The word Islamic identifies art and architecture created for people of Muslim faith. Historically, it also refers to works created in geographic areas ruled by Muslims. Islam as a religion began around 600 CE in what is today Saudi Arabia. By the end of the seventh century, it spread beyond the Arabian Peninsula and eventually covered large areas of Asia and the Middle East, as well as parts of Europe and North Africa. Islam was a religious and cultural force, and one important idea impacts almost all Islamic art and architecture. Out of respect for Allah, or God, no images of living creatures are depicted. The term for this is aniconism, the absence of direct representation of nature, especially animals or people, in art. Islamic art encompasses the visual arts produced in the Islamic world. Islamic architecture includes two important types of buildings. The first is a structure of worship, called a mosque. Typically, mosques had large central domes and entrances of semi-circular arches. They also included minarets, which were high narrow towers with stairs that led to a balcony from which prayer was called five times a day. This comprehensive book on Islamic Art and Architecture is a great resources guide for students and educators of graduate courses of art and architecture.

Rajendra Jogalekar is Islamic Writer. In addition to poetry, newspaper articles, short stories and translations, he has authored eight books. Mr. Rajendra Jogalekar has deliberately chosen to write in Urdu not in English, although many of his works have been translated into foreign languages.

The word Islamic identifies art and architecture created for people of Muslim faith. Historically, it also refers to works created in geographic areas ruled by Muslims. Islam as a religion began around 600 CE in what is today Saudi Arabia. By the end of the seventh century, it spread beyond the Arabian Peninsula and eventually covered large areas of Asia and the Middle East, as well as parts of Europe and North Africa. Islam was a religious and cultural force, and one important idea impacts almost all Islamic art and architecture. Out of respect for Allah. or God, no images of living creatures are depicted. The term for this is aniconism, the absence of direct representation of nature, especially animals or people, in art. Islamic art encompasses the visual arts produced in the Islamic world. Islamic art is difficult to characterize because it covers a wide range of lands, periods, and genres, including Islamic architecture, Islamic calligraphy, Islamic miniature, Islamic glass, Islamic pottery, and textile arts such as carpets and embroidery. It comprises both religious and secular art forms.

Islamic architecture includes two important types of buildings. The first is a structure of worship, called a mosque. Typically, mosques had large central domes and entrances of semi-circular arches. They also included minarets, which were high narrow towers with stairs that led to a balcony from which prayer was called five times a day. Minarets were meant to be seen from a distance as a hallmark of Islam. Inside. walls and surfaces were adorned with decorations, all without reference to animal or human forms. Another important building in Islam is the madrasah, which was a combination religious and law school. Madrasah architecture changed through time and varied with geographic location, but often they were four-sided structures with a large central court. In this image on your screen of the Agha Bozorg Mosque and Madrasah in Kashan, Iran, you can see examples of mosque architecture, with its distinctive dome and minarets, and the madrasah, which is in the half of the image, with open courtyard. As mentioned earlier, most Islamic art forbids depictions of living creatures.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages