ARTHI6K Notes - Khoury PDF

Preview

Summary

Khoury...

Description

10/03/17- Section Email TA: [email protected] Online Resources: - archnet.org - metmueseum.org What are our sources to understand Islamic Art? - The Quran - Objects themselves, writings from the time and area, primary sources - Comparisons with islamic and non art - Other people understanding of the art, secondary sources What is the difference between primary and secondary sources? - Primary sources are objects themselves and specific writings or views from the same era and area as the art - Secondary sources come from later analyzations What is “Islamic Art”? - Art made to serve Islamic purposes - Art made under Islamic rule 10/04/17- Lecture What is Islamic Art and Architecture? 1) Islamic art as a 19th C field of study, part of discipline of art history, with its assumptions 2) Islamic art as a global phenomenon that started in the 7th C with the appearance and consolidation of Islam as a new monotheistic faith The Dome of the Rock - In Jerusalem - Surrounded by large space, mainly empty - Emphasizes its own presence, visibility is very important - Highly decorated, covered with alloy to make it shiny - Covered with mosaics, small stone called tesaray, marble - Built at very end of 7th C - Visibility also enhanced as a building - Design symmetry - The monument is the same from all sides - High dome on extended drum - Emphasis on height/vertical axis from the exterior - Building is an octagon, has 8 sides, but really a circle - 4 points of entry - 4 piers and 12 columns interior, 8 piers and 16 columns exterior (25 m high outside) - 20 m diameter; glided - Sloping roof, octagonal walls - 2 horizontal axes cross at center - 2 ambulatories (circular walkways) - 4 Entrance porch

- Focus on center - Plan and design typical of shrines and commemorative monuments - Rock in middle links heaven and earth - Completed 691 (Umayyad) - Soffit is inner part of an arch, still got mosaics though - Scrolls, floral motifs, jewels, writing(epigraphy) - Epigraphy in mosaic, religious pronouncements and historical information - Built by order of Abd al-Malik of the Umayyad family - First monument created by a Muslim patron - Similar design as in church of the nativity, bethlehem Islam as a religion appeared ca. 580 through the Prophet Muhammad( d 632) - Followed by 4 leaders (centered in Madina/Arabia) - Followed by rulers of the Umayyad family (centered in Syria) - Damascus was a center for Umayyad rule - Jerusalem right below - 3 provinces in Roman Arabia Mecca and the Ka’ba - Center of pre- Islamic gathering and pilgrimage - The Quraysh tribe (in charge of the pilgrimage shrine at Mecca) and Bani Umayya (relatives of the Prophet, with strong trade relations with the northern parts of the peninsula) - Establishment of Islamic monotheism and destruction of idols at the Ka’be - Worship of one god and having revelations in a language that will become a vehicle The 6th C Scene - Competition over south Arabia by two powerful empires - Byzantine - Sassanian/Persian Sassanian Empire - Rock carvings - Warriors - Queen, royalty - Golden tesserae - Motifs, prongs - Dome of the rock borrows some design from byzantine 10/09/17- Lecture Dome of the Rock - Affiliation in plan and design with byzantine martyria and commemorative monuments:the Holy Sepulcher, the holy tomb of Jesus - The byzantine aspects are mostly lost, but the dome of the rock borrows a lot from them - Mosaic decoration - Jewels - Inscriptions

