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Islamic Art
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In the religion of Islam it is forbidden to draw pictures of anything that might be worshipped instead of Allah (the Arabic word for God).  Living things, including humans and animals are almost always avoided, although plants are often drawn. 

The essentials of Islamic art

  • Includes all Muslim art, not just explicitly religious art
  • Islamic art seeks to portray the meaning and essence of things, rather than just their physical form
  • Crafts and decorative arts are regarded as having full art status
  • Painting and sculpture are not thought of as the noblest forms of art
  • Calligraphy is a major art-form
    • Writing has high status in Islam
    • Writing is a significant decoration for objects and buildings
    • Books are a major art-form
  • Geometry and patterns are important
  • People do not appear in specifically religious art
Here are some examples of Islamic Art and links to websites where more pictures can be found.
Buildings
Calligraphy
Symmetry and Geometry


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MuslimArt.net Islamicity Website
DLTK Website


Taj
Taj Mahal
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Calligraphy

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Alhamb

The Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain
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HilalPlaza Website

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