the entirety of this webpage to learn about the Great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. Please click on the images to enlarge and study them more closely. You may click on the link at the bottom of the page to find additional resources on this topic.

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Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Umayyad Mosque”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Umayyad Mosque” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the page to view images of the Umayyad Mosque.

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Web Media: Victoria and Albert Museum’s “The Umayyad Mosque, Damascus, Syria”
Link: Victoria and Albert Museum’s “The Umayyad Mosque, Damascus, Syria” (Quicktime)

Instructions: Please watch this short video, which focuses on the gold mosaics that decorate the arcades in the courtyard of the Great Mosque of Damascus (47 seconds).

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Web Media: YouTube: History Department, KSU: Professor Robert Hildenband’s “Byzantine Elements in the Umayyad Mosque at Damascus"
Link: YouTube: History Department, KSU: Professor Robert Hildenband’s “Byzantine Elements in the Umayyad Mosque at Damascus" (YouTube)

Instructions: Please watch this video, which discusses the incorporation of Byzantine and pre-Islamic architectural elements in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus in its entirety (14:10 minutes). This talk was given at the International Symposium on the Historical Relations between Arabia, and the Greek and Byzantine World (5th century B.C. - 10th century A.D.) at King Saud University.

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1.3.2 Umayyad Palace Architecture

Note: This subunit is also covered in the lecture, “Islamic Art,” assigned beneath subunit 1.3.1.1.

1.3.2.1 Qusayr 'Amra (Jordan)

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Qusayr 'Amra”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Qusayr 'Amra” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the page to view images of Qusayr 'Amra.

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Reading: Saudi Aramco World’s “Qasr’Amra”
Link: Saudi Aramco World’s “Qasr’Amra” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage.

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1.3.2.2 Qasr al-Mshatta (Jordan)

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Qasr al-Mshatta”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Qasr al-Mshatta” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the page to view images of Qasr al-Mshatta.

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1.3.2.3 Khirbat al-Mafjar (Palestine)

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Khirbat al-Mafjar”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Khirbat al-Mafjar” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the page to view images of Khirbat al-Mafjar.

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1.3.2.4 Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi and Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi (Syria)

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi” and “Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi” (HTML) and “Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read these webpages. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the each page to view images of Qasr al-Hayr al-Gharbi and Qasr al-Hayr al-Sharqi.

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1.4 Art of the Umayyad Caliphate

Reading: Museums with No Frontiers’ “The Umayyads”

Link: Museums with No Frontiers’ “The Umayyads” (HTML)

Instructions: Click on the link titled “Introduction.” Read the text on the page, and then click on the hyperlink in the right hand of the page labeled “Next page” to access each webpage for reading. Continue to do this until you have reached the end of the online exhibition (15 pages total).

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1.5 Islamic Art and Architecture in Spain

1.5.1 Art of the Umayyad Period in Spain (711-1031)

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: The Department of Islamic Art’s “The Art of the Umayyad Period in Spain (711–1031)”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: The Department of Islamic Art’s “The Art of the Umayyad Period in Spain (711–1031)” (HTML)

Instructions: Read this page as an introduction to the history and art of Umayyad Spain. After you have read the text, click on “View Slideshow” to see examples of Umayyad Spanish art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click on each individual image, and read the accompanying text.

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1.5.2 The Great Mosque of Córdoba

Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "Guided Observation 2: Umayyad Mosque and Great Mosque of Cordoba"

The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
Submit Materials
Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Great Mosque of Córdoba”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Great Mosque of Córdoba” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this page about the history and architecture of the Great Mosque of Córdoba. After you have finished, make sure to click on “view thumbnail images” at the top right hand corner to view diagrams and images of the interior and exterior of the Great Mosque of Córdoba.

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Web Media: YouTube: UNESCO’s “Historic Cordoba”
Link: YouTube: UNESCO’s “Historic Cordoba” (YouTube)

Instructions: Please watch this video about Cordóba, Spain, and the Great Mosque of Córdoba in its entirety (2:53 minutes).

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1.5.3 Later Islamic Art and Architecture in Spain

Web Media: Saudi Aramco Magazine’s “A Virtual Walking Tour: The Alhambra”
Link: Saudi Aramco Magazine’s “A Virtual Walking Tour: The Alhambra” (Adobe Flash)

Instructions: Listening to the “Orientation” is optional but recommended to help you successfully navigate through this website. Click on the play button for “Virtual Walking Tour” to tour the Alhambra with narration. Please note that there are additional arrows and segments of narration inside individual structures that you need to listen to. The entire tour takes about 2 hours.

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Reading: Museum with No Frontiers’ “Mud?jar Art”
Link: Museum with No Frontiers’ “Mud?jar Art” (HTML)

Instructions: Click on the link titled “Introduction.” Read the text on the page and then click on the hyperlink in the right hand of the page labeled “Next page” to access each subsequent page for reading. Continue to do this until you have reached the end of the online exhibition that focuses on Mud?jar art (15 webpages total).

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Unit 2: The Abbasid (750-1258) and Seljuk (C. 1040-1157) Dynasties and Islamic Art and Architecture in the Maghrib

This unit examines the art and architecture of the Abbasid and Seljuk dynasties and the regional rulers of Anatolia and the Maghreb. The unit begins by looking at the distinctive artistic and architectural style formulated under the Abbasid Caliphate that spread throughout the rest of the Muslim world. The unit then turns to the short-lived but influential Seljuk dynasty that had a lasting impact on the politics, culture, and artistic traditions of the Islamic world. Finally, the unit concludes by looking at Islamic art and architecture in the Maghreb or Northwestern Africa. After completing this unit, you will have a comprehensive understanding of major artistic and architectural innovations of the Abbasids and Seljuks and regional developments in Islamic architecture in Anatolia and the Maghreb.

