islam and africa

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