Gardners Art through the Ages The

Western Perspective Volume 1 13th

Edition Kleiner Test Bank
Visit to download the full and correct content document: https://testbankdeal.com/dow
nload/gardners-art-through-the-ages-the-western-perspective-volume-1-13th-edition-k
leiner-test-bank/
 Chapter 10

THE ISLAMIC WORLD

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. When Islam arose, who were peripheral to the Byzantine and Persian empires?

a. Egyptians
b. Arabs
c. Ottoman Turks
d. Saracens

Answer: b

2. Critical of the polytheistic religion of his fellow Arabs, Muhammad had all the idols destroyed, however he
preserved the Kaaba. Which of the following supports the reason for this preservation?

a. It is the Islamic world’s symbolic center.

b. It is the home of Muhammad.
c. It the site of Muhammad ascendancy into Paradise.
d. It is the location of Muhammad’s divine inspiration.

Answer: a

3. What was the Hegira?

a. the Islamic conquest of Egypt

b. Muhammad’s flight from Mecca
c. Muhammad’s vision of Gabriel
d. the rock in the mosque at Mecca

Answer: b

4. How is interior architectural space defined in the Muslim world?

a. by having no interior walls

b. by rearranging the courtyard fountains
c. by moving the walls around to increase or decrease the space
d. by rearranging the carpets and cushions

Answer: a

5. It is said Muslims worship Allah directly without a hierarchy of clergy acting as intermediaries. However
during communal gatherings, the imam would stand on a stepped pulpit or ___________.

a. maqsura
b. mihrab
c. qibla
d. minbar

Answer: d

383
6. The coming of a new religion to Jerusalem, a city sacred to both Jews and Christians, is marked by a
monument known as the ____________.

a. Rock of Ages
b. Kaaba
c. Dome of the Rock
d. Rock of Muhammad

Answer: c

7. The vault in the Hall of the Two Sisters is meant to symbolize __________.

a. the dome of heaven

b. Paradise
c. the fusion of Islamic and Byzantine motifs
d. Allah’s blessing on the Nasrids

Answer: a

8. Sinan was born a Christian, converted to Islam, then trained in engineering and the art of building while still in
the army. He was also court architect to Suleyman the Magnificent. Which of the following was his greatest
achievement?

a. Great Mosque, Isfahan

b. Mosque complex of Sultan Hasan
c. Mosque of Selim II
d. Madrasa Imami, Isfahan

Answer: c

9. The Mshatta Palace, never completed, has a rich ornamental frieze with animal figures appearing on some of
the triangles. However no animal figures appear on the façade that correspond to the mosque’s qibla wall.
Why is the animal figuration absent from this section of the frieze?

a. The representation of fauna on palace walls is minimal.

b. The representation of fauna on desert palace walls is minimal.
c. The palace is unfinished, possibly the frieze was yet to be completed.
d. The representation of fauna in a sacred place is prohibited.

Answer: d

10. The mihrab is a semicircular niche set in the qibla wall; its specific purpose is still being debated. Some
scholars have suggested the mihrab is referencing Muhammad. Which of the following best supports this
suggestion?

a. It honored the place Muhammad stood when leading communal worship.

b. It honored the place Muhammad received divine inspiration.
a. It honored the place Muhammad ascended into Paradise.
b. It honored the place Muhammad wrote his revelations.

Answer: a

11. The structural foundation of the Great Mosque of Damascus owes much to the architecture of the Greco-
Roman East. Which structural feature accounts for this?

a. Roman forum

384
 b. Roman precinct walls
c. Roman bath
d. Roman arch

Answer: b

12. Which of the following is built over the spot from which Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven?

a. Great Mosque, Damascus

b. Dome of the Rock
c. Dome of Masjid-i Shah
d. Great Mosque, Kairouan

Answer: b

13. The art of calligraphy, ornamental writing, was used to reproduce the sacred words of the Koran in as
beautiful a script as possible. Which of the following would never appear in ornamental writing of the Koran?

a. stylized human and floral forms

b. stylized floral forms
c. stylized vegetal forms
d. stylized animal forms

Answer: b

14. The unification of text and ornament found in the design of Islamic Korans is also found in the European
manuscripts of the ______________.

a. Hiberno-Saxons
b. Carolingians
c. Ottonians
d. Early Christian

Answer: a

15. In the 7th century, the capital of Islam had been transferred from Mecca to Damascus by the ____________.

a. Ottoman Turks
b. Mamluks
c. Arabs
d. Umayyads

Answer: d

16. The positioning of all mosques, no matter period or country, must be oriented toward which of the following
cities?

a. Medina
b. Mecca
c. Damascus
d. Jerusalem

Answer: b

17. The hypostyle mosque, such as Kairouan, most closely reflects the mosque’s supposed origin. Which of the
following best supports this statement?

