(WCA) Module Overview

West and Central Asia

Introduction

Photograph of Tile ceilingWest Asia is the cradle of arts produced in regions with a dominant Islamic culture. These arts may be religious or secular in nature, and may or may not have been made by or for Muslims. The term "Islamic Art" may be applied to these diverse art forms. Many examples of Islamic art from across the traditional Islamic lands share similarities in terms of their content and visual characteristics. Architecture in West and Central Asia is frequently religious in function. West and Central Asia is home to many important Islamic mosques, which are decorated with non-figural imagery, including calligraphy and vegetal forms. All mosques have a Qibla wall, which faces the direction of Mecca, home of the Kaaba. This wall is ornamented with an empty Mihrab niche, serving as a focus for prayer. A large congregational mosque may also include a minbar (pulpit for the imam), as well as a Minaret and a central courtyard to call and accommodate practitioners for prayer. Other important forms of Islamic religious architecture include commemorative monuments, such as the Kaaba and the Dome of the Rock, and tomb architecture. Central Asia is further recognized for its outstanding Buddhist cave architecture, which incorporates relief carving, constructive sculpture, and wall painting. In the Tibetan lands, Buddhist architecture flourishes in the form of stupas and monastic architecture.

Module Lessons Preview

In this module, we will study the following topics:

  • Why and how does art change?
  • How do we describe our thinking about art?
  • How does religion influence art and architecture?
  • How has art been utilized to foster political beliefs?
  • Is art a reflection of its culture or a force to form or shape culture?

Key Terms

In this module, we will study the following key terms:

  1. Arabesque - Arabesque means “Arab-like.” It is a flowing, intricate pattern derived from stylized organic motifs, usually floral; generally, an Islamic decorative motif.
  2. Calligraphy - Calligraphy in Greek means "beautiful writing.” It is handwriting or penmanship, especially elegant writing, created as a decorative art.
  3. Cuerda Seca - Cuerda seca is a type of polychrome tile work used in decorating Islamic buildings.
  4. Hijra - The Hjira is the flight of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622, the year from which Islam dates its beginnings.
  5. Hypostyle Hall - A hypostyle hall is a hall with a roof supported by columns.
  6. Imam - In Islam, the imam is a leader of collective worship.
  7. Iwan - An iwan is a vaulted rectangular recess opening onto a courtyard found in Islamic architecture.
  8. Kaaba - Kaaba in Arabic means “cube.” It is a small cubical building in Mecca, the Muslim world’s symbolic center.
  9. Kiswa  - The kiswa is the a black cloth covering the Kaaba,
  10. Koran - The Koran is Islam’s sacred book. It is composed of surahs (chapters) divided into verses.
  11. Madrasa - The madrasa is the Islamic theological college adjoining and often containing a mosque.
  12. Mihrab - A mihrab is a semicircular niche set into the qibla wall of a mosque.
  13. Minbar - In a mosque, the minbar is the pulpit on which the imam stands.
  14. Miniature -  A  miniature is a small painting on paper, whether a book illustration or a separate work of art, intended to be kept in an album of such works called a muraqqa.
  15. Mosque - A mosque is the Islamic building for collective worship. The word comes from the Arabic word masjid, meaning a “place for bowing down.”
  16. Shahnama -  The Shahnama, or “Book of Kings,” narrates the history of the ancient kings of Iran from the mythical beginnings to the Arab conquest in 651 A.D.

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