Unit 2 Time Advisory show close

Unit 2 Learning Outcomes show close

2.1 Abbasid Art, Architecture and City Planning

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the cAbbasid Period (750–1258)”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the ^cAbbasid Period (750–1258)” (HTML)

Instructions: This reading also covers the topics for subunits 2.1.1-2.1.3. Please read this text as an introduction to the history, art, and architecture of the Abassid period. After you have read the text, click on “View Slideshow” and view examples of Abbasid art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click on each individual image and read the text.

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2.1.1 Abassid Architecture and City Planning

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Baghdad,” “Samarra” and “Building Style: Abbasid”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Baghdad,” (HTML) “Samarra,” (HTML) “Building Style: Abbasid” (HTML)

Instructions: This reading also covers the topics for subunits 2.1.1.1-2.1.1.2. First, read the pages about Bagdad and Samarra, making sure to click on “view thumbnail images” at the top right hand corner of each page to view these sites. Then, read the page “Building Style: Abbasid” as a general introduction to Abbasid architecture.

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2.1.1.1 Baghdad

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.1.1. Focus specifically on the webpage, “Baghdad.”

2.1.1.2 Samarra

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.1.1. Focus specifically on the webpage, “Samarra.”

2.1.1.3 Great Mosque of al-Mutawakkil

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Great Mosque of al-Mutawakkil”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Great Mosque of al-Mutawakkil” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the page to view images of the Great Mosque of al-Mutawakkil.

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2.1.1.4 Jawsaq al-Khaqani Palace

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Jawsaq al-Khaqani Palace”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Jawsaq al-Khaqani Palace” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the page to view images of the Jawsaq al-Khaqani Palace.

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2.1.1.5 Sulaybiya Mausoleum

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Sulaybiya Mausoleum”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Sulaybiya Mausoleum” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the page to view images of the Sulaybiya Mausoleum.

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2.1.2 Abbasid Calligraphy and Manuscripts

Reading: The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Style in Islamic Art: Abbasid Style”
Link: The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Style in Islamic Art: Abbasid Style” (HTML)

Instructions: This reading covers the topics for subunits 2.1.2 and 2.1.3. Please read the short text as an introduction to Abbasid art. Then, on the right side of the webpage, click on and read each of the following sections for information about the different characteristics of Abassid art: “Kufic script,” “Vine leaves,” and “Life at Court” (4 webpages total, including the introduction).

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2.1.3 Abbasid Ceramics

Reading: Museum with No Frontiers’ “Abbasid Ceramics”
Link: Museum with No Frontiers’ “Abbasid Ceramics” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the text on the page, and then click on the hyperlink in the right hand of the page titled “Next page.” Read all three webpages about Abbasid ceramics.

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2.2 Seljuk Art and Architecture

2.2.1 Seljuk Architecture

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Seljuk”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Seljuk” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this text as an introduction to Seljuk architecture.

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2.2.1.1 Madrasa al-Nizamiyya

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Madrasa al-Nizamiyya”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Madrasa al-Nizamiyya” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the webpage to view images of the Madrasa al-Nizamiyya.

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2.2.1.2 The Great Mosque at Isfahan/Friday Mosque of Isfahan

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Friday Mosque of Isfahan”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Friday Mosque of Isfahan” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the webpage to view images of the Friday Mosque of Isfahan.

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2.2.1.3 Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the webpage to view images of the Sultan Sanjar Mausoleum.

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Reading: Saudi Aramco World: Jane Waldron Grutz’s “Oasis of Turquoise and Ravens”
Link: Saudi Aramco World: Jane Waldron Grutz’s “Oasis of Turquoise and Ravens” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this article about the Seljuk city of Merv that originally appeared on pages 16-27 of the July/August 1998 print edition of Saudi Aramco World.

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Reading: Flickr’s “Sultan Sanjar’s Mausoleum”
Link: Flickr’s “Sultan Sanjar’s Mausoleum” (HTML)

Instructions: Please click on each of the images to enlarge and study them closely.

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2.2.1.4 Seljuk Caravanserais

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Seljuk Caravanserais”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Seljuk Caravanserais” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the webpage to view images of Seljuk Caravanserai.

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2.2.2 Seljuk Art

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Seljuqs of Iran (ca. 1040–1157)”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Seljuqs of Iran (ca. 1040–1157)” (HTML)

Instructions: This reading covers the topics for sections 2.2.2.1 and 2.2.2.2. Read this page as an introduction to the history and art of the Seljuk period. After you have read the text, click on “View Slideshow” to see examples of Seljuk art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click on each individual image, and read the accompanying text.

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2.2.2.1 Metalwork

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.2.2. Focus specifically on the metal objects in the slideshow.

2.2.2.2 Ceramics

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 2.2.2. Focus specifically on the ceramic objects in the slideshow.

2.2.3 Art and Architecture of the Seljuk Period in Anatolia

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Seljuq Period in Anatolia (1081–1307)”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Seljuq Period in Anatolia (1081–1307)” (HTML)

Instructions: Read this page as an introduction to the history and art of the Seljuk period in Anatolia. After you have read the text, click on “View Slideshow” to explore an example of Seljuk Anatolian art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click on the image, and read the accompanying text.

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2.3 Islamic Art and Architecture in the Maghreb

2.3.1 Islamic Art of the Maghreb

Reading: The David Collection’s “The Maghreb, Muslim North Africa”
Link: The David Collection’s “The Maghreb, Muslim North Africa” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this text as an introduction to the history of the Maghreb. Then, click on “Works of Art” and “Architecture.” On each new screen, make sure to click on the individual images to learn more about each object or structure.

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2.3.2 Islamic Architecture of the Maghrib

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Great Mosque of Kairouan,” “Zaytuna Mosque,” “Qarawiyyin Mosque,” and “Attarin Madrasa”
Links: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Great Mosque of Kairouan,” “Zaytuna Mosque,” “Qarawiyyin Mosque,” and “Attarin Madrasa”

Note: All websites are in HTML format.

Instructions: Please read these pages as an introduction to early Islamic architecture of the Maghreb. After you have finished reading each of these pages, make sure to click on “view thumbnail images” at the top right hand corner of each webpage to view images of these structures.

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Reading: Saudi Aramco World: Josh Martin’s “Fez: Preserving a City”
Link: Saudi Aramco World: Josh Martin’s “Fez: Preserving a City” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this article about Fez, Morocco, which originally appeared on pages 20-27 of the May/June 1993 print edition of Saudi Aramco World.

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Unit 3: Art and Architecture of the Fatimid (909-1171), Ayyubid (1171-1250), and Mamluk (1250-1517) Dynasties

This unit focuses on the art and architecture of three successive Islamic dynasties whose empire was based in Egypt: the Fatimids, Ayyubids, and Mamluks. We will first learn about the building of Cairo by the Fatimid rulers, their patronage of the decorative arts, and the production of Tiraz textiles. We will then turn to the Ayyubid madrasas and other building projects as well as Ayyubid patronage of the decorative arts. This unit concludes by examining later Islamic art and architecture in Egypt under the Mamluk dynasty. After completing this unit, you should have a comprehensive understanding of the artistic and architectural traditions of these three Islamic Egyptian dynasties.

Unit 3 Time Advisory show close

Unit 3 Learning Outcomes show close

3.1 Fatimid Art and Architecture

Reading: Museums with No Frontiers’ “The Fatimids”
Link: Museums with No Frontiers’ “The Fatimids” (HTML)

Instructions: This reading covers materials for subunits 3.1.1 and 3.1.2. Click on the link titled “Introduction.” Read the text on the page and then click on the hyperlink in the right hand of the page labeled “Next page” to access each subsequent page for reading. Continue to do this until you have reached the end of the online exhibition (17 webpages total).

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3.1.1 Fatimid Architecture

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Fatimid”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Fatimid” (HTML)

Instructions: This reading covers the topics for subunits 3.1.1.1 and 3.1.1.2. First, read this page as an introduction to Fatimid architecture. Afterwards, click on the link labeled, “Al-Azhar Mosque” and “Al-Hakim Mosque.” After you have finished each of these pages, make sure to click on “view thumbnail images” at the top right-hand corner to view images of these mosques.

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3.1.1.1 The Al-Azhar Mosque

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Al-Azhar Mosque”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Al-Azhar Mosque” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the page to view images of the Al-Azhar Mosque

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3.1.1.2 The Al-Hakim Mosque

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Al-Hakim Mosque”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Al-Hakim Mosque” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the page to view images of the Al-Hakim Mosque

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3.1.2 Fatimid Art

Reading: The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Style in Islamic Art: Fatimid Style”
Link: The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Style in Islamic Art: Fatimid Style” (HTML)

Instructions: This reading covers material for subunits 3.1.2.1-3.2.2. Please read the short text as an introduction to Abbasid art. Then click on “Balanced design,” “The human figure,” and “Warding off evil” and read about different characteristics of Fatimid art.

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3.1.2.1 Fatimid Ceramics, Metalwork, and Glass

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.1. Focus specifically on the webpage, “The Decorative Arts.”

3.1.2.2 Tiraz Textiles

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.1. Focus specifically on the webpage, “Sartorial Splendour: Tiraz and Contemporary Costume.”

3.2 Ayyubid Art and Architecture

3.2.1 Ayyubid Architecture

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Ayyubid”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Ayyubid” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this text as an introduction to Ayyubid architecture.

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3.2.1.1 The Fortified Citadels of Cairo and Aleppo

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Cairo Citadel” and “Aleppo Citadel”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Cairo Citadel” (HTML) and “Aleppo Citadel” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read these webpages. When you are finished reading each page, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner to view images of the Cairo and Aleppo citadels.

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3.2.1.2 Ayyubid Madrasas

Reading: Museum with No Frontiers’ “The Atabegs and Ayyubids: Madrasas and Education”
Link: Museum with No Frontiers’ “The Atabegs and Ayyubids: Madrasas and Education” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the text on the webpage, and then click on the hyperlink in the right-hand corner of the page titled “Next page.” Continue to do this until you have reached the end of the online exhibition about Atabeg and Ayyubid madrasas (4 webpages total).

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3.2.1.3 Imam al-Shafi'i Mausoleum

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Imam al-Shafi'i Mausoleum”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Imam al-Shafi'i Mausoleum” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the page to view images of the Imam al-Shafi'i Mausoleum.

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3.2.1.4 Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub Funerary Complex

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub Funerary Complex”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub Funerary Complex” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the page to view images of the Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub Funerary Complex.

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3.2.2 Ayyubid Ceramics, Metalwork, Wood, and Glass

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Ayubbid Period (c. 1171-1260)"
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Ayyubid Period (c. 1171-1260)" (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this page as an introduction to the history and art of the Ayyubid period. After you have read the text, click on “View Slideshow” to explore examples of Ayyubid art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click on each individual image, and read the accompanying text.

