|
|
|
Surface Arts of the Mosque: An Overview:
In addition to their celebrated use in decorating Qur'ans, calligraphy and illumination, described as nonfigurative arts by Papadopoulo, were the exclusive arts used to adorn mosques and other religious structures.41 Over the centuries, calligraphic inscriptions and ornamental devices endowed the mosque's architectural surfaces with prolific artistic treatments that are distinctively characteristic of Islam. There are almost no limits on when, where, how, or to what degree such arts appear on a given mosque's surfaces, for diversity and flexibility demarcated the production of these arts immensely.42 One is compelled to speculate on the connection between these sacred arts and their Qur'anic counterparts. Did the inscriptional and ornamental arts associated with the mosque emanate from the Qur'anic calligraphic and illuminating arts? The answer to this question is attempted at two levels of discussion: an overview and a characterization. The overview discussion, which makes up the body of the following section, touches on the evolution of the mosque as a building type and the development of the associated surface arts. The characterization discussion, which takes up the next section, describes the specific attributes of surface arts of the mosque from several viewpoints, such as themes of calligraphic inscriptions and agents of ornamentation.
The very early years of Islam were the formative years of the mosque as a building type and also witnessed the initial reticent architectural attempts of the Arabs.43 At that time, the search focused on providing adequate shelter for the religious and political functions called for by Islam. Beginning with the hijrah in 620 and for three decades under the leadership of the Prophet and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the community founded the first mosque, the practically planned Mosque of the Prophet in MadEµnah (622), and other stark mosques in the acquired regions, such as the Kuµfah Mosque (638) in Iraq,44 the Fust\aµt\ Mosque (641) in Egypt, and the Qairouan Mosque (667) in Tunisia.4545 These early mosques reflect the intensity of pragmatic needs in their planning, but little if any thought was given to embellishing the mosque's surfaces. During the second half of this period, devotion to recording the Qur'an through beautiful calligraphy and illumination reached considerable proportions. The contrast between the developing but promising arts of the Qur'an as against the lagging, but forthcoming, surface arts of the mosque was already apparent.
From the beginning of the Umayyad period, surface arts associated with the mosque began to develop in the same manner as the Qur'anic arts had done. Inscribing and ornamenting mosque surfaces began to prosper, as seen in the newly established and lavishly ornamented Dome of the Rock (688-91), the Great Mosque of Damascus (construction began in 705), and the Great Mosque of MadEµnah, which replaced the original Mosque of the Prophet on the same site (construction began in 705).46 The trend for mosque surface ornamentation in particular, and design elaboration in general, continued through the golden era of the succeeding 'Abbaµsid era and indeed persisted through time in all parts of the Islamic world.
The fervent patronage of successive caliphs, governors, and commanders brought about a steady accretion of architectural works that, at least in part, tended to glorify the concept of power. Many of the religious masterpieces that have come down to us attest to the political ambitions of the reigning powers within the geographic and historical domains of Islam. Therefore, we can make a reasonable distinction between the architectural heritage of dynastic- or doctrine-driven states, such as the Umayyads of al Andalus, the Faµt\imids of Egypt and Tunisia, the S\aµfavids of Persia, and the Ottomans of Turkey.
Although the political ambitions behind erecting religious edifices remained potent, the commanding regimes refrained from suppressing the religious functions contained within. The position of Islam on the infusion of religion and state seems, on the one hand, to have aided the patron in the "power" design of the edifice and, on the other, to have guaranteed the prosperity of the mosque's religious and communal functions. In its true sense, Islam's joining of religion and state implies harmony and unison between the two, and in its intended practice the support for either religion or state would mean support for Islam. This interpretation could lead us to say that the amazing multitude, quality, and geographic spread of mosque architecture, especially as regards calligraphic inscriptions and elements of ornamentation, leave no doubt about the importance placed on the visual sensory language in communicating religious ideology as well as governing powers.
Culture & Art
Next
Back
End
|
