The Great Mosque of Cordoba: Geometric Analysis
Ilm al-Miqdar (The science of proportion) is a body of knowledge concerned principally with the study of spatial order through the measure and relationships of forms. Prior to being considered solely as a…
Zillij in Fez
Zillij is an Islamic art that is based on learning, discipline, and faith. The geometric patterns reflect the Islamic belief that life is ordered by cosmic intelligence, even if people cannot always understand…
A World of Stars – Decorative Art in Morocco
Eight Pointed Stars This text has been taken from the book Arabesques – decorative art in Morocco by Jean-Marc Caste´ra; Franc¸oise Peuriot; Philippe Ploquin; Kirk McElhearn. Translation from French to English was carried…
Vegetal Patterns in Islamic Art
With the exception of the garden and its usual reference to paradise, vegetal motifs and patterns in Islamic art are largely devoid of symbolic meaning. Vegetal patterns employed alone or in combination with…
The Eight-Point Star
The shape that most clearly represents Morocco is the eight-point star. It is a simple shape made by overlapping two squares. The hard-edged lines make it indicative of Moroccan patterns, which are…
Paper and Ink Prayer Mat
Made to fit the size of an actual Muslim prayer carpet, this piece is drawn only with black Bic pencils. Painstakingly detailed, it explores different ways and patterns to create a unique whole…
Medieval Islamic Mosaics and Modern Maths
by Paul J. Steinhardt The swirling Arabesque ceramic tiles used in medieval Islamic mosaics and architecture were produced using geometry not understood in the West until the 1970s, a new study suggests. …
The Evolution of Style
‘One would enquire in vain for the masters who brought this system to its flowering or those who later opened up new ways for its development. This art is totally anonymous and it…