385
 a. It is Muhammad’s house in Medina.
b. It is Muhammad’s house in Mecca.
c. It is the house of Muhammad’s divine inspiration.
d. It is the house from which Muhammad ascended into Paradise.

Answer: a

18. The Malwiya minaret in Samarra was too tall to have been used to call the faithful to prayer and was clearly
visible for a considerable distance. Which of the following is a possible explanation?

a. It is patterned after the Tower of Babel.

b. It is based on the ancient ziggurat.
c. It is based on a Roman lighthouse.
d. Its announced the presence of Islam.
e.
Answer: d

19. The Saminid mausoleum from Bukhara can be said to be which of the following structure types?

a. dome-on-a square form

b. dome-on-a cube form
c. basilican form
d. octagon

Answer: b

20. The Great Mosque at Córdoba has a hypostyle prayer hall with horseshoe shaped arches adapted from which
of the following?

a. Byzantine Egypt
b. Visigoths
c. Carolingians
d. Rome

Answer: b

21. In the 10th century Caliph al-Hakam II undertook major renovations of the Great Mosque at Córdoba,
including a mosaic pattern for the maqsura. He wanted to rival the great mosaic-clad monuments erected by
his Umayyad predecessors in Jerusalem. Which of the following cities provided the mosaicists?

a. Jerusalem
b. Damascus
c. Rome
d. Constantinople

Answer: d

22. An ancient Arab proverb proclaims, “Purity of writing, is purity of soul,” describes which of the following?

a. poetry
b. story telling
c. painting
d. calligraphy

Answer: d

386
23. In the mid-13th century, the Mongols conquered much of the Eastern Islamic world. The center of Islamic
power moved from Baghdad to Egypt. The lords of Egypt at that time were Mamluks. The definition of the
word Mamluk translates to __________________?

a. slave
b. noble Turk
c. Christian
d. Barbarian

Answer: a

24. The Ottomans developed a new style of mosque, which is a square prayer hall covered by a dome. Which of
the following are characteristics of Ottoman mosque architecture?

a. rectangular and simple

b. circular and formalistic
c. geometric and formalistic
d. geometric and simple

Answer: c

25. Umayyad palaces included elaborate bathing facilities, which were an inheritance from __________?

a. Byzantium
b. Abbasid Dynasty
c. Roman influence
d. Ottomans

Answer: c

26. The Abbasids overthrew the Umayyad caliphs and established a new capital at ________.

a. Damascus
b. Baghdad
c. Medina
d. Isfahan

Answer: b

27. The sacred book of Islam is the Koran or recitations. The recitations or instructions were given to Muhammad
by the _________________.

a. Holy Spirit
b. Prophet Jeremiah
c. Archangel Gabriel
d. Prophet Isaiah

Answer: c

SHORT ANSWER

28. Describe the cultural contributions made by Islam to Western Europe.

387
 Answer: Christian scholars in the West eagerly studied Arabic translations of the works of Aristotle and other
Greek scholars of antiquity during the 12 th and 13th centuries. In the West, the Muslim architectural element,
the horseshoe arch, was disseminated via the Crusades and the Spanish Umayyad dynasty. Arabic love lyrics
and poetic descriptions of nature provided influential inspiration for early French troubadours. Arab scholars
contributed greatly to the foundations of arithmetic and algebra and to the study of astronomy. They greatly
influenced not only the study of medicine but also the practice of medicine shaping early Western methods
and techniques. It can be said that not only did Islam impact Western Europe politically; but the cultural and
architectural contributions were significant and long lasting as well.

29. What is the Koran?

Answer: The holy book of Islam, codified by Uthman in 7 th century. Koran means “recitations” and refers to
the instructions or revelations the archangel Gabriel gave to Muhammad in 610 CE. Muhammad was
instructed to “recite in the name of Allah.” The Koran is composed of 114 surahs or chapters divided into
verses.

30. The Arab proverb, “Purity of writing is purity of soul,” describes calligraphy within the Islam world. Briefly
explain the phrase, “Purity of writing” in terms of Islamic art.

Answer: Calligraphy is ornamental writing, the dictates of Islam would require the most beautiful script used
in reproducing the words of the Koran. The relationship between calligraphy and the Koran is very close,
hence the practice of calligraphy was thought to be a holy task and required long hours of training. With the
prohibition of human figural representation, the calligrapher had to refine and stylize the script, creating an
elegant, curving, flowing script. This script enhanced the words from the Koran even more, like their
counterparts in the medieval West, these artists created texts that reflected the glory of Allah.

