080044 PS Fallstudie II/III: From the Arabian Peninsula to the World: (m./au.K.) (2015S)

Content:
The course aims at illustrating the rise of Islamic art in the early centuries after the revelation of the Quran to the prophet Muhammad. Early Islamic art was articulated by reshuffling in a creative way elements coming from the Arabian Peninsula and by the lands Muslims conquered in the early stage of their history. Both late antique Byzantine and late antique Sasanian art offered forms, models and iconographies that were taken by Muslims in order to construct their own specific artistic culture. At the same time, the course places the rise of Islam within its historical context and especially highlights the material culture of the Arabian Peninsula before Islam. Students are introduced to the artistic and architectural endeavours of early Muslims as well as to some historiographical issues related to the rise of Islam. The course looks at how early Muslims organized their places of worship and places of pilgrimage as well as at the artistic production at the court of the early caliphs. Topics such as the attitude of early Muslims towards figurative art, the trade of luxury goods with China, and a glimpse on the artistic production of non-Muslims under the early Islamic rule are also included.