Islamic arts: Quick Facts

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Al-Ḥākim Mosque

Persian arabesque carpet

Blue Iznik ceramic tile wall with an ornate mihrab niche and a decorated marble minbar platform inside the Mosque of Aqsunqur, Cairo, Egypt.

Behzād: The Building of the Famous Castle of Khawarnaq

Whirling dervishes in white robes perform the Sema ritual in a circular hall with a wooden floor, as a large audience watches from balconies in Yenikapi Mevlevihanesi, Istanbul.

Karagöz shadow puppets

See actors discuss their roles in a play based on a poem by Farīd al-Dīn al-ʿAṭṭār, The Conference of the Birds

The rich history of Arabic calligraphy

Discover the artistry of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain

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Topics

Islamic literature Islamic architecture The arts South Asian arts Southeast Asian arts Central Asian arts Native American art East Asian arts Oceanic arts Western arts African arts Native American arts Islamic world

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Key People

Jones, Owen: The Grammar of Ornament

Owen Jones

British architect, designer, and artist

illustration from Kitāb al-aghānī (“The Book of Songs”) by Abū al-Faraj al-Iṣbahānī

Abū al-Faraj al-Iṣbahānī

Muslim scholar