Islamic art and religion

If Islamic art is not a strictly religious art, since the Islam term is then taken in its direction civilisationnel, the various worships exerted in the field influenced it much, by determining forms, architectural reasons or types. Islam is of course in the foreground, since many realization are mosques, of Corans, or representations of the life of the Prophet or saints. Nevertheless, this religion is loins to be the only one to play a part: Christianity, Judaism, but also zoroastrism and animism hold an important place in arts of Islam.

Moslem thought and art

Illustrated representation and Islamic religion

If Coran does not say almost anything about the figurative représentatin, of many interpretations condemned the animated, human and animal figurations, in the sacred arts, i.e. in particular in the mosques, the madrasa and Corans, but also in the liturgical material, lamps of mosques, prayer mat, candlesticks for the tombs… There exist nevertheless exceptions: for example, certain Anatolian mosques comprise dragons, and there would exist a specimen of illustrated Coran in a figurative way.

However, the profane works abound of animated representations, and in some, one notes representations of religious characters, like the prophets Muhammad, Jesus (Iso) and Joseph (Youssef). With the advent of the Shiism in Iran at the 16th century, the figures of the men considered as saints are covered with veils, and an aureole of flames surrounds them. Certain modern fanatics however were until scraping the heads of the manuscript, or to cut them symbolically body by a feature.

Specificities related to Islam

Several specificities of arts of Islam are directly due to the religion musulame.

In architecture

Islam gives birth to from new religious buildings, adapted to its worship. Thus, the plan of the mosques (of Arab type mainly), is adapted to the idea of prayer on line. It was also said that the plan with 4 Iwan S used in number of madrasas allowed the teaching of the four sects of Islamic right, but this idea is disputed.

Moslem iconography

In spite of the generally accepted ideas, a purely Moslem iconongraphy developed, in particular in the Persan world, but to illustrate profane works. As of XIVe century, a specimen of the Jami Al-Tawarikh of Aldine Rashid thus shows several scenes of the life of Muhammad, while a little later, a mi' rajnama makes in Hérat in 1436 described all the stages of the Mi' raj . This event of the life of the Prophet then will be represented many times, in compositions rained penny less becomes a little later a prototype of painting Persians, frequently taken again and more or less standardized.

But Muhammad is not the only Moslem holy character with being represented: other episodes put in scene holy prophets and characters musulams, often Shiites, like 'Ali: indeed, the geographical area most marked by the figuration is without dontestes Persia, with Shiite majority.

Other religions

Christian iconographies

It is especially in Egypt and Syria that developed an Islamic art with Christian iconography, for several reasons: the strong copte presence, the great tolerance of Fatimides, which continued well later, and contacts with the crusaders, who gave place to the creation of many memories of pilgrimage. The art of glass enamelled in particular was notably marked by Christian iconographies, but also the créamique one and the art of the book.

The Islamic religion wanting to be in the continuity of the other monotheisms (Judaism and Christianity), of many scenes of old and the new will are frequently put in images, even in a context musulamn. They often take again the poncifes set up in the Christian, Byzantine and Western world, as for the history of Jonas and the Whale, of Jospeh and the woman of Putiphar, or the scenes of the life of Christ. The crucifixion on the other hand, is never represented out of specifically Christian works, the Moslems not recognizing it.

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