31. How does the Great Mosque of Damascus “owe much to the architecture of the Greco-Roman and Early
Christian East”?

Answer: It is constructed from masonry blocks, columns, and capitals salvaged from the remains of Roman
and Early Christian structures in the area. Roman precinct walls form part of the foundation of the mosque.
The courtyard of the mosque has pier arcades reminiscent of Roman aqueducts. The minarets are
modifications of Roman square towers. The entrance façade has a pediment suggestive of both Roman and
Byzantine models. The mosque is basically a synthesis of the architectural elements taken from these cultures.

32. What is arabesque and how does it relate to Islamic decoration?

Answer: It is an abstract, complex pattern that covers the entire surface. It offers an ornamental system of
unlimited growth as it permits the design to extend on and on in any direction. It is only bounded by the size
of the object itself. The design, however, has no limits; it allows Islamic decoration to be fully realized on any
object, no matter size or purpose.

33. What was the purpose of the rural palaces of the Umayyads of Damascus? How did these palaces serve the
political motivations of the Umayyads?

Answer: These palaces served as the nuclei for the development of agriculture in newly acquired territories.
The palaces provided protection and privacy for the Umayyads. Part of the palace complex had a mosque,
which allowed for devotional obligations to be fulfilled. An audience hall and bathing facilities were also
included in the complex. These palaces were symbols of the power and might as well as the wealth of the
Umayyads.

34. How did the city plan of 8th century Baghdad reflect Islamic power and culture?

Answer: The city became the new capital of the Islamic world with the overthrow of the Umayyad
government by the Abbasids. In accordance with a new dynasty, the Abbasids relocated the capital. The city
was round in plan and was laid out according to a favorable astrological forecast. The shape of the city itself

388
 placed it at the center of the universe, the ruler’s palace was located in the center of the city and oriented
according to the four compass points. This city was conceived as the hub of the Islamic universe and it became
the hub of that universe, flourishing as a significant power and culture.

35. Briefly describe the Abbasid contributions to Islamic culture.

Answer: They lavished their wealth on art, literature, and science. They commissioned translations of
numerous Greek texts, which were reintroduced in the Medieval West as Arabic translations. They were
builders on a grand scale; their courts were highly regarded and well recognized. They even established
diplomatic relations with the court of Charlemagne.

36. Why were monumental tombs virtually unknown in the early Islamic period and how did this change?

Answer: Muhammad objected to elaborate burials, he instructed his followers to bury him in an unmarked
grave. Later the Prophet’s resting place in Medina was enclosed by a wooden screen and covered with a dome.
By the 9th century dynastic mausoleums were being constructed, forcefully reminding the viewer of the
presence of Islamic power.

37. Briefly describe the Saminid mausoleum and its contribution to Islamic architecture.

Answer: It is a brick construction in cube shape with slightly slopping sides and topped by a dome. The bricks
are shaped to create a pattern on the wall surfaces, both exterior and interior walls. The corners have engaged
columns made from the bricks and there is a brick blind arcade running around all four sides of the building.
This shape, a dome-on-cube, was used for funerary architecture for succeeding generations.

38. How does the decorative design of the Toul Cathedral silk fragment differ from the architectural decorative
design of mosques? How did it come to Toul Cathedral?

Answer: It is thought this fragment survived because of its association with the relics of St. Amon, housed in
Toul Cathedral. This silk may have been used to wrap the relics when they were sent to France. The design
motif is zoomorphic, confronting lions flanking a palm tree. This type of decorative motif would never be part
of the vocabulary for mosque decorative design. Mosque decorative design prohibits any kind of fauna to be
incorporated into the surface design. However this type of motif could be used in the private household.
Muhammad frowned on its use for curtains; but he did not object to cushions having this motif.

39. Describe the Alhambra and its impact on the West.

Answer: It is a huge palace-fortress located in the city of Granada, Spain. By the end of the 14 th century, the
Alhambra became a city within a city. It housed multiple royal residences and presented a vivid picture of the
opulent life-style of the Nasrids. It was the last significant bastion of Muslim power in Europe. When Isabella
and Ferdinand finally expelled the Nasrids and Muslim power from Spain, the Alhambra was the trophy
commemorating the triumph of Isabella and Ferdinand.

40. How did the Mongols impact Islamic art?

Answer: By the mid-13th century the Mongols conquered much of the eastern Islamic world. They were truly a
formidable military power; their incursions and conquests caused the seat of Islamic power, centered in
Baghdad, to be relocated to Egypt. They held sway in the east and the new lords of Islamic power became the
Mamluks and Cairo was now the capital of the Islamic world. The Mamluks portrayed the Mongols vividly.
The St. Louis basin presents such an image, the Mongols as enemies and the Mamluks as hunters.