-

Times -

Completed in 692 Ordered by ruler abd al-malik (d705) of the umayyad dynasty Supervisors and advisors: raja ibn haywah and yazid ibn salamah Period of construction 688-691/2 Intense wars against the byzantines in syria and against rival arab factions in the hejaz/mecca (revolt of Ibn al-Zubayr) - Reforms in administration of the empire that included the Arabization of government documents, including coinage - Byzantine areas that were conquered by umayyads, learned arabic over greek - Arabic became a religious language, instead of an official - Dome of rock uses arabic for the first time in inscriptions With the arrival of a new government, sasanian and umayyad silver coins were created - drachm=dirham - dinarius=dinar Umayyad post reform - Dirham coins - say in the middle there is no god but god, he has no partner - Removal of figural representations - Visually distinct coinage and visual distinction of the religion of the new empire - By the time of the creation of these coins, the sassanians had fully been conquered by the umayyads, the byzantine were partially conquered 3 Major Shrines - The Ka’ba at Mecca (al-Haram al-Makki) - The place for pilgrimage - Where prayer is directed - The Prophet’s Mosque in Madina (al-Haram al-Nabawi) - Place of burial - Considered first mosque in iran (even though it isn't) - Jerusalem (al-Haram al-Sharif) - 3rd holiest city Shrine v Mosque (Martyrium v Basilica) - Shrine is centralized - Mosque more laterally oriented and squarish, normally not centralized Al-Walid (son and successor of abd al-malik) ruled 705-715 - Known as a great builder - (Re)built mosques throughout the umayyad empire - Completion of abd al-malik’s project - Build al-asqa mosque in jerusalem Mosque - Any place of prayer - Built or unbuilt - Has to be oriented

-

-

-

-

All places have to face Mecca - Similar to how christian churches face jerusalem/east Basic requirements for prayer - Specific prayer times - Ritual purity/cleanliness (wash before you pray and place you pray should be clean) - Correct orientation (qibla) In a small group, the person w most wisdom will stand at the front and lead the group in prayer Prayer toward the Ka’ba in Mecca every day - In friday’s they do it in congregation following a speech by religious elder Equality in space, facing the qibla Absence of liturgy and clergy (except prayer leader/imam) People build mosques - To be recognized as good muslims - On fridays they have to do group prayers - Used as community centers - Religious legitimacy to rule - Imperial mosques under the Umayyad The Prophet’s mosque in Madina (early 7th C) - Considered first mosque in Islam - Open space with zulla or portico (covered area) - Became the mold for mosques almost everywhere - 3 elements - Courtyard - Zulla (covering) - Minbar (high seat of the prophet)

10/10/17- Section Dome of Rock- Shrine (692) - Circular, focus on central location - Commemorative - No directionality Al-Aqsa Mosque- Mosque - Dome on a mosque often shows where the qibla wall is, which direction Mecca is in Mosque of Damascus - Courtyard - Zulla - Minbar - Qibla wall faces mecca - Directionality Muhammad's House - Not originally designed as a mosque, but basically the blueprint for all future mosques

- Considered first mosque Elements of a Mosque - Mihrab - little structure in the qibla wall, defining feature to where prayers are directed - Indicates direction of Mecca - Minbar - High chair on which the Imam/prayer leader sits - Three steps on it - Based kinda off when Muhammad got old and had to sit to speak, but still be elevated so visible - Used for delivering the Khutba - Leadership and authority - Mostly on the right side of the mihrab - Mostly in congregational mosques - Maqsura - Space in front of mihrab (normally) for royalty to pray - In front, predominant position - Screen which encloses the area of the minbar and mihrab - Often indicated by a dome - Minaret - Tower from which people would be called to prayer - Very visible symbol, practical function - Tower like structure - Associated with mosques - Serves as a visual marker - Mayda’a - Where people can clean themselves, in order to be clean for prayer - Like a fountain - Haram - Over Shaded areas in the mosque - Sahn - Courtyard Within the Mosque - Dikka - Mosque furnishings and objects 10/11/17- Lecture The Umayyad Friday Mosque of Damascus and the Formal Development of Mosques Apse- long concave space at the end of a church Nave- pathway All churches face east 10/16/17- Lecture Umayyad Settlements and Palaces (661-750)

