Islamic art had its own unique character and distinctive style among the arts of nations. The arts of Islamic civilization are ancient, as the geographical span of Islamic art extended from Indonesia to Andalusia, including West Africa.
It flourished chronologically from the 7th to the 17th century, and the fields of Islamic art included:
Architecture, Painting and ornamentation, Various minor arts
In this article, we will provide a brief overview of each of these artistic fields.
The Arts of Islamic Civilization
The arts of Islamic civilization are diverse, including distinctive architectural styles from different periods, such as the Umayyad period with the Great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, the Abbasid period with the Great Mosque, and other landmarks of Islamic eras. It also includes painting and ornamentation, as well as minor arts such as ceramics and engraving.
1. Architecture
Islamic art borrowed many elements from previous civilizations but gave them its own distinctive character.
Umayyad Architecture
During the time of the Prophet and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, mosques were simple and unadorned.
The Umayyad period added decorative elements to mosques and introduced the tall tower for the call to prayer—the minaret.
The most important mosques built by the Umayyads were the Great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Umayyads not only introduced the idea of the minaret but also added new or developed architectural elements such as the recessed mihrab and the elevated pulpit (minbar).
The only religious building constructed by the Umayyads that has no parallel in Islam is the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, built by Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan and completed in 72 AH / 692 CE.
The artistic achievements of the Umayyads were not limited to religious buildings and mosques.
Archaeological remains in Damascus have revealed about thirty palaces. Their walls were dominated by mural paintings, alongside arabesque foliage (tawriq), geometric, and calligraphic decoration.
Umayyad architecture clearly shows a dual influence from Byzantine and Sasanian styles, both in structure and ornamentation.
Abbasid Architecture
During the Abbasid period, building materials shifted from stone to mudbrick and baked brick, and the use of the iwan was introduced into Abbasid architecture.
A model of religious architecture from the Abbasid period can be seen in the Great Mosque built by Al-Mutawakkil and in Abu Dulaf Mosque.
The Great Mosque is distinguished among all Islamic mosques by its spiral minaret, vast size, and baked brick decorations.
Civil Abbasid architecture was influenced by the use of the spacious vaulted iwan, exemplified by the Al-Ukhaidir Palace, whose design forms a transitional link between Umayyad and Abbasid architecture.
Fatimid and Andalusian Architecture
The Fatimid Caliphate in Andalusia was no less active than the Abbasid Caliphate in architectural achievements, as monumental construction was part of the state’s prestige.
From the moment the Fatimids came to power in North Africa, they built for themselves the city of Mahdia, including fortresses, palaces, and a harbor.
When they moved to Egypt, they built Cairo, not as a city for the people but as a complex of palaces for the caliph and his family.
Later, they built monumental mosques, the most important of which is Al-Azhar Mosque (built in 972 CE).
Al-Azhar Mosque combines characteristics of both African and Tulunid architecture.
Few examples of Fatimid civil architecture remain, limited to some buildings in Mahdia and Cairo. These archaeological remains reveal the evolution of ornamentation into what became known as Fatimid art.
In Andalusia, the most magnificent religious building was the Great Mosque of Córdoba, which contained over 600 columns.
Umayyad princes and caliphs devoted great care to repeatedly expanding it and enriching its ornamentation.
2. Painting and Ornamentation
Among the most important remains of Umayyad and Abbasid palaces are colorful mural paintings and plaster relief decorations, along with the emergence of Arabesque ornamentation.
Islamic artists leaned toward decorative work rather than realistic depictions of living beings.
This was due to the influence of jurists who dominated intellectual life between the 9th and 12th centuries (3rd–6th centuries AH).
They concluded that depicting living beings was disliked and inconsistent with Islam, unlike pagan civilizations.
They considered the exclusion of images and statues from mosques and public life as a sign of distinction from other civilizations.
As a result, painting declined, sculpture diminished, and ornamentation flourished, developed, and diversified, becoming the primary hallmark of Islamic art.
Architectural Ornamentation (Tazwiq and Tawriq)
Ornamentation was a fundamental aspect of both religious and civil Islamic architecture.
The earliest example of architectural decoration is found in the Dome of the Rock, featuring motifs of plants, palm trees, and fruits such as grapes and pomegranates.
