Petra, Jordan: Treasury and Great Temple. Nabataean Ptolemaic and Roman. c. 400 B.C.E.-100 C.E. Cut rock.
N: The Treasury and Great Temple
D: circa 312 B.C. P/S: Classical/Nabataean, Ptolemaic and Roman.
A: Nabataeans
P: Aretas IV Philopatris
OL: Petra, Jordan
M: Cut rock, monumental tomb facades are cut into pink sandstone cliffs.
T: Greek architecture with roman distinctions.
F: Metropolitan city and show prosperity.
C: Site was unknown to western world until 1812,
DT: Stone carvings, camel carvans and betyls (the famous god blocks) set in niches, Sculptures of mythological figures associated with afterlife.
M: Serves as a funerary tomb for the wealthy and the dead are guided by the gods/goddesses of the dead.
Buddha. Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Gandharan. c. 400-800 C.E. (destroyed in 2001). Cut rock with plaster and polychrome paint.
N: Buddha
D: c. 400-800C.E. (destroyed by Taliban in 2001) P/S: Gandharan
A: Kushan people of Gandhara
PA: Unknown
OL: Bamiyan, Afghanistan
M: Cut rock with plaster and polychrome paint T: Carved out of cliffs
F: To represent the Buddha to his people in that region.
C: Created in front of several, until recently, unknown cave paintings
DT: Powerful, aweing, majestic, desert
M: To showcase the Buddha in all his glory to his followers.
The Kaaba. Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Islamic. Pre-Islamic monument; rededicated by Muhammad in 631-632 C.E.; multiple renovations. Granite masonry, covered with silk curtain and calligraphy in gold and silver-wrapped thread.
N: The Kaaba
D: 631 - 632 C.E. P/S: 476 - 1453 C.E. / Byzantine and Islamic Art
A: It is believed by Muslims that Ibrahim and his son Ismail built the Kaaba, later modified by others
Pa: rededicated by Muhammad
OL: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
M: Granite, covered in silk and cotton, gold calligraphy, and silver coated thread
T: granite masonry and calligraphy
F: This shrine marks the place of hajj (pilgrimage) for Muslims and the direction that they should pray in. Muslims who make the hajj walk around the Kaaba in hopes of touching the Black Stone
C: The Kaaba has been modified throughout history by different rulers. Muhammad was exiled from Mecca in 620 C.E. but returned about 10 years later. When he returned, having rooted the religion of Islam elsewhere, he took Mecca and the Kaaba, destroying the pagan icons there. The Black Stone is said to be a gift from the angel Gabriel. The caliphs after him expanded the area and mosque around it to accommodate more people or to expand its functions. The silk covering, or kiswa, was added by the seventh century C.E.
DT: geometric, dark, elegant, grand
M: Shows the power of Islam and its perpetual nature.
Jowo Rinpoche, enshrined in the Jokhang Temple. Lhasa, Tibet. Yarlung Dynasty. Believed to have been brought to Tibet in 641 C.E. Gilt metals with semiprecious stones, pearls, and paint; various offerings.
N: Jowo Rinpoche
D: Brought to Tibet in 641 C.E. in the Yarlung dynasty P/S: Buddhist art
A: Believed to be the celestial artist, Vishvakarman
PA: Unknown
OL: Made in India but now enshrined in the Jokhang temple. Lhasa, Tibet.
M: Gilt metals with semi-precious stones, pearls, paint and various offerings T: Cast and filled with sacred relics
F: Was a dowry of Queen Wengcheng for her marriage to King Songtsen Gampo in Tibet brought from China.
C: Believed to be personally blessed by the Buddha to have the ability to grant your deepest wishes and quicken your path to enlightenment. It is Tibet's most treasured religious artifact.
DT: Grand, luxurious, bejeweled, worshiped, blessed
M: To represent the glory of the Buddha Siddhartha Guatama
Dome of the Rock. Jerusalem, Palestine. Islamic, Umayyad. 691-692 C.E., with multiple renovations. Stone masonry and wooden roof decorated with glazed ceramic tile, mosaics, and gilt aluminum and bronze dome.
