Early Islamic Art and Architecture

By: Joshua Rosenthal

Art in General
Early Islamic art is known for being nonfigurative (not depicting humans) and containing a lot of Arabic script. It is very similar to Byzantinian and Sassanian art. Religious figures were not be depicted. Umayyadian art was heavily influenced by Jewish and Christian art.

Modes of Decoration
Vines, grape leaves, and rosettes were very common in woodwork. Walls were often decorated with glass mosaics.

Early Islamic mosaic: Notice that the entire piece is symmetrical.

Early Islamic Woodwork: In it, one can clearly see patterns of vines and grape leaves.

Pottery
There were two main categories of pottery: Palace Ware (also known as Coptic Glazed Ware) and Khirbet al-Mafjar Ware. Most early pottery was not glazed. As time went on, different color glazes as well as simple geometric designs were used. Later in the Early Islamic Period, more elaborate designs were used.

Palace Ware
Only a small amount of these have been recovered. Decorated with black floral, zoological, and geometric themes. Some of these vessels have been found in Byzantine-period buildings.

This vessel is a classic example of Palace Ware. Its painted black and has geometrical themes.

Khirbet al-Mafjar Ware

First appeared in the eighth century. Had buff color (yellow-brown). Had geometric and floral patterns.

Coins (Arab-Byzantine)
These were based off of Byzantinian coins. Coins minted by Justin II in the late Byzantine period were used as prototypes for Early Islamic coins. Sassanian patterns and Persion script were also used. Often depicted anthropomorphic designs. Most coins had the letter "M" on the back, which was there to state the coin's value. These coins had the Roman name for Jerusalem (Iliya) printed on them.

All three examples above have similar designs with the letter M on the back.

Coins (Post-Reform)
Coins changed around the year 692CE, when 'Abd alMalik ruled. A new unified system was created based on three main coin types: The dinar (gold), the dirham (silver) and the fals (copper). The early designs and symbols were replaced with Arabic inscriptions, the dominant being the first part of the shahada: There is no God but Allah.

Original designs were replaced with Arabic inscriptions.

Glass
Glass was both free blown and blown into molds. There were two main categories of glass: Proto-Islamic and AbbasidPeriod).

Glass (proto-Islamic)
In the Early-Islamic period, glass was made using the same methods as Roman-Byzantine glass. It is therefore hard to tell the difference between glass vessels from the two periods.

Pre-Abassid and Abbasid-Period)

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In the eighth century CE, Egyptian artisans discovered how to stain glass with metallic stains. This became the most prominent characteristic of Early-Islamic glass in the Near East. From the ninth century on (AbbasidPeriod), the decoration of glass was influenced by the Sassanian craftsmen. Glass was decorated either in relief or in cold-cutting techniques, applied on monochrome or colorless glass, or on vessels made of two layers of differentcolored glass to create a cameo effect.

Glass vessel from the Abbassid-Period

Glass Finds
Very few complete glass vessels have been found due to the fact that the dead weren't buried with their goods. Glass vessels have been found in Zippori, Khirbet al-Minya, Khirbet al-Mafjar, Bet Shean, Tiberias, Caesarea and Ramla, as well as in Jerusalem. Many vessels that have been found were discovered in Umayyad palaces.

Dome of the Rock

Constructed on the Temple Mount around the foundation stone. Built by Abd al-Malik. Completed in 691 CE. We know of its years of construction and it's builder because of an inscription that reads "Hath built this dome the servant of Allah Abdallah the Imam Al-Mamuncommander of the faithful dal malik c [] in the year two and seventyAllah accept of him." The building is constructed in an octagonal shape around the rock. A golden dome encloses the building. The building is accessed by means of four entranceways, facing the four cardinal points in the external octagon.

Exterior of the Dome of the Rock

Interior of the Dome of the Rock

Basic Layout of the Dome of the Rock

Notice that on the inside of the intermediate octagon is a central circle around the rock. Also, note that there are four entrances.

Decoration of the Dome of the Rock

The motifs of the designs derive from classical-Byzantine and Sassanian traditions. This references Islam's victory over its neighbors. Although several changes and modifications have been made to the building, it remains very similar to its original state. The walls of both the interior and exterior were covered with glass mosaics.

Mosaics
Mosaics covered the interior and exterior walls. Most mosaics on the exterior were destroyed over time. The exterior of the intermediate octagon was decorated in a floral design, derived from the Sassanian tradition. It's primary colors consist of blue, green, and gold. There is also some red, brown, and white. Above these mosaics are inscribed passages from the Qur`an. The interior of the intermediate octagon had very similar designs and used the same colors as the exterior of the intermediate octagon. The exterior of the central circle was decorated with scroll motifs grouped symmetrically. The interior of the central circle was covered with marble panels. Examples of mosaics on the exterior of the dome. Note how the primary colors consist of blue, green, and gold.

Marble Decorations
The marble columns were of the same design as the ones constructed during the Second-Temple period. Marble panels had originally covered both the interior and exterior walls. The veins of these panels created patterns. Most of the exterior panels had been destroyed, but later repaired during the Ottoman period.

Columns found in and around the dome were very similar to those constructed during the Second-Temple period.

Marble panels were placed around both the interior and the exterior of the Dome of the Rock