41. How does the label, “Sinan the Great,” describe the architect and his work?

Answer: He was born a Christian and converted to Islam. While in the Ottoman army he was trained in
engineering and the art of building. His talent was quickly recognized and put into the service of the empire
working on both sacred and secular building projects. He desired to equal if not surpass the grandeur of the

389
 Hagia Sophia. He sought to unify a great interior space in the same way the Hagia Sophia was unified, his
search culminated with the Mosque of Selim II. It is clear and logical, the height, width, and mass are related
to one another in a simple 1:2 ratio. It is n effective interpretation of geometric volumes, thus earning the
sobriquet, “Sinan the Great”.

SAMPLE ESSAY QUESTIONS

42. Discuss the effects the religious beliefs and practices of Islam had on the art of the Mediterranean and the
Middle East. Use examples to support your essay.

Answer: found throughout the text.

43. Compare and contrast the “shared” heritage of the Christian West and the Christian East with Islamic culture.
Consider the motifs borrowed and adapted to fit within the tenets of Islam. How were they modified to
illustrate this new religion and political ambitions of subsequent generations? Use examples to support your
essay.

Answer: found throughout the text.

44. Evaluate the development of the mosque and identify its significant architectural traits. How does it relate to
the worship of the faith? How does it reflect the political change initiated by Islam? Use examples to support
your essay.
Answer: pages 261-262, 264-269 and 272-277.

45. Compare and contrast the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem with the Mosque of Selim II in Edirne. What are
the differences? How do you account for them? Include in your essay the political overtones as well Western
artistic influences. Use examples to support your essay.

Answer: pages 262-265, and 273-275.

46. Compare and contrast the luxury arts of Islam. How do they respond to their respective creating cultures?
What are the political overtones found in the work? How did these luxury arts influence the West? Use
examples to support your essay.

Answer: pages 270-271 and 278-282.

47. Compare and contrast the Umayyad desert palace in Mshatta with the Nasrid palace in Granada. What are the
differences? How do you account for them? Include in your essay the political overtones. Use examples to
support your essay.

Answer: pages 266 and 271-272.

48. Evaluate the work of Sinan. Consider his training and what effect, if any, this had on his work. Include his
knowledge of the Christian West and its artists and architects as well as his knowledge of Byzantium. Use
examples to support your essay.

Answer: pages 274-275.

49. Compare and contrast the Mausoleum of the Saminids in Bukhara and the Madrasa-Mausoleum Complex of
Sultan Hasan. How does each structure reflect not only its period but also its culture? Include in your essay
the political overtones as well as any other artistic influences. Use examples to support your essay.

Answer: pages 268 and 273-274.

390
50. Explain calligraphy as an art form, both as the written word and pure decoration and pattern. How does it
express the nature of Islam as a religion? How does it express the political and artistic needs of Islam? Use
examples to support your essay.

Answer: pages 261-262, 263, 271, and 277-279.

51. Compare and contrast the Great Mosque in Córdoba with the Great Mosque in Isfahan. What are the stylistic
differences and how does each mosque reflect its period?

Answer: pages 261-262, 263, 265, 268-269 and 275-276.

SLIDE IDENTIFICATION

52. (Figure 10–5)

a. Mosque at Córdoba
b. Great Mosque at Damascus
c. Madrasa of Sultan Hasan
d. Great Mosque at Isfahan

Answer: b

53. (Figure 10–3)

a. Hall of Two Sisters
b. Shahi (Imam) Mosque
c. Palace at Mshatta
d. Dome of the Rock

Answer: d

54. (Figure 10–17)

a. Spain
b. Iran
c. Turkey
d. Iraq

Answer: a

55. (Figure 10–6)

a. Madrasa of Sultan Hasan
b. Dome of the Rock
c. Mosque of Selim II, Edirne
d. Palace at Mshatta

Answer: d

56. (Figure 10–21)

a. Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem
b. Palace at Mshatta, Jordan
c. Mosque of Selim II, Edirne
d. Great Mosque at Damascus

Answer: c

57. (Figure 10–7)

a. Palace at Mshatta

391
 b. Mosque of Selim II, Edirne
c. Mausoleum of the Saminids
d. Mosque at Córdoba

Answer: a

58. (Figure 10–20)

a. Mosque of Sultan Hasan
b. Mosque at Córdoba
c. Great Mosque at Damascus
d. Mosque of Selim II, Edirne