N: Dome of the Rock
D: 687-692 C.E P/S: Islamic/Umayyad
A: Caliph Abd al-Malik
P: Caliph Umar I
OL: Jerusalem
M: Gold dome, marble interior
T: Islamic architecture
F: Marks the coming of new religion to the city, sacred to both Jews and Christian
C: First dome shrine built, during crusade became Christian shrine before returning to Islamic hands.
DT: Persian tiles on the exterior and marble slabs interior, octagonal plan
M: Represents a symbolic statement to both Jews and Christians of the superiority of the new faith of Islam.
Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh). Isfahan, Iran. Islamic, Persian: Seljuk, Il-Khanid, Timurid and Safavid Dynasties. c. 700 C.E.; additions and restorations in the 14th, 18th, and 20th centuries C.E. Stone, brick, wood, plaster, and glazed ceramic tile.
Name: Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh)
Number on the 250 list: 186.
Date: c. 700 C.E but it had additions and restorations in the 14th, 18th and 20th centuries C.E.
Artist:
1. Nizam al-Mulk (1086-1087) built the south dome.
2. A year later Taj al-Mulk constructed the north dome.
� These two architects were rivals.
Patron: The Seljuk family.
Original location: Isfahan, Iran.
Materials:
1. Stone.
2. Brick.
3. Wood.
4. Plaster.
5. Glazed ceramic title.
Function: To represent the Seljuk's powerful empire
Context:
1. In 1051, Isfahan became the capital of the Seljuqs, who arrived in Khwarazm and Transoxiana from central Asia in the eleventh century. Defenders of Sunnism, they aimed at the restoration of the Abbasid Caliphate. The conquest of Isfahan by Tughril Beg elevated the city's status, which was manifested in the rich architectural projects representing the Seljuk's powerful empire
2. Construction under the Seljuqs: The House of Seljuq was a Muslim dynasty that gradually adopted Persian culture and contributed to the Turko-Persian tradition in the medieval West and Central Asia. The Seljuqs established both the Seljuq Empire and Sultanate of Rum, which at their total height stretched from Anatolia through Persia, and were targets of the First Crusade.
3. The south dome was built to house the mihrab in 1086-87 by Nizam al-Mulk, the famous vizier of Malik Shah, and was larger than any dome known at its time.
4. The north dome was constructed a year later by Nizam al-Mulk's rival Taj al-Mulk. The function of this domed chamber is uncertain.
5. It was situated along the north-south axis; it was located outside the boundaries of the mosque. The dome was certainly built as a direct riposte to the earlier south dome, and successfully so.
6. A masterpiece in Persian architecture for its structural clarity and geometric balance.
Descriptive details:
1. The two towers flanking the southern iwan (a vaulted open room) and the large domes on the north and south rising above the horizon of Isfahan's silhouette and serving as visual landmarks.
2. The current entrance gate to the mosque is located on the southeastern area.
3. The four iwans are not of equal importance and this fact is reflected in their different dimensions, structure, and decorative motifs.
Meaning: The Seljuks wanted the world to know how powerful they were.
Period/Style: Timurid and Safavid Dynasties
Technique: architectural expression of the Seljuk rule in Persia (1038-1118).
Folio from a Qur'an. Arab, North Africa, or Near East. Abbasid. c. eighth to ninth century C.E. Ink, color, and gold on parchment.
Name: Folio from a Qur'an.
Number on the 250 list: 187.
Date: Eight to ninth century C. E.
Artist: Unknown.
Patron: Unknown.
Original location: Arab, North Africa or Middle East.
Materials: Ink, color and gold on parchment.
Function: To praise the Islamic religion.
Context:
1. The Qur'an is the sacred text of Islam, consisting of the divine revelation to the Prophet Muhammad in Arabic.
2. Over the course of the first century and a half of Islam, the form of the manuscript was adapted to suit the dignity and splendor of this divine revelation.
3. The word Qur'an, which means "recitation," suggests that manuscripts were of secondary importance to oral tradition.
Descriptive details:
1. The two-page spread (or bifolium) of a Qur'an manuscript, which contains the beginning of Surat Al-'Ankabut (The Spider).
2. The main text of the mushaf (pronounced muss-hoff), as manuscripts of the Qur'an are known, is written in brown ink. Arabic, the language of the divine word of Islam, is read from right to left.