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3.3 Mamluk Art and Architecture

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Mamluk Period (1250-1517)”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Mamluk Period (1250-1517)” (HTML)

Instructions: Please note that this reading also covers material for subunit 3.3.2. Read this page as an introduction to the history and art of the Malmuk period. After you have read the text, click on “View Slideshow” to explore examples of Malmuk art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click on each individual image, and read the accompanying text.

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3.3.1 Mamluk Architecture

Reading: Museum with No Frontiers: Mohammad Al-Asad’s “Mamluks: Monuments”
Link: Museum with Now Frontiers: Mohammad Al-Asad’s “Mamluks: Monuments” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this page as an introduction to Mamluk architecture. After you are finished, make sure to click on each image on the right side of the webpage, and read the accompanying text.

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Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Sultan al-Nasir Hasan Funerary Complex”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Sultan al-Nasir Hasan Funerary Complex” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this page about the Sultan al-Nasir Hasan Funerary Complex. After you have finished, make sure to click on “view thumbnail images” at the top right-hand corner to see Images of the complex.

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Reading: Saudi Aramco World: John Feeney’s “A City Adorned”
Link: Saudi Aramco World: John Feeney’s “A City Adorned” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this article that focuses on Sultan Hasan Mosque. Make sure to click on the play button after “View the slideshow,” which is directly to the right below the title bar, to view images associated with this article that originally appeared on pages 20-31 of the January/February 2005 print edition of Saudi Aramco World.

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3.3.2 Mamluk Decorative Arts

Note: This subunit is also covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 3.3. Focus specifically on the images in the slideshow and their accompanying text.

Reading: The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Style in Islamic Art: Mamluk Style”
Link: The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Style in Islamic Art: Mamluk Style” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the short text as an introduction to Mamluk art. Then, click on “Bold Inscriptions,” “Badges of Office,” and “Complex Geometry” on the right side of the webpage, and read each of these sections about the different characteristics of Mamluk art (four pages total including the introduction).

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Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Stefano Carboni and Qamar Adamjee’s “Enameled and Gilded Glass from Islamic Lands”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Stefano Carboni and Qamar Adamjee’s “Enameled and Gilded Glass from Islamic Lands” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this page as an introduction to enameled and gilded glass produced during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. After you have read the text, click on “View Slideshow” at the top of the webpage to see examples of Islamic enameled and gilded glass in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click on each individual image, and read the accompanying text.

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Unit 4: Art and Architecture of the Ilkhanid (1256-1353) and Timurid (c.1370-1507) Dynasties

This unit examines the art and architecture of two Islamic dynasties established in the wake of the Mongols: the Ilkhanids and the Timurids. It begins by focusing on the Ilkhanid Summer Palace at Takht-i Sulayman, the Tomb of Oljetu, and the Ilkhanid patronage of manuscript illumination. The unit then discusses the art and architecture of the Timurid dynasty, surveying the major characteristics of Timurid art and architecture and the development of the Herat School of Painting. After completing this unit, you should have a comprehensive understanding of the artistic and architectural traditions of the Ilkhanid and Timurid dynasties.

Unit 4 Time Advisory show close

Unit 4 Learning Outcomes show close

4.1 Overview of Ilkhanid Art and Architecture

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Ilkhanid Period (1256–1353)”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Ilkhanid Period (1256–1353)” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this page as an introduction to the history, art, and architecture of the Ilkhanid period. After you have read the text, click on “View Slideshow” at the top of the webpage to see examples of art created during the Ilkhanid period in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click on each individual image, and read the accompanying text.

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4.2 Ilkhanid Architecture

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Il-Khanid”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Il-Khanid” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this text as an introduction to Il-Khanid architecture.

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4.2.1 The lkhanid Summer Palace at Takht-i Sulayman

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Stefano Carboni and Qamar Adamjee’s “Takht-i Sulayman and Tile Work in the Ilkhanid Period”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Stefano Carboni and Qamar Adamjee’s “Takht-i Sulayman and Tile Work in the Ilkhanid Period” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this page about the Ilkhanid Summer Palace at Takht-i-Sulayman. After you have read the text, click on “View Slideshow” at the top of the webpage to see examples of two Ilkhanid tiles that may be from this site. Click on each individual image, and read the accompanying text.

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Web Media: Voices Compassionate Education’s “Takht-e Soleyman”
Link: Voices Compassionate Education’s “Takht-e Soleyman” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the brief introduction, look closely at the photograph, and watch the YouTube video (approximately 4 minutes).

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4.2.2 The Tomb of Öljeitü

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Oljeitu Tomb”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Oljeitu Tomb” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the page to view images of the tomb of Öljeitü.

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Web Media: Voices Compassionate Education’s “Soltaniyeh”
Voices Compassionate Education’s “Soltaniyeh” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the brief introduction, look closely at the photograph, and watch the YouTube video (approximately 8 minutes).

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4.3 Ilkhanid Art

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Stefano Carboni and Qamar Adamjee’s “Courtly Art of the Ilkhanids,” “The Art of the Book in the Ilkhanid Period,” and “The Religious Arts under the Ilkhanids”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Stefano Carboni and Qamar Adamjee’s “Courtly Art of the Ilkhanids,” (HTML) “The Art of the Book in the Ilkhanid Period,” (HTML) and “The Religious Arts under the Ilkhanids” (HTML)

Instructions: These readings also cover topics for sections 4.3.1-4.3.3 of this course. After you have read the text on each page, click on “View Slideshow” at the top of the webpage to see examples of Ilkhanid art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click on each individual image, and read the accompanying text.

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Reading: The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Style in Islamic Art: Ilkhanid Style”
Link: The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Style in Islamic Art: Ilkhanid Style” (HTML)

Instructions: This reading covers topics outlined for sections 4.3.1-4.3.3 in this course. Please read the short text as an introduction to IlKhanid art. Then, click on “Chinese Motifs,” “Iranian Traditions,” and “Elegant Calligraphy” to read about different characteristics of IlKhanid art.

