islam and africa
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
ARTS OF ISLAM AND AFRICA
ORIGINS OF ISLAM
570 – Muhammad Born in Mecca
610 – Muhammad’s Revelation
622 – Muhammad Flees to Medina (Hijra)
632 – Muhammad Dies
ORIGINS OF ISLAM
ORIGINS OF ISLAM
ORIGINS OF ISLAM
1st Pillar of Islam: Shahada(Acceptance of God and Muhammad as his Prophet)
ORIGINS OF ISLAM
2nd Pillar of Islam: Salat(Ritual prayer 5x daily)
ORIGINS OF ISLAM
3rd Pillar of Islam: Sawm(Fasting & self control during blessed month of Ramadan)
ORIGINS OF ISLAM
4th Pillar of Islam: Zakat(Giving 2.5% of savings to poor & needy)
ORIGINS OF ISLAM
5th Pillar of Islam: Hajj(Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once)
ORIGINS OF ISLAM
• Star and Crescent symbol• Not traditionally associated with Islam
• Islam instead associated with colors black, red, white, or green
ORIGINS OF ISLAM
ORIGINS OF ISLAM
ORIGINS OF ISLAM
ORIGINS OF ISLAM
ORIGINS OF ISLAM
• Quran• Koran• Qu’ran
• Used calligraphy and intricite design instead of pictures of people/animals
BOOK ART
BOOK ART
BOOK ART
BOOK ART
BOOK ART
BOOK ART
BOOK ART
BOOK ART
BOOK ART
BOOK ART
BOOK ART
BOOK ART
DAILY LIFE
DAILY LIFE
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
Minaret – calls faithful to prayer 5x daily
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
• Mihrab – empty niche in far wall• Far wall called qibla wall
• Indicates direction of Mecca• Important because all Muslims are to face
direction of Mecca during prayer
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
• Muqarnas
MOSQUES AND PALACES
• Horseshoe arch• Also called Moorish arch
• Or Keyhole arch• Extremely common in Islamic design
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
• Iwan – large vaulted chamber whose pointed archway is set in rectangular frame with two minarets over its corners
• Iwan marks entry to a royal reception hall in Persian Palaces• One iwan on each side of a mosque’s courtyard • Iwan directly across courtyard is qibla iwan
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
• Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain• One of few surviving Islamic Palaces
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
MOSQUES AND PALACES
• Kingdom of Kush/Nubia• 3800 BC – 600 AD• Very similar to Egypt
• 2x number of pyramids in Nubia vs. Egypt
NUBIA
NUBIA
NUBIA
“Land of the Bow”
NUBIA
NUBIA
NUBIA
• 1822: Tomb of Queen Amanishakheto
• Destroyed in 1832 by treasure hunters
NUBIA
NUBIA
NUBIA
• One of few treasures recovered from Tomb of Queen Amanishakheto
• Ram’s head represents solar god Amun
NUBIA
NUBIA
NUBIA
NUBIA
NUBIA
NUBIA
Aswan Low Damn
NUBIA
Construction of Aswan High Dam
NUBIA
NUBIA
Deconstruction of Abu Simbel, 1968
NUBIA
NUBIA
NUBIA
• Dihya – Berber Queen• Great war leader
• Little actually known of her life• Witch with gift of prophecy
• Freed her people from a tyrant by marrying him then
murdering him on their wedding night
• Died in battle with sword in hand at age 127
BERBER
BERBER
BERBER
BERBER
• Great Friday Mosque, Djenne, Mali
• Built between 1200-1330
• Rebuilt in 1907 in 13th century style
• Sudano-Sahelian style
BERBER
BERBER
BERBER
BERBER
Nok art:• Oldest known terracotta statue
in Africa south of Sahara• Triangular “D-shaped” eyes• Pierced eyes, nose, mouth,
ears• Elaborate hairstyles• Flared nostrils
• Ears set back – low and small
NOK
NOK
NOK
NOK
NOK
NOK
• Empire lasted nearly 600 years• Kings of Benin viewed as sacred beings
• Each king would build an altar to his father• Ikegobo (Altar to the Hand)
• Benin Palace attacked by British in 1897• King’s son allowed to rebuild Palace in 1914
but artwork never returned• Figures often created in bronze, iron, and
ivory
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
• Queen Idia – First Queen mother of Benin• FESTAC Mask
• Future Queen mothers called Iyoba • Kings called Oba
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
BENIN
YORUBA
YORUBA
YORUBA
YORUBA
YORUBA
YORUBA
YORUBA
YORUBA
YORUBA
DOGON
DOGON
KONGO
• Nkondi • Sub-class of minkisi• Created by nganga
• Hunt down/attack witches and evil-doers• Awaken/enrage them to action by driving
nails and other pieces of iron into the figure
• Ranges in size from tiny to life size• Mirrors allowed them to see enemies approaching and look into the afterworld
KONGO
KONGO
KONGO
KONGO
KONGO
KONGO
KONGO
KONGO
KONGO
KONGO
IGBO
IGBO
IGBO
IGBO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIJ0ExRHsKo