Islamic architectural walls were covered with decorations made of mosaics and images.
Over time, this architectural style became more established, eventually leading in the East to complete coverage with calligraphic and geometric ornaments.
In the Maghreb and Andalusia, it culminated in colored plaster carvings in red, yellow, and gold, blending Naskh and Kufic scripts.
Arabesque foliage (tawriq) rapidly spread to cover entire walls, especially in religious buildings. Its elements were flowers and plant branches.
Abbasid and Fatimid Ornamentation
During the Abbasid period, there was a clear increase in geometric and plant ornamentation carved in plaster or stone.
The most significant contribution of Abbasid art was covering entire walls with geometric decorations using molds.
This technique became the dominant style in Islamic architectural ornamentation and consolidated the foundations of arabesque, especially during the Fatimid period in Egypt.
Mural paintings found in the remains of Fatimid buildings in Cairo depict scenes of drinking and dancing, surrounded by plant ornaments and birds.
Calligraphic Ornamentation
From the 4th century AH, calligraphy began to be incorporated into Islamic architectural ornamentation.
Arabic calligraphy in all its forms, especially Kufic, was used.
It began with decorating mosques using Qur’anic verses, and calligraphic ornamentation became a key decorative element in many buildings.
3. Minor Arts
The minor arts did not disappear in the regions that came under Islamic rule; rather, they adopted forms that aligned with the new cultural aesthetics.
Textiles and Glassware
Egypt became famous for its linen and silk weaving with gold threads.
The Dār al-Tirāz was responsible for weaving official garments in Egypt during the 12th century.
Only one textile piece survives bearing the name of an Umayyad ruler, while 588 pieces bear the names of Abbasid caliphs, decorated with long Kufic inscriptions in gold or colored thread on silk or linen fabric.
During the Abbasid and Fatimid periods, textile workshops in Egypt—such as those in Damietta—produced luxurious fabrics that were exported worldwide.
These textiles were distinguished by fine drawing, harmonious colors, use of gold embellishment, and frequent animal motifs.
Before Islam, Syria was renowned in the East for producing high-quality glassware.
During the Fatimid period, glass production flourished and evolved, leading to the manufacture of cups, goblets, lamps, and perfume bottles.
A 1360 Egyptian mosque lamp demonstrates the perfect combination of delicacy, transparency, coloring, and Naskh-script decoration.
Lamps were decorated with engravings, animal images, or twisted glass.
Some workshops in Fustat and Alexandria specialized in rock crystal (crystalline glass).
Thirteen rock crystal cups survive today in some European churches and world museums, bearing the names of Fatimid caliphs.
Ceramics and Carving
Ceramic production had well-established traditions in the regions conquered by Muslims.
In the 9th and 10th centuries, new techniques emerged, including painting decorations under glaze, imitating Chinese porcelain.
Muslim potters in Iraq invented a way to give ceramic vessels a metallic luster in various colors (from coppery red to greenish yellow).
This innovation spread rapidly throughout the Islamic world, followed by the use of colored decorative elements featuring plant, animal, and human motifs.
The metallic luster technique was also used in making ceramic tiles for wall cladding.
The oldest types of ceramics have been found in the palaces of Samarra, the mihrab of the Great Mosque of Kairouan, and the ruins of Madinat al-Zahra.
Wood and ivory carving existed since the Umayyad period, aligning with the new Islamic aesthetic.
Egypt and Andalusia excelled in ivory carving, and many artifacts from both regions survive.
Gilding and Metalwork
In the early Abbasid period, the decoration of Qur’anic manuscripts began, especially embellishing the first and last pages and surah titles with gilded ornamentation.
This gilding and embellishment were not limited to Qur’ans but also appeared in other books.
The calligrapher would first write the text, and then the decorator would fill the spaces around the script with patterns and gilding.
Other forms of Islamic decorative arts included copper, bronze, and precious jewel works, all clearly reflecting the spirit of Islamic art.
Conclusion : The arts of Islamic civilization were influenced by various regional and national factors throughout their historical development.
What is truly remarkable is that even under these diverse influences, Islamic art consistently maintained its high quality and unique identity.
