The History of Islamic Art

Question 1 

The Blacas Ewer has historical significance in that it serves as an astonishing illustration of the medieval Islamic decorated brass. It was created in Mosul, a city, which gained significant popularity starting the 12 th century onwards owing to its enameled metalwork. The metalworkers of Mosul would develop vessels made of brass using complex chivalrous scenes using copper and silver to create glittering substances that the elites in the area perceived as amazing. The products would be given to surrounding rulers or as diplomatic gifts. For the Blacas Ewer, its inlaid decoration is amazing while it comprises of medallions that depict scenes of the modern court setting. These comprise of an equestrian hunting outside while a cheetah sits on the horse’s rump. In addition, it shows a wealthy woman being assisted by two servants while in a camel litter (Canby, 2005) . For the Blacas Ewer, receives significant focus owing to the manner in which it shaped the medieval Islamic world while its influence is felt even today.

The metalwork belongs to the Mosul school, which featured metal artisans of the 13 th century based in Mosul, Iraq. For many years, the school has influenced the Islamic world’s metalwork ranging from eastern Iran to North America. The metal artisans would utilize both silver and gold in which they would inlay brass and silver. After preparing a delicate surface of the material using delicate engraving, they would work on silver and gold to make sure that no form of irregularity prevailed on the entirety of the astonishing design. The metalworkers from Mosul carried the technique to regions including Cairo, Baghdad, Aleppo, Damascus, and Iran. Related metalwork would also emerge from these centers referred to as Mosul bronzes (Canby, 2005) . Here, it becomes evident that the Mosul school had significant influence on the development of decorated metalwork, while the Blacas Ewer is among the most popular from the school.

Question 2 

Nur ad-Din served as an individual who gained tremendous popularity owing to the manner in which he persecuted the Christian faith and name. He also served as a wise, valiant, and just prince while his race’s tradition perceived him as a religious individual. Nur ad-Din mostly emerged religious when he became will as well as during his pilgrimage. He regarded the crusaders living in the Muslim region as foreigners since he believed that they came to take the Islam land away while at the same time regarding the sacred places as profane. Nevertheless, he seemed to accept the Christians who followed his rules, apart from Armenians of Edessa. He also showed Emperor Manual tremendous respect. Nur al-Din translated his political aims into architecture in certain ways. During his reign, 42 madrasas were created in Syria while he supported around half of them personally. With the building of the madrasas, Nur ad-Din aimed at supporting the establishment of Sunni Islamic imams and qadis. He loved when specialists would read the Hadith to him while his professors offered him a diploma for narrating the Hadith. He also supported the construction of hospitals (bimaristans) is cities (Islamic Education Foundation, 1998) . Furthermore, he would make sure that caravanserais were created on roads for pilgrims and travelers.

For Salah al-Din, he served as Syria and Egypt’s initial sultan while at the same time founded the Ayyubid dynasty. Since he was a Sunni Muslim who belonged to the Kurdish ethnicity, he embarked on leading a Muslim military campaign, which targeted the Levant’s Crusader states. During his power’s peak, his sultanate comprised of Syria, Egypt, the Hejaz, Upper Mesopotamia, and Yemen together with other North African parts. In translating his political aims into architecture, he was responsible for fortifying Citadel of Cairo, which featured peace (Islamic Education Foundation, 1998) . Even in the case of other smallest cities, he ensured that citadel emerged as Egypt’s vital feature.

Question 3 

Regarding the patronage of the Mamluk period, its features revolved around the emirs and the Mamluk sultans who gained popularity owing to their zealous support for architecture and art during the entire Mamluk period. The projects they undertook would comprise of small charitable establishments, such as fountains where the public would drink or individual mausoleum. The huge architectural complexes mostly merged distinct functions into single or several building. These would comprise of social services and charitable activities, including matkab (elementary school), sabil (water dispenser), bimaristan, madrasa, khangah, and mosque. They would also feature commercial activities, such as the caravanserai that housed merchants together with their products or even the Cairen apartment, which the renters used. The waaf agreements protected the institutions and the buildings thereby allowing them to acquire the charitable endowments status, which the Islamic Law perceived as legally inalienable (van Steenbergen, 2006) . In this vein, the legacy of sultans was assured via their architectural projects, their tombs, the ones of their families, which would be taken to a mausoleum linked to their religious complexes.

