What does it mean for art to be “Islamic?” Does the term denote that it is religious, or made in a Muslim society, or by a Muslim artist? Could it be all of these or none? Islamic art, difficult as it is to define, presents a far more encompassing field than most people might expect. This section illuminates the most common themes found in Islamic art.
Early Islamic art and architecture borrowed heavily from pre-Islamic visual traditions, as well as neighboring polities such as the Byzantine Empire. In short order, however, Islamic art blossomed into its own distinctive category based on the needs and preferences of thriving Muslim communities.
The written word in Islamic art holds great significance. This is due in part to the holy Qur’an and the message revealed within. But it is also partly due to the malleability of the Arabic script, which lends itself quite well to decorative experimentation.
From the very beginning, Islamic rulers understood the value of patronizing building arts to directly mark the presence of Islam and indirectly amplify their own legitimacy. Mosque architecture was at the heart of all construction activity.
As the dominions of each successive Islamic dynasty expanded, modes of courtly conduct and communication developed into rigid rituals to elevate the image of the sovereign. Often these rituals were closely associated with the space within which they were expressed and with objects that conveyed the ideological bent of the current ruler.
Pre-Islamic Bedouin Arabs engaged in commerce with the Persian Sassanid and Byzantine regions, setting up a foundation for a fruitful rise in diplomacy and trade as Islam expanded across political, economic, and geographic borders.