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4.3.1 Ilkhanid Decorative Arts

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.3. Focus specifically on the webpage, “Courtly Art of the Ilkhanids.”

4.3.2 The Art of the Book

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.3. Focus specifically on the webpage, “The Art of the Book in the Ilkhanid Period.”

Reading: Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Stefano Carboni and Qamar Adamjee’s “Folios from the Great Mongol Shahnama (Book of Kings)
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Stefano Carboni and Qamar Adamjee’s “Folios from the Great Mongol Shahnama (Book of Kings)” (HTML)

Instructions: Read this text as about a famous Ilkhanid copy of the Shahnama. After you have read the text, click on “View Slideshow” and view different illustration from this text. Click on each individual image and read the accompanying text.

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4.3.3 Ilkhanid Religious Art

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 4.3. Focus specifically on the webpage, “The Religious Arts under the Ilkhanids.”

4.4 Art and Architecture of the Timurid Dynasty

4.4.1 Timurid Architecture

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Timurid”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Timurid” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this text as an introduction to Timurid architecture.

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Reading: Saudi Aramco World: John Feeney’s “Memories of Samarkand” and “The Drums of Tamerlane”
Link: Saudi Aramco World: John Feeney’s “Memories of Samarkand” and “The Drums of Tamerlane” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this article titled “Memories of Samarkand,” as well as the section of the webpage titled “The Drums of Tamerlane,” for information about the city of Samarkand. This articleoriginally appeared on pages 34-40 of the July/August 1984 print edition of Saudi Aramco World. Click here to see the images associated with this article.

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4.4.1.1 The Bibi Khanum Mosque

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Bibi Khanum Mosque”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Bibi Khanum Mosque” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the entire webpage. Then, click on the thumbnails at the top right corner of the page to view images of the Bibi Khanum Mosque.

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Reading: MIT Open Courseware: Nasser Rabbat's “Religious Architecture of the Timurids”
MIT Open Courseware: Nasser Rabbat's “Religious Architecture of the Timurids” (PDF)

Instructions: Please reade the brief introduction and click on the images to open them in a webpage and enlarge them. Please read the corresponding image captions.

Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License. It is attributed to Nasser Rabbat and MIT OpenCourseWare, and the original version may be found here.
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4.4.1.2 Guri Amir

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Gur-i Amir”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Gur-i Amir” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this page as an introduction to Guri Amir Complex that includes the mausoleum of Timur. When you are done, make sure to click on “View thumbnail images” at the top right-hand corner of the page to see images of this complex.

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Reading: Wikipedia's “Gure-e Amir”
Link: Wikipedia's “Gure-e Amir” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the Wikipedia page. Click on the images to enlarge and study them.

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4.5 Timurid Art

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Timurid Period (ca. 1370–1507)”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Timurid Period (ca. 1370–1507)” (HTML) and Yumiko Kanada’s “The Mantiq al-Tayr of 1487” (HTML)

Instructions: This reading covers the topics outlined in sections 4.5.1 and 4.5.2. Please read these pages as an introduction to the art of the Timurid period. After you have read the text, click on “View Slideshow” to see examples of art created during the Timurid period. Click on each individual image, and read the accompanying text.

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4.5.1 Timurid Metalwork and Jades

Reading: BBC: A History of the World in 100 Objects: “Jade Dragon Cup”
Link: BBC: A History of the World in 100 Objects: “Jade Dragon Cup” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this text about a Timurid jade cup before listening to its accompanying podcast on iTunes, linked below.

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Lecture: iTunes U: BBC: A History of the World in 100 Objects: “Jade Dragon Cup”
Link: iTunes U: BBC: A History of the World in 100 Objects: “Jade Dragon Cup” (iTunes U)

Also available in:
Adobe Flash
Mp3 or HTML Transcript

Instructions: Listen to Podcast 27 about the Timurid jade cup in the above reading. The podcast is 14 minutes long.

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4.5.2 The Herat School of Painting

Reading: The Saylor Foundation's "The Herat School of Painting"

The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
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Unit 5: The Art and Architecture of the Safavid (1501-1722), Ottoman (ca. 1299–1922), and Mughal (1526-1858) Empires

This unit focuses on the art and architecture of three later Islamic Empires: the Safavids, Ottomans, and Mughals. It begins by focusing on Safavid city planning and manuscript illumination and then outlines major developments in Ottoman art and architecture. Then, we will examine the art and architecture of the Mughal Empire, focusing on the construction of Fatehpur Sikri, Shahjahanabad, the Taj Mahal, and Mughal miniatures. The unit concludes by concentrating on the role that trade and diplomacy between these Empires and Europe, Russia and China played in the development of Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal art and architecture. After completing this unit, you should have a comprehensive understanding of the artistic and architectural traditions of the Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Empires and the major cultural and visual exchanges that occurred between these three Islamic Empires, Europe, Russia, and China.

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5.1 Safavid Architecture and City Planning

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Safavid”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Safavid” (HTML)

Instructions: First, read this page as an introduction to Safavid architecture and city planning. Then, click on the links labeled “Maidan-I Shah” “Qaysariya” “Chahar Bagh,” “Shah Mosque,” “Allahverdi Khan Bridge,” “Palace Complex at Ishafan,” “Chihil Sutun,” and “Hasht Behesht Palace.” After you have read each page, make sure to click on “View thumbnail images” at the top right-hand corner of each webpage to see diagrams and images of these structures.