Khirbat Al-Mafjar = Hisham’s Palace - In jericho - Ca. 743-46 - Enclosure with 3 parts unified by large forecourt with fountain - Large residential unit - Mosque - Bath complex Qasr Amra - Jordan ca. 735-40 - Remains of main hall and bath complex of a larger estate - Barrel vaults bc they are semicircles - Water system - Apodyterium in bath as large reception room, for entertainment and sense of well-being and luxury - Fresco paintings in main reception hall 10/17/17- Section Mosque Typology - Hypostyle hall - Hall of columns - Double arcades - 3 types - Hypostyle - Cruciform - 4 iwan - Centralized - domed Umayyad Palaces and cities Artchitectural terms - Portico - Covered space, basically marks the space between the inside and the outside of the mosque - Not inside - Vault - tunnel/barrel - Like and extended arch inside - Pendative - Area under dome - Castrum - Fortified looking enclosure for a building - Basilica - Long rectangular hallway with an apse on the end - Apse

-

-

- Arced semicircle end Bayt - Little residential units - Often found in the castrum like structures Throne room - Where the throne is at Iconography - What the room/structure means

10/18/17- Lecture Baghdad and Cairo Umayyads: Conclusions Dome of rock Mosque of damascus Mshatta 10/23/17- Lecture Baghdad and Cairo continued - The ruler in the center enclave - Different city forms Baghdad - As a symbol - Radical plan - Cross axis and palace= microcosm and center of empire - Baghdad as a stage for the performance of royalty Cairo - Walls and defense towers - Walled city 10th C. (with 11 C. expansion) - Linear emphasis - Fatimid Cairo - Bab al-Nasr (Gate of Victory), ca. 1087 - Eastern Palace - Western Palace - Al-Mu’izz Street in between (Bayn al-Qasrayn/ Between the two palaces) - Places and processions - To friday mosques and shrines - Older mosques - Amr (Fustat) - Ibn Tulum (9th C.) (Abbasid Qata’i) Fatimid al-Azhar and (later) al-Hakim and al-Aqmar - South: cemetery district

Decorative Modes and Regional Variations Comparison: Madinat al-Salaam of al-Mansur and al-Qahira al-Mu'izz Iyya (the Victorious/the City of Victory of al-Mu’izz) Site, location, history and form Rise of Opposition groups - The Fatimids in North Africa and claims to Caliphate based on descent from Fatima - Rise of the Fatimids (909-1171) - Ruled Sicily to 965 from North Africa; capitals Mahdiyya and Mansuriyya. - Conquest of Egypt 969 with beginning of foundation of al-Qahira - Al-Qahira of al-Mu’izz, 969 - Site chosen by Jawhar al-Siqilli north of Fustat (642) 10/24/17 - Section Abbasid and Fatimid Palaces The Invention of Ornament 10/25/17 - Lecture - Abbasid - Mesopotamian cultural and physical environment - Sassanian heritage - Rivers iwan kisra 10/30/17- Lecture Different Types of early writing - 7th-8th C folios with ma’il (leaning) script (possibly Hejaz) - 7th C milestone - Umayyad coins - Writing of soft and hard material (calligraphy and epigraphy = tiraz) - 2 Main uses: writing for information- and Qur’anic copying Uses of Writing - Exchange information - Preserve knowledge Pen= Qalam The transformation of Arabic Scripts in the 10th C The Writing Revolution Proportioned Writing - Al-khatt al-mansub - Cutting the pen - Using the circle - Writing reform of Abbasid minister - Ibn Muqlah - Pre-940 or first half 10th C - handwriting=Khatt - Rhomboid dots from the nib of the pen determine the thickness of letters