3. Because figural imagery such as human or animal forms was considered inappropriate for the ornamentation of sacred monuments and objects, artists relied on vegetal and geometric motifs when they decorated mosques and sacred manuscripts.
Meaning: "So each We punished for his sin; of them was he on whom We sent down a violent storm, and of them was he whom the rumbling overtook, and of them was he whom We made to be swallowed up by the earth, and of them was he whom We drowned; and it did not beseem Allah that He should be unjust to them, but they were unjust to their own souls."
� Meaning: the one who goes against the law of Allah is going to be severe punished for all eternity. His/her soul will never be at peace.
Period/Style: Abbasid.
Technique: Calligraphy.
Basin (Baptist�re de St. Louis). Muhammad ibn al-Zain. c. 1320-1340 C.E. Brass inlaid with gold and silver.
N: Basin (Baptistere de St. Louis)
D: c.1320-1340 C.E. P/S: Middle Ages
A: Muhammad ibn al-Zain
PA: Believed to be made for Mamluk a court official named Salar as a gift for his sultan but there is no inscription to identify him as so.
OL: Egypt
M: Brass inlaid with gold and silver T: Engraved silver inlay and gold leaf
F: Used in 18th century France as a baptismal font for several royal children.
C: Used to baptize Louis XIII of France which led to its naming.
DT: Gleaming, story, metallic, intricate
M: To depict life and possibly specific events in the artists time period and region.
Source:
Bahram Gur Fights the Karg, folio from the Great Il-Khanid Shahnama. Islamic; Persian, Il'Khanid. c. 1330-1340 C.E. Ink and opaque watercolor, gold, and silver on paper.
N: Bahram Gur Fights the Karg
D: c. 1330-1340 C.E. P/S: 1256-1353 C.E. / Ilkhanid (Persia)
A: Sultan Muhammad
Pa: Shah Tahmasp
OL: Tabriz, Iran
M: Ink, watercolor, silver, and gold on paper T: painting
F: To help illustrate the story of the Shahama (Book od Kings), a famous epic poem, and to show the power of the Iranian king Bahram Gur.
C: The folio was a part of the Great Il-Khanid Shahama. The king Bahram Gur is depicted slaying a horned wolf. This painting shows the vibrant cosmopolitan nature of Ilkanid society because it not only shows the king wearing material from Europe, it is painted using Chinese styles.
DT: dark, intimidating, hectic, noble
M: Bahram Gur Fights the Karg shows the power of the Iranian kings and of the Ilkhanate.
The Court of Gayumars, folio from Shah Tahmasp's Shahnama. Sultan Muhammad. c. 1522-1525 C.E. Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper.
N: The Court of Gayumars
D: c. 1522-1525 C.E. P/S: 16th century/ Safavid (Persia)
A: Sultan Muhammad
Pa: Shah Tahmasp
OL: Tabriz, Iran
M: Ink, watercolor, and gold on paper T: painting
F: To help illustrate the story of the great king Gayumars and to display his fabled glory for a copy of the Shahama, a famous epic poem.
C: The folio was a part of the Shahama of Shah Tahmasp, a collection of works from various artists to illustrate the epic poem by Firdawsi. The manuscript was later disassembled when it fell into the hands of the west and the pages were auctioned off separately.
DT: colorful, light, airy, peaceful
The Ardabil Carpet. Maqsud of Kashan. 1539-1540 C.E. Silk and wool.
N: The Ardabil Carpet
D: 1540 C.E. P/S: Safavid Dynasty/Persian
A: Unknown
P: Shaykh Safi (Sufi leader)
OL: Funerary mosque of Shaykh Safi al-Din, Ardabil, Iran.
M: Knotted pile of wool and silk.
T: Made on a loom, knotted.
F: Decoration that is highly prized.
C: Was a matching pair made for shrine of Safi al-Din Ardabil, enlarged in late 1530s.
DT: Rich geometric patterns, scrolls, floral flourishes, golden medallion dominates carpet, cartouches (rectangular-shaped spaces for calligraphy)
M: The design of the Ardabil carpet and its skillful execution is a testament to the great skill of the artisans at work in northwest Irain in the 1530's.