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Reading: MIT Open Courseware: Nasser Rabbat’s “The Great Seljuqs, the Sunni Revival, and the Four-Iwan Plan”
Link: MIT Open Courseware: Nasser Rabbat’s “The Great Seljuqs, the Sunni Revival, and the Four-Iwan Plan” (PDF)

Instructions: Please read the brief introduction and click on the images to open them in a webpage and enlarge them. Please read the corresponding image captions.

Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License. It is attributed to Nasser Rabbat and MIT OpenCourseWare, and the original version may be found here.
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5.2 Safavid Art

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Safavids Before 1600”; Marika Sarder’s “The Arts of Iran, 1600–1800”; and Francesca Leoni’s “The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp”
Links: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Safavids Before 1600” (HTML); Marika Sarder’s “The Arts of Iran, 1600–1800” (HTML); and Francesca Leoni’s “The Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp” (HTML)

Instructions: These readings cover the topics outlined for sections 5.2.1-5.2.3 of this course. Please read these pages as an introduction to the art of the Safavid Empire. After you have read the text on each page, click on “View Slideshow” at the top of each webpage to see examples of Safavid art. Click on each individual image, and read the accompanying text; complete this action for the images on each of the three pages linked above.

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Reading: The British Museum’s “Shah ‘Abbas: The Remaking of Iran”
Link: The British Museum’s “Shah ‘Abbas: The Remaking of Iran”

Instructions: Please click on each of the images and read their accompanying webpages in their entirety as an introduction to Safavid art during the reign of Shah ‘Abbas (1571–1618).

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Web Media: The British Museum: Sheila Canby’s “Two Portraits, Two Views”
Link: The British Museum: Sheila Canby’s “Two Portraits, Two Views”

Instructions: Please watch this video in its entirety, which discusses two portraits of Shah ‘Abbas (2:24 minutes).

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5.2.1 The Art of the Book

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marika Sardar’s “The Arts of the Book in the Islamic World, 1600-1800”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marika Sardar’s “The Arts of the Book in the Islamic World, 1600-1800” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this text that explains how illustrated books were made in ateliers attached to the Safavid, Mughal, and Ottoman courts.

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Assessment: The Saylor Foundation's "Guided Observation 3: Art of the Book: The Shahnama (Persian Book of Kings)"

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5.2.2 Safavid Decorative Arts

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 5.2. Focus on the webpages, “The Art of the Safavids Before 1600” and “The Arts of Iran, 1600–1800.”

5.2.3 Safavid Carpets and Textiles

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marika Sardar’s “Carpets from the Islamic World, 1600-1800”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marika Sardar’s “Carpets from the Islamic World, 1600-1800” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this text that discusses how carpet making became a statewide industry under the Safavid, Mughal, and Ottoman Empires. After you have finished reading, click on some of the images at the top of the page to see details of Safavid, Mughal, and Ottoman carpets.

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5.3 Ottoman Architecture

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Ottoman”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Ottoman” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this text as an introduction to Ottoman architecture.

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5.3.1 Early Ottoman Architecture: Mehmed II’s Building Projects and the Topkapi Palace

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Fatih Complex” and “Topkapi Palace”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Fatih Complex” (HTML) and “Topkapi Palace” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read these webpages. When you are finished reading each page, click on the thumbnails at the top right to view images of the Fatih Complex and Topkapi Palace.

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Web Media: Victoria and Albert Museum’s “The Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey”
Link: Victoria and Albert Museum’s “The Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey” (Quicktime Video)

Instructions: Please watch this brief video about the Topkapi Palace in its entirety (2:48 minutes); note the ability to view the transcript of the video.

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5.3.2 The Royal Architect Sinan

Reading: The Saylor Foundation's "The Royal Architect Sinan"

The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
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Web Media: Saudi Aramco Magazine’s “A Virtual Walking Tour: The Suleymaniye Mosque”
Link: Saudi Aramco Magazine’s “A Virtual Walking Tour: The Suleymaniye Mosque: Virtual Walking Tour” (Adobe Flash)

Instructions: Listening to the “Orientation” is optional but recommended to help you successfully navigate through this website. After listening to the introduction, take a virtual walking tour with narration. The entire tour takes around 1 hour.

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5.3.3 Later Ottoman Architecture

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marika Sardar’s “The Later Ottomans and the Impact of Europe”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marika Sardar’s “The Later Ottomans and the Impact of Europe” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this text as an introduction to later Ottoman art and architecture and its incorporation of European styles.

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Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Nusretiye Mosque” and “Dolmabahçe Palace Complex”
Links: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Nusretiye Mosque” (HTML) and “Dolmabahçe Palace Complex” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read these two webpages about different structures that fuse elements of Ottoman and European architecture. After you have read each webpage, make sure to click on “view thumbnail images” at the top right-hand corner to see diagrams and images of these structures.

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5.4 Ottoman Art: Calligraphy, Miniatures, Ceramics, Textiles, and Carpets

Web Media: The Walters Art Museum’s W.624: Five Poems (Quintet)
Link: The Walters Art Museum’s W.624: Five Poems (Quintet) (Adobe Flash)

Instructions: Please take your time and look through this magnificent illustrated copy of the Khamsah (Quintet) of Amir Khusraw Dihlavi (d. 1325) that is believed to have been commissioned by Emperor Akbar. The manuscript bears the names of several painters and illuminators and was written in nasta’liq script by the famed Mughal calligrapher, Muhammad Husayn al-Kashmiri. Make sure to look at the borders around the text that are elaborately decorated with animals, birds, geometric motifs, and humans hunting, praying, reading, and doing other things.