-

A series of 5,7,9 dots determines length of longest letter (alef) alef= diameter of a circle into which all other letters fit - Some letters have extra portions above or below an imaginary line - Proportioned letters = nisba mansub - Letters D, N, H, and A - Material elements: paper and pen - Reconstruction of Ibn Muqlah’s 6 scribal scripts or styles - 14th C mushaf - Regularizing the Arabic script - 10th C Systematization of writing to answer the needs of the Abbasid empire - The earliest mushaf in the reformed scripts: Baghdad Pre-Reform 10/31/17- Section Differences 11/6/17 - Lecture Fragmentation Clarity and Legibility - 13th Century epigraphy using Ibn Muqlah’s method of proportioned writing, with vocalization and diacritics - Abbasid blue and white ware with pseudo writing 12th and 13th Century - Decoupage - Modern calligraphy Competing forms - Abbasid epigraphy and fatimid epigraphy - Writing form as sign of identity and ideology Waqf- endowment 11/7/17 - Section Al-Ghazali, “On the Art of the Pen and the Function of Secretaries” - The sword is beneath the pen 11/8/17 - Lecture Fragmentation and Transformation in Cairo seljuq - Stucco panel 1. Changes in Friday mosques: emergence and popularity of the 4-iwan mosque type 2. The madrasa and religious elite representing Islamic orthodoxy; teaching approved religious and legal curricula (and other subjects) 3. Commemorating rulers in memorial structures - the maqsura and qubba (dome/domed structure) unit used in mosques, palaces, and funerary structures 4. Consolidating functions in a single urban unit: the socio-religious complex

Palace, mosque, mausoleum - Uses of the domed maqsura (qubba) Tombs/Mausolea - Commemorative structures (martyrium plans; ciborium; qubba - all familiar from the Dome of the Rock) - Canopy tombs - Tomb towers Bukhara, Uzbekistan, Samanid Mausoleum (914-43) built for: Prince Ismail of the local Samanid ruling family Exterior and interior details - Brick and tri-pod squinch - Squinch- transitional element between square and circle in a place that is domed - Muqarnas- “little pinches” Imam Dur - Mausoleum, 1085 - Iraq - For: Prince (amir) Sharaf al-Dawla Muslim of the Uqaylid family - Architect: Abu - Interior with stalactite or “honeycomb” dome Gunbad-i Qabus tomb tower (Ziyarid dynasty) - Gurgan 1006-7 11th-12th C. Question: How to blend functions of Mosque, Madrasa, and Commemoration, and answer the needs of new and social groups Answer: the socio-religious complex - A single building/institution that included all three functions and was sponsored The social contract of the age of fragmentation revealed in architecture - New types and forms express the emergence of a New Muslim umma or community - Men of the Sword (sultans, princes, or emirs, kings, or maliks. New military class of new Muslims of various ethnicities). - Men of the Pen (administrators, scholars, and religious scholars or ulama, usually Arab or Iranian). - The people or ra’aya. The people served, but also had to be served and protected. 1. Serving and protecting the people 2. Teaching/learning/employing scholars 3. Commemorating the founders as just and pious Muslims/rulers and imprinting their presence in cities - Damascus, Bimaristan and Madrasa complex of Nur al-Din Zangi, 1154 and 1167 Waqf - The waqf as legal instrument for architecture and the institutions it housed - Page from a copy of the Qur’an in thuluth script, probably copied in Iran in the 13th century. ADandA museum Fragmentation and Transformation in Cairo Ayyubids (1171-1250)

And Mamluks (1250-1514) Cairo - Fatimid Bayn al-Qasrayn (al-Mu’izz) Saladin (Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi) in Egypt 1163 - New walls combined and protected different parts of the city, including a new citadel 1176-1183 (d. 1193 before completion of Citadel palaces) Cairo citadel built by Saladin in 1176-83 as royal residence and military barracks - Elevated location Cairo Citadel 12th century: - Fortifications and divisions (northern-palace and southern public enclosures) - The Mayadan below for military exercises Wars and Fortifications: The Ayyubids as protectors of Islam and Muslim - engage in jihad against crusades - Najm al-Din Ayyub as Mujahid (fighter for Islam) counters the Crusade of King Louis IX of France - (illustration from French manuscript: King Louis) Cairo - Bayn al-Qasrayn (al-Mu’izz Street) - Complex of Najm al-Din Ayyub #4; al-Aqmar top right Locations of madrasa of al-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub and al-Aqmar mosque Double madrasa construction, angled plan, use of gap site and street alignment, 1233 Madrasa of al-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub Qubba (mausoleum) of Najm al-Din Ayyub (d.1249), added by widow Shajar al-Durr in 1250 - First memorial complex of a sultan on Cairo’s Bayn al-Qasrayn Street First funerary socio-religious complex of a sultan in Egypt Complex of Najm al-Din and Complex of Qalawun (d. 1290; military commander and ‘slave’ of Najm al-Din) Distant view of Al-Salh complex (left) and Qalawun complex 1280s (right) The socio-religious urban complex - Madrasa+Mosque+Mausoleum - Qalawun Complex (model and street views) - Why this site? Qalawun complex and Aqmar facades - Double height windows, form recession, color Facade organization with horizontal movement (epigraphic bands) and vertical emphasis (height) through blind recessed Qalawun Complex: Exterior facade with Qubba and entrance Exterior with part of minaret Passageway between the madrasa\The Qubba/mausoleum: columns Inscription on the exterior of the complex of Sultan Qalawun: This noble dome, magnificent college, and blessed hospital were ordered by our Lord and Master the August Sultan al-Malik al-Mansur, the Wise, the Just, the God-Assisted, the Victorious Champion of the faith, the

