Islamic arts

📖 In short

Islamic arts are the fine arts that flourished in Muslim lands from al-Andalus to India. What most sets them apart is Arabic calligraphy, fine geometric and plant decoration, and wonderful architecture with its domes, minarets and arches.

🤩 Did you know?

One of the oldest dated copies of the Qur'an is from the year 167 AH, kept in the Egyptian National Library.
The Great Mosque of Isfahan is one of the most famous four-iwan mosques.
In Morocco colorful decorated tiles called “zellige” are made.
A mashrabiya is a decorated wooden window that lets air in and softens the light.

🔎 Find out more

🌟 Calligraphy, the noblest art

Muslims greatly valued calligraphy because the verses of the Qur'an were written with it, so calligraphers put all their skill into writing copies of the Qur'an and decorating them with gold and color.

🔍 Endless patterns

Islamic decoration is made of geometric shapes like stars and polygons, and interlacing branches and leaves called “arabesques”, which repeat and spread as if they had no end.

💡 Art in everything

Islamic art wasn't limited to mosques but decorated carpets, textiles, copper dishes, glass, ceramics, handwritten books and wooden doors.

🎯 Wonderful architecture

Masterpieces of Islamic architecture include the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, the Mosque of Córdoba, the Alhambra, the Taj Mahal and the Mosque of Isfahan.