Terms of Use: The webpage above is released under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. It is attributed to TheDigitalWalters.org.
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Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Ottomans before 1600” and “The Age of Süleyman ‘The Magnificent’ (r. 1520–1566)”; Marika Sardar’s “The Art of the Ottomans after 1600” and “The Greater Ottoman Empire, 1600–1800”
Links: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Suzan Yalman’s “The Art of the Ottomans before 1600” and “The Age of Süleyman ‘The Magnificent’ (r. 1520–1566)”; Marika Sardar’s “The Art of the Ottomans after 1600,” and “The Greater Ottoman Empire, 1600–1800”

Note: All websites above are in HTML format.

Instructions: Please read these pages about Ottoman art. After you have read the text on each page, click on “View Slideshow” at the top of each webpage to see examples of Ottoman art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click on each individual image, and read the accompanying text.

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Reading: BBC: A History of the World in 100 Objects: “Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent”
Link: BBC: A History of the World in 100 Objects: “Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent” (HTML)

Please read this text about the Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent before listening to its accompanying podcast on iTunes, linked below.

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Lecture: iTunes U: BBC: A History of the World in 100 Objects: “Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent”
Link: iTunes U: BBC: A History of the World in 100 Objects: “Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent” (iTunes U)

Also available in:
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Mp3 or HTML Transcript

Instructions: Listen to Podcast 30 about the Tughra of Suleiman the Magnificent in the reading above. The podcast is 13:51 minutes long.

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5.5 Overview of Pre-Mughal Islamic Art and Architecture in India

Reading: The Saylor Foundation's "Art and Architecture of the Dehli Sultanate (1206-1526)"

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Reading: The Metropolitan Musuem of Art's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marika Sardar's "Islamic Arts of the Deccan"
Link: The Metropolitan Musuem of Art's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marika Sardar's "Islamic Arts of the Deccan" (HTML)

Instructions: Please read the text about Islamic Art in the Deccan After you have read the text, click on “View Slideshow” at the top of the webpage to see examples of Islamic Art from the Deccan in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click on each individual image, and read the accompanying text.

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5.6 Mughal Architecture

5.6.1 Humayun’s Tomb

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Mughal” and “Humayun’s Tomb”
Links: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Building Style: Mughal” (HTML) and “Humayun Tomb” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read these webpages as an introduction to Mughal architecture and the tomb of Humayun (1508-1556), the second emperor of the Mughal Empire. After you have finished reading about the tomb, make sure to click on “View thumbnail images” at the top right-hand corner of each webpage to see diagrams and images of the tomb.

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5.6.2 Fatehpur Sikri

Reading: PBS: The Story of India’s “Fatehpur Sikri”
Link: PBS: The Story of India’s “Fatehpur Sikri” (Adobe Flash)

Instructions: Click on “Display All” above the top right corner of the photograph. Read all of the sections of text that will then appear below the photograph and watch the two videos, “Emperor Akbar” and “Fatehpur Sikri.” The “Fatehpur Sikri” video can be accessed from the hyperlink on the right margin. To play the video “Emperor Akabar” scroll down the page and click on the image with the “play” symbol in the section titled “Emperor Akbar.”

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Reading: Writing Travellers’s “Fatehpur Sikri”
Link: Writing Travellers’s “Fatehpur Sikri” (PDF)

Instructions: Read the entirety of the text on this page. Please study the image closely.

Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License. It is attributed to WritingTravellers, and the original version can be found here.
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5.6.3 Shajahanabad’s Red Fort Complex

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Red Fort Complex”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Red Fort Complex” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this page about the Red Fort Complex constructed by Shah Jahan (1592-1666). After you have finished reading about the complex, make sure to click on “view thumbnail images” at the top right-hand corner to see images of the complex.

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5.6.4 Shajahanabad’s Jama Masjid

Reading: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Friday Mosque of Old Dehli”
Link: Archnet’s Digital Library: “Friday Mosque of Old Dehli” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this webpage about the Jama Masjid constructed by Shah Jahan. After you have finished reading about the mosque, make sure to click on “view thumbnail images” at the top right-hand corner to see images of the mosque.

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5.6.5 The Taj Mahal

Reading: PBS: The Story of India’s “Taj Mahal”
Link: PBS: Story of India’s “Taj Mahal” (Adobe Flash)

Instructions: Click on “Display All” above the top right corner of the photograph. Read all of the sections of text. Then, click on the hyperlink for the “Taj Mahal” video on the right side of the webpage. View this brief video (1:33 minutes).

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Web Media: World-heritage-tour.org’s “Interactive Map of the Taj Mahal”
Link: World-heritage-tour.org’s “Interactive Map of the Taj Mahal” (Adobe Flash or Quicktime)

Instructions: Click on the images to “visit” the Taj Mahal. Then, move your mouse around to view different perspectives of each image. Click on the arrow keys at the bottom of the webpage to view each image in each section of the ruins.

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Lecture: iTunes U: Asian Art Museum of San Francisco: Professor Catherine Asher’s “Visions of Paradise: The Tradition of the Taj Majal, Part I and II” Lectures
Link: iTunes U: Asian Art Museum of San Francisco: Professor Catherine Asher’s “Visions of Paradise: The Tradition of the Taj Mahal, Part I and II” Lectures (iTunes U)

Instructions: Please view the entirety of Lectures 34 and 35 by Professor Catherine Asher from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco’s “Passport to Asia: An Odyssey through Asian Art and History” lecture series.

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5.7 Mughal Art

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: The Department of Islamic Art’s “Art of the Mughals before 1600” and Marika Sardar’s “Art of the Mughals after 1600”
Links: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: The Department of Islamic Art’s “Art of the Mughals before 1600” (HTML) and Marika Sardar’s “Art of the Mughals after 1600” (HTML)

Instructions: This reading covers the topics for sections 5.7.1-5.7.3 of this course. Please read the text on both pages about Mughal Art before and after 1600. After you have read the text on each page, click on “View Slideshow” at the top of the webpage to see examples of Mughal Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Click on each individual image, and read the accompanying text.

