Building the World

Islamic Art

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Calligraphy on the exterior of the Taj Mahal

Islamic art is known for its intricacy and beauty. Ranking highest on the list of perfected Islamic art is the Taj Mahal. Not only does this astounding structure embody the physical nature of Islamic art – of symmetry and proportion – but it follows the rules of Islam as a religion as well. As Islam was (and is) a wide-spread religion, it had an impact on Muslims and non-Muslims alike. As a result, secular Islamic art can be found in many of the areas previously under Mughal rule. The Taj Mahal, however, is an example of the religious wing of Islamic art, and Muslim tradition can be seen throughout the structure. For example, the outside of the building is decorated with quotes from the Qur’an and the coffins of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are plain in contrast to the rest of the building (as Muslim law disallows ornate graves).

For more information on Islamic art, please visit: http://www.lacma.org/islamic_art/intro.htm

 

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Building the World Blog by Kathleen Lusk Brooke and Zoe G Quinn is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

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