Conqueror, Sword of the World and True Religion. Lord of Kings and sultans, Kings of Arabs and non-arabs. 11/13/17 - Lecture Ayyubids and Mamluks in Egypt - Complexes, Objects and Identities Embedding identity and presence in the urban context - Objects and identity Ayyubid and Mamluk - Sponsorship of socio-religious institutions - Connections between ‘Men of Sword’ and ‘Men of Pen’ (the local administrative and religious classes) - Served society, and memorialized the rulers Elements of the socio-religious complex Qalawun complex in Bayn al-Qasrayn - Madrasa, Hospital, Mosque, and founder’s tomb The Qubba/mausoleum - Columns and piers organized to form an ambulatory around the tomb of Qalawun Qalawun complex hospital (bimaristan) organized in 4-iwans around a courtyard with subsidiary areas Inscription Complex of Nasir Muhammad, 1295-1303 - With Gothic Portrayal - Exterior expressions of identity in titles, blazons, booty/spolia - Included soup kitchen Details from portal of Sultan Hasan complex - Stone carving and spolia Constructing institutions for the public, especially religiously oriented ones; outfitting them with status symbols of the ruling elite, such as a kitchen; and providing their subordinates with comestibles identified both with their prestigious diet and with Muslim tradition highlighted the rulers’ image not only as benefactors but also as devout Muslims. Brass Basin for Sultan al-Nasir Muhammad, 14th century Kitchens - Prerogatives of the rich and status symbols - utensils=> status symbols - How do we know about objects of daily use? - Lists of objects in elite kitchens - Bridal dowries (marriage lists) - Descriptions of banquets (number of guests; number and kind of dishes prepared) - Descriptions of ‘charity events’ that included meals - Objects carry aspects of Mamluk (and Ayyubid) culture in their imagery

-

Evidence of a market that answered to the needs of the elite and middle class, with varied iconography but within a taste developed in this period Mamluk Objects - Brass bowl with knights, 13th century Brass Basin with inscription in thuluth and roundels - later 14th century Late 14th/early 15th Basin with composite blazon (detail) Brass penbox inlaid with silver Brass and Silver incense burner Brass Basin inlaid with silver - Known as Baptistere of St. Louis - By Muhammad ibn al-Zayn - Mid-13th C. 1250-1300 - Made in Egypt or Syria - Imagery of Mamluk court and ‘military culture’ - Polo player, hunter Details Details of Baptistere - Silver inlay on brass with niello (black infill highlights silver) - Figures flanking the roundels - Detail (interior rim) knights and chivalry - Interior and base Signature of ‘Master Muhammad ibn al-Zayn’ Brass bowl inlaid with silver, Syria - Signature of Muhammad ibn al-Zayn, brass bowl Why did Muhammad ibn al-Zayn sign his objects? - Markets and Makers Detail from the rim of Baptistere de St. Louis with fleur de lis and Stone-carved fleur de...