Islamic Patterns: An Analytical and Cosmological Approach

The Alhambra

Considered as one of the most famous examples of Islamic art, the Alhambra is the culmination and grand finale of medieval Islamic culture on the Iberian Peninsula.

Islamic Art

The nonfigurative or abstract arts of Judaism and Islam must not be overlooked. The former art was revealed in the Torah and is exclusively sacerdotal. Islamic art is akin to Judaic art by…

Capturing the Spirit of Ramadan

“Capture the Spirit of Ramadan” International Photography Competition™ is a unique and unprecedented 30-day visual celebration that educates and enlightens thousands of viewers around the world as photos are shared every day during the holy month.

Exhibition of Islamic Art and Crafts

“Turathuna: Our Heritage” is the title of an art exhibition being organized by the Consulate General of Pakistan, Jeddah from 18-21 September 2012 at Ana Special Mall, Jeddah. Turathuna will exhibit vibrant and distinctive features of Islamic art.

Around the World with Nusret Colpan

Nusret Çolpan (October 1, 1952 – May 31, 2008) was a Turkish painter, architect and miniaturist, renowned for his paintings in Ottoman miniature style depicting cities around the world, particularly Istanbul. He painted over 300 miniatures in his 30…

Arms and Armour Collection

A GOLD-OVERLAID WATERED-STEEL SHIELD, PERSIA, EARLY 19TH CENTURY of domed circular form with four applied bosses with gold overlaid decoration at the outer ring, comprising wholly of cusped cartouches filled with animal motifs…

The Alhamra at Granada

James Cavanah Murphy spent the last 12 years of his life preparing notes and drawings for a publication on this Moorish architecture. The resulting book, The Arabian Antiquities of Spain, was only partially…

The Mosque of Cordova

This article has been taken from the book “Arabian Antiquities of Spain” by Murphy, James Cavanah, 1760-1814 ,published in 1816. The text has been converted from scanned images using OCR software and may contain…

Kitab-i Bahriye (Book of the Sea)

Originally composed in 932 AH / 1525 CE and dedicated to Sultan Süleyman I (“The Magnificent”), this great work by Piri Reis (d. 962 AH / 1555 CE) on navigation was later revised and expanded. The present manuscript, made mostly in the late 11th century AH / 17th CE, is based on the later expanded version and has approximately 240 exquisitely executed maps and portolan charts.

Album of Ottoman Calligraphy

This album (muraqqaʿ) of calligraphy in an accordion format was compiled in Ottoman Turkey in the twelfth century AH / eighteenth CE. It consists of leaves bearing fragmentary passages from the Qur’an (chapter…

Islamic Art

Islamic art is generally reckoned to cover all of the visual arts produced in the lands where Muslims were an important, if not the most important, segment of society. Islamic art differs, therefore,…

Lahore Fort over the years

I have had the chance to visit the Lahore Fort on a number of occasions. The fort always seemed to be in a worse condition than it was during my previous visit. While photographing…

Wazir Khan Mosque Lahore

The Wazir Khan Mosque  in Lahore, Pakistan, is famous for its extensive tile work and frescos. It was built in seven years starting around 1634–1635 AD during the reign of the Mughal Emperor…

Through the lens of Peter Sanders

All Photographs by Peter Sanders © 2012 PETER SANDERS PHOTOGRAPHY LTD  Makkah Madinah   Saudi Arabia   Jerusalem   Turkey   Spain   Morocco   Iran   China   Japan   Malaysia  …

The Alhambra – A Virtual Walking Tour

To understand the Alhambra you need to look at its history, location and surroundings. It is situated on the hill of Sabika, overlooking the city of Granada. Alhambra means, literately, “The Red” and…

Sana’a Rising – “a Venice built on sand.”

In mid-February 1978, on my first morning in Sana‘a, I woke up before first light. Illuminated by the flame of a single bedside candle, the undulating overhead ceiling beams, plastered in white gypsum,…

Calligraphy in Islamic art – beyond pen and paper

The development of sophisticated calligraphy as an art form is not unique to Islamic culture. Other examples include Chinese and Japanese calligraphy and illuminated bibles from north-west Europe including the famous Book of…

Illustrations of Islamic Architecture

The Alhambra Granada, Spain Built chiefly in the 13th and 14th centuries The Alhambra (from the Arabic, Al Hamra, meaning The Red) is an ancient mosque, palace and fortress complex built by the…

The Citadel (Lahore Fort)

The Lahore Fort is one of the noblest structures of its kind in the world. Rising out of the northwest corner of the walled city, it has been a symbol of its earliest days.

SADEQUAIN’S Calligraphy

Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Pride of Performance, Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Pakistani Awards), also often referred to as Sadequain Naqqash, was a world-renowned Pakistani artist, best known for his skills as a calligrapher and a…

Divriği Ulucami and Şifahane (Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital)

The western section of the mosque was rebuilt after its complete destruction in the great earthquake which occurred at the beginning of the 16th century. The plan consists of five naves running perpendicular…

Smithsonian collection of Qur’anic manuscripts

A collection of 9th–19th-century Korans (intact volumes and detached folios) from Iran, the Arab world, and Turkey at the Freer and Sackler galleries of Smithsonian’s Museums of Asian Art. Folio from a Koran…

Ceramic Vessel Collection at LACMA

A collection of over 230 ceramic objects (vessels) at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) Vessel Greater Iran (Afghanistan) Vessel, 6th-8th century Ceramic; Vessel, Ceramic, Height: 6 5/16 in. (16 cm);…

Historic Illustrations of Islamic Architecture

Title: Dome of the Rock Other title: Qubbat al-Sakhrah (Mosque: Jerusalem); Mosque of Omar Date: circa 687–691 Current location: Yerushalayim, Mehoz Yerushalayim, Yisra’el Description of work: The historic illustrations included in this project…

Reading Masjid Wazir Khan

Wazir Khan’s Mosque, in the heart of the Walled City of Lahore, is one of the most thoroughly documented and discussed of our monuments. In 1887, Kipling (John Lockwood, father of Rudyard) discussed…

The door of the Kaaba

The Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid-e-Nabawi)

The Mosque of the Prophet was built in 622 by the Muslim community after they reached the city of Yathrib, which would later be called al-Madina al-Muanwara. The mosque was situated next to…

Domes & Arches of Shah Jehan Mosque (Thatta)

The Shah Jehan Mosque (Grand Mosque) is located in Thatta (Province of Sindh, PAKISTAN).

Islamic Calligraphy 1450-1925 A.D.- East

  This calligraphic panel is executed in black (Indian) naskh on a pink paper decorated with gold cloud motifs and pasted to a light blue backing. The poem wishes a ruler (nicknamed the…

Islamic Architecture – Abbasid Period

Under theAbbasid caliphate (750–1258), which succeeded the Umayyads (661–750) in 750, the focal point of Islamic political and cultural life shifted eastward from Syria to Iraq, where, in 762, Baghdad, the circular City of Peace…

When Spain was Islamic

Considering Spain was ruled for – in some parts – up to 800 years by the Moors, it’s no surprise that lasting remnants of Spain’s Islamic past are present in everything from gastronomy…