Words to know:

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Words to know Arabesque Dome of the Rock Great
Mosque of Cordoba Iwan Kufic Script Mihrab Minaret
Mosque Reliquary Qibla Wall Taj Mahal
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Islamic Art Islam is a monotheistic religion
originating with the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th
century Arab religious and political figure. The
word Islam means "submission", or the total
surrender of oneself to God. A worshipper of
Islam is known as a Muslim, meaning "one who
submits (to God)". There are between 1.1 billion
and 1.8 billion Muslims (19.6), making Islam the
second-largest religion in the world, after
Christianity (33).
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Islamic Art Muslims believe that God revealed the
Qur'an to Muhammad, God's final prophet, and
regard the Qur'an and the Sunnah (words and deeds
of Muhammad) as the fundamental sources of Islam.
They do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a
new religion, but as the restorer of the original
monotheistic faith of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and
other prophets. Islamic tradition holds that Jews
and Christians distorted the revelations God gave
to these prophets by either altering the text,
introducing a false interpretation, or both.
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Islamic Art Almost all Muslims belong to one of
two major denominations, the Sunni and Shi'a. The
separation developed in the late 7th century
following disagreements over the religious and
political leadership of the Muslim community.
Roughly 85 percent of Muslims are Sunni and 15
percent are Shi'a. Islam is the predominant
religion throughout the Middle East, as well as
in parts of Africa and Asia.
Graffiti left inside Sunni mosque by Shi'ite
militias, read"Wahhabis are the enemies of
Iraq."
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Islamic Art The Islamic Faith is based on the
Five Pillars of Islam Shahadah - Profession of
faithSalah Prayer 5 times a dayZakâh - Giving
to the poorSawm - Fasting during RamadanHajj -
Pilgrimage to Mecca Although Muslims believe that
Jesus was a prophet, they reject the Christian
doctrine of the Trinity, comparing it to
polytheism. In Islamic theology, Jesus was just a
man and not the son of God God is described in
a chapter of the Quar'an as "God, the One and
Only God, the Eternal, Absolute He begetteth
not, nor is He begotten And there is none like
unto Him."
?
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Jihad Jihad means "to strive or struggle," (..in
the way of God) and is considered the "sixth
pillar of Islam" by a minority of Muslim
authorities. Essentially Jihad is an effort to
practice religion in the face of oppression and
persecution. The effort may come in fighting the
evil in your own heart, or in standing up to a
dictator. Military effort is included as an
option, but as a last resort and not "to spread
Islam by the sword" as the stereotype would have
one believe. Jihad also refers to one's striving
to attain religious and moral perfection. Most
Muslims today interpret Jihad as only a defensive
form of warfare the external Jihad includes a
struggle to make the Islamic societies conform to
the Islamic norms of justice.
Most Muslims are peaceful people, but many
Islamic groups throughout the World have used
Jihad as a reason for violence instead of defense.
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The Dome of the Rock The Dome of the Rock is an
Islamic shrine (or reliquary) and a major
landmark located on the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem. It was completed in 691, making it the
oldest extant Islamic building in the
world. Muslims believe that Mohammed ascended to
Heaven from the rock inside of this Dome. The
building is only open to Muslims. Jews believe
that it was on this rock that Abraham prepared to
sacrifice Isaac, and this stone may have once
stood in Solomon's Temple. Muslim tradition also
has it that it an angel will appear here with a
trumpet call to announce the Last Judgment at end
of the world.
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This close-up photo of the lower exterior of the
Dome of the Rock shows the magnificent tile work
done by Suleiman the Magnificent in 1545. The
arched niches used to contain mosaics, but they
turned out to be too delicate for the harsh
winters and Suleiman finally resolved the problem
by replacing them all with tile. The Arabic
inscription is of verses from the Qur'an.
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IMPORTANT NOTE!! In the Islamic religion, it is
forbidden to worship other Gods Islamic art
takes this rule VERY seriously by forbidding
images of animals or people (which could
represent Gods) in their sacred buildings. For
this reason, art of Islamic Holy places lacks
figural representations. Instead, Islamic artists
created elaborate abstract designs.
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Columns, arches and ambulatory inside the Dome.
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Mihrab A mihrab is a niche in the wall of a
mosque that indicates the qibla, that is, the
direction of Mecca and hence the direction that
Muslims should face when praying. The wall in
which a mihrab appears is thus the "qibla wall."
Today, Mihrabs vary in size, are usually
ornately decorated and often designed to give the
impression of an arched doorway or a passage to
Mecca. Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad are
written in kufic script on the borders of the
pointed arch of the niche.
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Mihrab in Hagia Sophia, Istanbul. ISLAMIC ART
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Mihrab (prayer niche) Glazed ceramic
tile 15th-16th Century ISLAMIC ART Cincinnati
Art Museum
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(NOTE A sahn is a courtyard.)
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Arabesques The arabesque is an elaborative
application of repeating geometric forms that
often echo the forms of plants and animals.
Arabesques are an element of Islamic art usually
found decorating the walls of mosques.
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The Taj Mahal, Agra, India, 1653. ISLAMIC ART
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Writings from the Quran in Thuluth Script
Burial tombs for Shah Jahan Mumtaz Mahal
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Great Mosque of Cordoba (Spain)Once one of the
biggest mosques in the World, its now a Catholic
Cathedral since the Spanish Inquisition.
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Great Mosque of Cordoba (Spain) - Interior Once
one of the biggest mosques in the World, its now
a Catholic Cathedral since the Spanish
Inquisition.