Islamic Art and Architecture: Terms and Images

accurate portrayals of people and their environment; aims to realistically depict human form

naturalism

(usually Christian) boys taken from their families enslaved to serve the Ottoman government as artisans, engineers, military generals

Devşerme system

The trickster in the Maqamat al-Hariri

Abu Zayd

Arabic word for etiquette

Adab

the call to prayer, issued five times daily

Azan

able to be divided into two symmetrical halves

Bilateral symmetry

courtly brotherhood that worshipped diverse religious and the king in Akbar's court

Din i-Illahi

Persian, language spoken in Iran, written with Arabic script

Farsi

Knowledge of the rules of Islam and further interpretation of them

Fiqh

Persian poet who wrote the Shahnama

Firdawsi

Sayings of the prophet Muhammad

Hadith

One of the five pillars of Islam, the pilgrimage to Mecca each Muslim should make during their lifetime.

Hajj

Muhammad's move from Mecca to Medina

Hijra

Creating art that looks like the actual appearance of a person or thing

Illusionism

The most sacred site in Islam and considered the "House of Allah". The site that muslims pray/perform salat 5 times a day towards.

Kaaba

Is one of the oldest Arabic calligraphies. Kufic references the Iranian city of Kufa where the script was developed. It has used heavily in the documentation of the Qur'an. The characteristics are: angular shapes, long vertical lines and wider script letters.

Kufic

Arabic term used to define a social gathering to discuss art, culture, etc.

Majlis

A non-religious story with a moral

Maqamah

Known as the conqueror. Ruler of the Ottoman Empire from in 1400s.

Mehmed II

The niche in the Qibla wall that indicates the direction of Mecca.

Mihrab

The tower(s) in a mosque from which the call to prayer is issued.

Minaret

Invasion of Baghdad/the Islamic world by the Mongols from Asia. Many books destroyed and people killed, gave rise to Ilkhanid dynasty.

Mongol invasions

The primary script in Iran post the Islamic conquest and end of the Sassanid empire. It is said to have been created by Mir Ali Tabriz in the 14th century by combining the Naskh script (10th century) and the ornamental Ta' līq script (11th century).

Nasta'liq

The person who stands in the minaret to perform the call to prayer.

Muezzin

Processed animal skin, written on like paper

Parchment

Curved triangles that connect dome to its supporting arches

Pendentives

The wall in a mosque that faces towards Mecca.

Qibla

The holy book of Islam, considered to be the direct word of God as recorded by Muhammad

Qur'an

The ninth month of the Muslim calendar where Muslims fast during daylight hours as one of the 5 pillars of Islam to commemorate the first revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad.

Ramadan

commissioned the Compendium of Chronicles in about 1513

Rashid al-Din

Art that portrays events that did (or could have) happened without embellishment, or idealization.

Realism

One of the five pillars of Islam, commandment to pray five times per day in the direction of Mecca

Salah/Prayer

One of the five pillars of Islam, the commandment to fast from dawn to dusk during the holy month of Ramadan

Sawm/fasting

A room set aside for writing and books

Scriptorium

One of the five pillars of Islam, where one professes one's belief that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is his messanger

Shahada/Profession of Faith

Clear rulings on fundamentals, the "non-negotiable" parts of the religion

Shariah

Minor sect of Islam that believes that leaders must be direct descendants of Muhammad.

Shia

Islamic mystics, the earliest form arose within the Umayyad Dynasty (661-749). Originally focused their meditation and study on the doomsday passages of the Qur'an. Sufis adhered to strict obedience to the Islamic scripture and tradition as well as an absolute trust in God.

Sufi

longest reigning sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520-1566, MORE

Suleyman the Kanuni

Major sect of Islam that believes that leaders are not required to be directly descended from Muhammad.

Sunni

A style of calligraphy original developed in the 111th century during the Abased dynasty and continued refinements into the Ottoman empire. Considered to be easily readable it was suitable for decorating mosques and certain texts. The script is made up of connected letters and long lines.

Thuluth

a body of Muslim scholars recognized as having specialist knowledge of Islamic sacred law and theology

Ulema

A religious endowment of charity that continuously gives back to the community, contributed to the building of complexes and influenced architectural style

Waqf

One of the five pillars of Islam, the commandment that each Muslim should give a portion of their earnings back to the church/community.

Zakah/almsgiving