Since charity is one of Islam’s basic pillars, the charitable initiatives portrayed the piousness of the sultans whereas the madrasas also associated the governing Mamluk elite with ulama. These served as religious scholars who served as intermediaries with the broader population. These kinds of efforts assisted in conferring authenticity to Mamluk sultans who distanced themselves from the population while serving as non-Arabs while being of slave origin. The Mamluks usually served as slaves bought while young to serve in government or the military. For their charitable acts, they played a critical role in strengthening their symbolic duties as the orthodox Sunni Islam’s protectors. They also sponsored Sufi brotherhoods together with the local saints’ shrines (van Steenbergen, 2006) . The Quran Box is a key notable thing linked to the Mamluk sultans.

Question 4 

The Madrasa of Sultan Hasan stands out from the mainstream of Cairene architecture in certain ways. The structure comprises of four madrasas and iwans leading it to emerge as the most astonishing of the different Cairene structure while leading it to stand out across from Citadel. The mausoleum is based on the qibla axis’ right side of the mosque. In this manner, it ends up representing a major shift in symbolism as well as planning. For the huge portal, it is oriented in such a manner that it has the capacity of impressing the viewers who are originating from the Citadel. Regarding the minarets, they depict a commencement of the construction of Mamluk minarets that feature three tiers. For the monument, it managed to inspire a large number of imitators and copyists of the structures architecture up to the 20 th century. It has also inspired interpreters who have the desire of understanding the symbol that depicted the political dichotomy associated with the time (Behrens-Abouseif, 2007) . They also wish to identify the depiction of a humbling influence attributed to the Black Death or even a figure of the kind of social hierarchy that prevailed in Cairo city.

For the huge dome, it cannot be compared to equaling Syria, Egypt, Yemen, or Maghreb. Irrespective of the thickness of the structure’s walls, wood was used to make its dome. The dome featured an unpopular shape resembling the one of an egg. In the event of the mausoleum’s positioning between two minarets, it was significantly astonishing. The planning used four minarets, even the completion never occurred. This depicted a unique number in the event of a mosque. The twin portal minarets that characterize the design were uncommon in the same manner as the mosque’s size. It is considered as the only chinoisere’s instance attributed to the architecture of the Mamluk. The mosque’s setup is also amazing. The mausoleum prevails directly behind the hall for player. Whereas this might be regarded profane presently, it did not serve as the case then (Behrens-Abouseif, 2007) . For the building’s relation with its patron, it is one aimed at standing out of other architects of the time.

Question 5 

Concerning the Maqamat of Al-Hariri in the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, it is quite important. It comprises of around 50 short stories while each of them is associated with a city that existed in the Muslim world during the time. For the stories, they offer information regarding real adventures particularly verbal narrations in prose or verse or peripatetic or roguish heroes. The triple or double puns it utilizes together with uncommon word meanings as well as ostentatious grammatical developments facilitate in revealing the complex and amazing Arabic language’s wealth. The Maqamat’s genre emerged successful owing to its astounding writing’s quality (Jayyusi, 2012) . The various manuscripts evident in the Maqamat by Hariri prevailed since his time while a large number of them have remained starting the 13 th century to later centuries.

The Maqamat comprises of diverse tales that offer information regarding the Abu Zayd of Saruji who serve as a rogue fictitious character. Zayd wanders the globe while having sufficient knowledge of the Arabic knowledge while misleading the persons he encounters in order to realize rewards. For the stories, they feature intense topics, which revolve around medieval Islamic nations when they were at the peak of their culture and power. It introduces clerics, merchants, sultans, peasants, and scholars. The work also offers fabled cities of Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Arabia, as well as other locations in the in the middle east, such as Basra, Mosul, Baghdad, and Samara. Regarding the Maqamat, it can be regarded as revealing the Muslim Civilizations history while utilizing various literary genres. The environment of producing the work reveals that the Muslim world of the time was quite power and influential thereby having significant influence toward the civilization (Jayyusi, 2012) . Islam spread to distinct regions, which led it to acquire such tremendous influence and prosperity at the time.

References

Behrens-Abouseif, D. (2007). Cairo of the Mamluks: a history of the architecture and its culture. London: I.B. Tauris.

Canby, S. R. (2005). Islamic art in detail. Boston: Harvard University Press.

Islamic Education Foundation. (1998). The History of Nur Ad-Din & Soladin, Dr. Muhammad Musa Al-Shareef, Nobel Dynasties. Jakarta: Bukupedia.

Jayyusi, S. K. (2012). Classical Arabic stories: an anthology. New York: Columbia University Press.

van Steenbergen, J. (2006). Order out of chaos: patronage, conflict and Mamluk socio-political culture, 1341-1382. Netherlands: Brill.