1. ART 299 VISUAL CULTURE GLOBAL CONTEXT
M8 NOT REPRESENTING
THE DEITY
2. Module 8 Overview
Five Pillars of Islam
mosque (congregational mosque, Friday mosque, great mosque)
mihrab
qibla
convivencia
Look:
Dome of the Rock (10-2), (10-3)
Great Mosque of Isfahan (10-25)
Great Mosque of Djenne (19-9)
Hagia Sophia (9-5 to 9-9)
Great Mosque of Cordoba (10-1), (10-9), (10-10), (10-11), (10-12)
Synagogue of El Transitó (http://www.bh.org.il/database-article.aspx?48725)
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sinagoga_del_Transito_(Toledo)
Mihrab from MadrasaImami (10-26)
carpet (10-27)
mosque lamp (10-28)
3. Goals
Understand a few central aspects of the
Muslim faith and learn the associated
terminology.
Begin to make connections between the
tenets of the faith and the artistic forms of
the culture.
Become aware of the origin and early history
of the faith.
Relate that early history to the changing
meanings of the Ka’ba.
4. Goals
define sacred and secular architecture
identify forms of sacred architecture associated
with the major world religions
what does the sacred architecture of Islam look
like?
Examine pictures of major mosques from Muslim
countries around the world
Learn key terms for describing mosque architecture
Understand how modernization has altered a specific
aspect of traditional Muslim worship in Cairo, Egypt
6. Concept
Distinguishing between sacred and secular
art gives us one way of sorting the variety of
art objects by their intended use.
7. Concept
When looking at any art object in this
class, you can ask yourself:
Does this object have a religious or
devotional purpose?
If so, we can label it sacred.
10. Though it’s possible to discern in the form of the “golden
arches” an invitation to a heavenly realm (an echo
perhaps, of the “pearly gates”?), the cathedral is the
work of sacred architecture.
11. Test your understanding
Classifying buildings or objects as
sacred or secular is easy if you
are familiar with the forms of a
particular religious tradition. If
these forms are less familiar,
you may need to do further
reading and research before
determining whether a given
object is sacred or not.
Do you know if the image on the
right is sacred, or secular?
12. Do you see any visual cues that might enable you to make an educated
guess?
14. Map of the Arabian Peninsula, showing key sites at the time
of Muhammad
15. 1. Shahadah
“There is no god but God and Muhammad is
his Messenger.”
declaration of faith in a monotheistic God
Muhammad is the Prophet, not a deity
16. 2. Salat
prayers
five times a day at specific hours
preceded by ablutions
facing toward Mecca
17. 3. Zakat
offering of financial help to the poor in one’s
own community
percentage of income
18. 4. Sawm
fasting during the holy month of Ramadan
during the daylight hours
19. 5. hajj
pilgrimage to Mecca during set time
every Muslim must make the pilgrimage at
least once during their lifetime
pilgrims wear a simple white garment called
Ihram clothing to signify equality before God
46. Widening your perspective
Read the article about the play “Radio
Muezzin,” developed after this policy went
into effect in Cairo.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/theater/
19abroad.html
How does the author compare and contrast
the aural environments of Cairo and Berlin?