ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES OF ART OF SOUTH, WEST, AND CENTRAL ASIA

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Tibet

I. PAKISTAN
PERIODS OF PAKISTANI ARCHITECTURE
1. Pre-Islamic Period
2. Islamic Period
3. Colonial Period
4. Post-Colonial Period

MOHENJO DARO
 It means “mound of the dead men”.
 It is built around 2500 BCE.
 And it is one of the world’s earliest major urban settlements.
HARRAPA
 It is believed to have as many as 23,500 residents.
 Both Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa are generally characterized as having differentiated living quarters,
flat-roofed brick houses, and fortified administrative or religious centers.
KOT DIJI
 It is a fortress and the forerunner of the Indus Civilization.
 Located about 22 kilometers South of Khairpur in the province of Sindh, Pakistan.

ARTS AND CRAFTS OF PAKISTAN

PAKISTANI TRUCK ART
 In Pakistan, truck art has become a cultural tradition, which features decorations that may involve
intricate paintings, structural changes, and ornamental décors using mirrors and woods for the roof,
doors, and windows of the truck.
 These trucks, painted with various images like landscapes, personalities, etc., have become moving
exhibits across Pakistan.
 The painting – often coupled with lines of poetry, religious calligraphy or common phrases –
represent the truck driver's identity and regional background.
 The images on the trucks embody a wide range of themes, including landscapes, celebrities, beautiful
women, mythical creatures, religious imagery and national heroes.

II. SAUDI ARABIA

 It is officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a country in Western Asia.
 It is famous for oil, to be the origin of Islam, the world’s largest sand desert, and many more.
 West Asia is also rich in cultural heritage, and this is clearly shown in the variety and quality of
regional forms of arts and crafts.

ARTS AND CRAFTS OF SAUDI ARABIA

ARABIAN RUGS
 Throughout the Arabian world, you can find an abundance of both kilims or flat-weave carpets, and
pile carpets.
 Carpet is a symbol of a family’s wealth and prosperity; therefore, is always included in presents
given to young people at their weddings.
 Many Arabian carpets include a field of interlocking geometric shapes in their design.
 Another aspect that is frequently observed in the design is Arabic calligraphy.
 Arabian carpets are primarily made from wool, but one finds a broader variety of materials in the
area as compared to other regions of the world.
 You can find carpet that use both cotton and linen threads.
 You can also find rugs made from camel hair, goat hair, and silk in some areas of Saudi Arabia.

III. TIBET
  Tibet is known as the “Roof of the World” because its average height is more than 4000 meters above
the sea level.
 Also, the highest peak in the world, that is Mount Everest, is also present in Tibet.
 Central Asia refers to the literary, performing, and visual arts of a large portion of Asia embracing
the Tibet.
 As used here, the term denotes only those traditions that were not influenced by the religion of Islam.

ARTS AND CRAFTS OF TIBET

TIBETAN MANDALA
 A mandala is a symbolic diagram that is utilized in the performing of religious rites and as a
meditative tool.
 The mandala is a symbol that acts as a receptacle for the gods and a collection point for global
forces.
 It is a symbol of the universe, which was originally used to represent wholeness and a model for the
organizational structure of life itself, a cosmic diagram that shows the relation to the infinite and the
world that extends beyond and within minds and bodies.
 Traditionally, they depict the Buddha's mind in an abstract shape, such as a wheel, tree, flower, or
jewel.
 The symbol in the center is a dot, which is a sign with no dimensions.
 It is seen as the beginning of contemplation and devotion to the divine.
 The dot is then surrounded by lines and mathematical patterns that depict the universe, all of which
are encircled by the outer circle, which reflects life's cyclical nature.
 The wheel with eight spokes, bell, triangle, lotus flower, and sun are all common symbols in
mandalas.