Lecture 9

Question 1

Kaaba

Answer 1

The symbolic center of the Islamic world

Question 2

Mosque

Answer 2

A place of congregational worship for Muslims

Question 3

Purpose of the Five Pillars of Islam

Answer 3

• Instills faith,
• a sense of belonging,
• and a commitment to Islam in the form of actual practice

Question 4

Mihrab

Answer 4

A niche in the wall of a mosque, indicates the direction a muslim worshipper should be facing when praying

Question 5

Qibla

Answer 5

The direction facing towards the Kaaba (i.e. the direction Muslim worshippers should face when praying)

Question 6

Common types of arches

Answer 6

1. pointed
2. round

Question 7

Kufic

Answer 7

An early formal script in the Arabic alphabet

Question 8

Lusterware Jar

Answer 8

1. Islamic potters developed a means of producing a lustrous metallic surface on their ceramics.
2. The finished lusterware resembled precious metal.

Question 9

Mina’I

Answer 9

Referencing mina’i ware, a technique of multicolor ceramic overglaze painting developed by Persian potters
- Luxury arts brought particular pleasure and status to wealthy owners and were visible signs of cultural refinement
- Calligraphy was prominently displayed on objects made of ceramics

Question 10

Qur’an Frontispiece

Answer 10

1. Book production had flourished because of the emphasis on the study of the Qur’an promoted a high level of literacy
2. Illuminated pages shows architectural progression

Question 11

Madrasas

Answer 11

Colleges for religious and legal studies

Question 12

Alhambra

Answer 12

An example where Muslin patrons spent lavishly on luxurious palaces set in gardens

Question 13

Chahar Bagh

Answer 13

A garden form divided into quadrants by cross-axial walkways

Question 14

Muqarnas

Answer 14

Nichelike components stacked in tiers

Question 15

Tugras

Answer 15

An imperial cipher where a ruler’s name and title was combined with the motto, “eternally victorious”
- calligraphy became prominent for this
- used for political objectives

Question 16

What artistic motifs and techniques permitted in Islamic religious contexts? Why?

Question 17

How does the design of the mosque vary across the Islamic world? What features are typically the same?

Question 18

Compare the illuminated manuscripts in figure 9-21 and 9-27. How does the comparison reveal the distinctive aspirations of religious and secular art in Islamic society? Different? Commonalities?