A Safavid Silk and Wool Rug
The inscriptions on this rug suggest that it may have been a diplomatic gift from the Safavid Persian court to that of the Ottoman Turks. Perhaps it was even given on the occasion…
Decorative Astrolabes and Compass
Close to 20 astrolabes, all virtually identical in appearance, are known from the hand of Hâjjî ‘Alî, who seems to be identical with ‘Alî ibn Sâdiq Qummî. They date from the period around 1780-1800, although…
Illuminated Calligraphy
Ink, gouache and gold on paper, 6 lines of fine nasta’liq script in black ink within cloud bands filled with interlacing vines, and interspersed with polychrome flowers, headpiece with panels of coloured and…
The Morgan Treasures of Islamic Manuscripts
It was at the urging of his librarian, Belle da Costa Greene (1879–1950), that Pierpont Morgan purchased the core of his Islamic collection in 1911 and 1912. Greene had become Morgan’s librarian in…
Safavid Ceramics and Tiles
The complex history of Safavid ceramics is due in part to the geographical position of Persia, placed as it was between the Ottoman Empire, the lands of Uzbek rulers, the Mughal empire and…
The Ottoman Madrassa
Plan of the Karatay Madrassa This short article is taken from the full article which is available here as a PDF file For more than three centuries Muslims used the mosque for…
Mir ‘Ali Tabrizi
(1360-1420 A.D.) Full name: Mir ‘Ali ibn Hasan al-Sultani, known as Mir ‘Ali Tabrizi because he lived most of his life in the city of Tabriz What he did: Codified the nast‘aliq script,…