Answer: d

59. (Figure 10–12)

a. muezzin
b. minaret
c. maqsura
d. minbar

Answer: c

60. (Figure 10–7)

a. Córdoba
b. Tunisia
c. Cairo
d. Granada

Answer: b

61. (Figure 10–31)

a. gold
b. silver
c. brass
d. niello

Answer: c

62. (Figure 10–10)

a. mosque
b. madrasa
c. palace
d. mausoleum

Answer: d

63. (Figure 10–4)

a. Great Mosque at Damascus
b. Great Mosque at Córdoba
c. Great Mosque at Samarra
d. Great Mosque at Isfahan

Answer: a

64. (Figure 10–25)

a. tile

392
 b. brick
c. copper tablets
d. painted stucco

Answer: a

65. (Figure 10–11)

a. prayer hall at Kairouan
b. prayer hall at Damascus
c. prayer hall at Córdoba
d. prayer hall at Samarra

Answer: c

SLIDE QUESTIONS

66. How are these images alike?

Answer: Mihrab, Isfahan, Iran (Figure 10–25) and Koran page, al-Kahf (The Cave) Figure 10-16). In the
Mihrab, the use of ornament combining abstract geometric and organic patterns with calligraphy creates a
visually rich surface and exemplifies the union between the calligrapher’s art and arabesque ornament. The
page from the Koran, the second image, illustrates calligraphy in its purest form as text. The calligraphy is
angular and flowing, it stands alone, distinct and elegant, different yet similar to the mihrab.

67. Compare and contrast these two buildings. How do they reflect their respective periods?

Answer: Great Mosque, Damascus, Syria (Figure 10–5), and the Mosque of Selim II, Edirne (Figure 10–20).
The Great Mosque is a place of worship; however, the mosque is reminiscent of the previous cultures, which
lived in this area prior to the advent of Islam. The prayer hall faces in a great open courtyard. The entrance is
tall and harkens back to the Roman temple and Byzantine church. The façade’s upper arcade resembles a
Roman aqueduct, yet it conforms to both the public, collective act of worship and the private act of worship.
The Mosque of Selim II is another place of worship that mirrors the history of the area. It is reminiscent of the
great Byzantine church Hagia Sophia. This mosque is a fusion of an octagon with a dome-covered square.
Both structures conform to the obligation of worship as set forth by Islam. Both structures have merged the
previous architectural vocabularies and have adapted them into a distinctive Islamic vocabulary. They each
present the theme of Islamic power and religious fervor.

68. What influences can be seen in each of these images?

Answer: Interior, Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem (Figure 10–3) and Prayer Hall, Great Mosque Cordoba,
(Figure 10-11). Each building shows a Western inheritance. The Dome of the Rock interior with its rich
mosaic ornament resembles the mausoleum of Sta. Costanza in Rome and the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It
also shows an affinity with San Vitale in Ravenna. The Dome of the Rock is a member of that family of
buildings, the domed octagon that had a long architectural history. The Prayer Hall interior echoes Rome as
well as the Visigoths, who were in Spain and North Africa. The columns and horseshoe arches are realizations
of these influences.

69. How do these two images reflect the Islamic love of decoration?

Answer: Mausoleum of the Saminids, Bukhara (Figure 10–10) and Sulayman Ewer (Figure 10-15). Both
images show the ready adaptability and flexibility of Islamic surface design. The vocabulary is rich and
independent, the “carriers”, mausoleum and ewer; illustrate the rhythm the artist was able to achieve in surface
design.

70. How are these objects unique and how do they conform to the Islamic prohibition against figuration?

393
 Answer: Sulayman Ewer (Figure 10-15) and Canteen, Syria (Holy Land souvenir) (Figure 10-31). The ewer
has holes in the eyes and beak for pouring liquid and because it has these holes it became a functional object
rather than a piece of sculpture. It is utilitarian yet rich in a patterned surface design. The canteen was
produced for a Christian patron and as such the figuration does not conflict with Islamic tradition. The
Christian iconography is clear and still the artist included the surface decoration. It is rich and reverberates
with the Islamic love of rich design.

71. How are these two structures politically motivated?

Answer: Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem (Figure 10–2) and Malwiya Minaret, Great Mosque, Samarra (figure
10-9). The placement of the Dome of the Rock on a site that had deep religious significance for both the Jews
and Christians of Jerusalem make a strong political statement. The Muslim conquest of the city of Jerusalem is
further emphasized by the size of the Dome. It dominates the skyline and the area, thus indirectly emphasizing
the dominance of Islam in the Middle East. The monumentality of the Malwiya minaret makes a strong visual
statement on the strength of Islam and its purpose in settling the area. It visually emphasizes the power of
Islam.

394