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5.7.1 Mughal Miniatures

Web Media: The Walters Art Museum’s W.658 Book on Navigation
Link: The Walters Art Museum’s W.658: Book on Navigation (Adobe Flash)

Instructions: Please take your time and look through this magnificent illustrated copy of Piri Reis’s (d. 1555) Book on Navigation, originally dedicated to Sultan Süleyman I. The book was later revised and expanded and this manuscript was probably completed in the late seventeenth century based on this later version. It includes a world map as well as more detailed maps of the Mediterranean and surrounding areas.

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Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marika Sardar’s “The Arts of the Book in the Islamic World, 1600-1800”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marika Sardar’s “The Arts of the Book in the Islamic World, 1600-1800” (HTML)

Instructions: Please re-read this text that explains how illustrated books were made in ateliers attached to the Safavid, Mughal, and Ottoman courts.

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Web Media: BBC: A History of the World in 100 Objects: “Miniature of a Mughal Prince”
Link: BBC: A History of the World in 100 Objects: “Miniature of a Mughal Prince” (HTML and Mp3 Download)

Also available in:
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Instructions: Please read this text and listen to the podcast about a Mughal miniature by clicking on “Listen to the Programme” in the right-hand corner of the page. The podcast is 13:50 minutes long.

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5.7.2 Mughal Decorative Arts

Note: This subunit is covered by the reading assigned beneath subunit 5.7. Focus specifically on the webpage, “Art of the Mughals After 1600” and the objects, “Inkpot of Emperor Jahangir,” “Dagger,” “Flask in the Shape of a Mango,” and “Bowl and Dish” in the slideshow and their accompanying text.

5.7.3 Mughal Textiles

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marika Sardar’s “Indian Textiles: Trade and Production”
Link: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marika Sardar’s “Indian Textiles: Trade and Production” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this text about Indian textiles. After you have read the text on each page, click on “View Slideshow” at the top of the webpage to see examples of Indian textiles in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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5.8 Trade, Diplomacy, and Visual Exchange between the Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Empires and Europe, Russia, and China

5.8.1 The Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Empires and Europe

Reading: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marika Sardar’s “Europe and the Islamic World, 1600-1800” and Jennifer Meagher’s “Orientalism in Nineteenth Century Art”
Links: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History: Marika Sardar’s “Europe and the Islamic World, 1600-1800” and Jennifer Meagher’s “Orientalism in Nineteenth Century Art”

Note: All websites above are in HTML format.

Instructions: Please read these webpages as an introduction to the artistic exchanges among Europe and the Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Empires. After you have read the text on each page, click on “View Slideshow” at the top of each webpage to see examples of Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal, and European works of art. Make sure to click on each image, and read the accompanying text.

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Reading: Saudi Aramco World: Beth Houston’s “Fanciful Inlay”
Link: Saudi Aramco World: Beth Houston’s “Fanciful Inlay” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this article that discusses Ottoman mother-of-pearl inlaid furniture and its popularity in Europe and the United States. This article originally appeared on pages 32-39 of the July/August 1994 print edition of Saudi Aramco World. Click here for images associated with this article.

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Reading: The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Europe & the Islamic Mediterranean AD 700–1600”
Link: The Victoria and Albert Museum’s “Europe & the Islamic Mediterranean AD 700–1600”

Instructions: Please read this page in its entirety as an introduction to the artistic exchanges between the Europe and the Islamic Mediterranean from 700–1600.

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5.8.2 The Safavid and Ottoman Empires and Russia

Reading: Smithsonian.com: Katy June-Freisen’s “Czar Treasures from the East”
Link: Smithsonian.com: Katy June-Freisen’s “Czar Treasures from the East” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this short article about the exhibition, “The Tsars and the East: Gifts from Turkey and Iran in the Moscow Kremlin,” and the relationship between trade, diplomacy, and the arts in Russia and the Ottoman and Safavid Empires. When you are finished, make sure to click on “View More Photos” to see more images from this exhibition.

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5.8.3 The Safavid, Ottoman, and Mughal Empires and China

Reading: The Asia Society: Imperial Elegance: Chinese Ceramics from the Asia Society’s Rockefeller Collection: “Beyond China”
Link: The Asia Society: Imperial Elegance: Chinese Ceramics from the Asia Society’s Rockefeller Collection: “Beyond China” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this webpage about Chinese porcelains exported to the Middle East.

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Reading: The Louvre’s “Safavid Ceramics and Tiles”
Link: The Louvre’s “Safavid Ceramics and Tiles” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this text that discusses the use of Chinese motifs in ceramic production during the Safavid Empire.

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Reading: Saudi Aramco World: Cheryl Ward’s “The Sadana Islands Shipwreck: The Red Sea in Global Trade”
Link: Saudi Aramco World: Cheryl Ward’s “The Sadana Islands Shipwreck: The Red Sea in Global Trade” (HTML)

Instructions: Please read this text that discusses an Ottoman period shipwreck that contained Chinese porcelains. This article originally appeared on pages 14-21 of the November/December 2000 print edition of Saudi Aramco World. Click here to see the images associated with this article.

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Final Exam

Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's ARTH303 Final Exam
Link: The Saylor Foundation's ARTH303 Final Exam

Instructions: You must be logged into your Saylor Foundation School account in order to access this exam. If you do not yet have an account, you will be able to create one, free of charge, after clicking the link.
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