ART 101 Module 10

minarets

A distinctive feature of mosque architecture, a tower from which the faithful are called to worship.

mihrab

A semicircular niche set into the qibla wall of a mosque.

mosaic tilework

An Islamic decorative technique in which large ceramic panels are fired, cut into smaller pieces, and set in plaster.

calligraphy

Greek, "beautiful writing." Handwriting or penmanship, especially elegant writing as a decorative art.

One reason the Dome of the Rock is so important is because:

It was built to mark the site of Muhammed's resurrection.

Tilework became widely used in the 16th and 17th centuries because their large tiles could easily accommodate complex arabesque patterns and Arabic script.

True

finial

a crowning ornament, usually pointed, in architecture or furniture design.

horseshoe arch

a curved arch often used in Spanish medieval architecture. Its maximum width is greater than the distance between its two side supports. Many scholars believe that its widepread adoption there was influenced by the architecture of Moslem Spain.

Arabesque

a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements

hypostyle hall

a hall with a roof supported by columns

A carpet in a mosque does not have any human or animal forms on it. Why?

because it was placed inside a mosque

iwan

in Islamic architecture, a vaulted rectangular recess opening onto a courtyard

maqsura

in some mosques, a screened area in front of the mihrab reserved for a ruler

A vaulted rectangular recess on a mosque exterior is a(n):

iwan

muqaras

stucco decorations of Islamic buildings in which stalactite-like forms break a structure's solidity

mosque

the islamic building for collective worship. From the Arabic word masjid, meaning "a place for bowing down"

qibla wall

the wall of a mosque that faces Mecca; the wall Muslims face when praying

In the West (e.g. Muslim Spain), horseshoe shaped arches became a major characteristic of Muslim architecture.

true