Join us on this magical journey on The Silk Road -  Day 3 to be held in Cerne Abbas Village Hall, DT2 7GY  and online

Day 3 on 14th January 2025 with lecturer James Allen

Islamic Art and Architecture

10:30 - 11:30  Arabic calligraphy. The destruction wrought by Muslim fundamentalists is only one side of Islam, and Islamic art is outstanding for its serenity, its elegance, and its beauty. Lectures 1 and 2 introduce Islamic art through its three most widely appreciated strands. In the first lecture we shall look at the art of Arabic calligraphy, the supreme art of the Islamic world. Don’t worry, you do not have to know Arabic to enjoy it and appreciate its beauty! The lecture will teach the basic elements of the Arabic script and illustrate many of the styles of calligraphy which developed in different parts of the Islamic world. It will also draw attention to the role of Arabic calligraphy in Middle Eastern politics today.

11:30 - 12:00 Coffee break

12:00 - 13:00.  Geometry, the Arabesque and Figural Art, looking at geometry and the arabesque, following the latter into the range of floral designs current in later Islamic art. We shall see too how geometry and the arabesque combine to make highly intricate, but deeply satisfying, designs in a range of media. There is another element to Islamic art, however, figural art. It is mistakenly believed, both by Muslims and non-Muslims, that Islamic art is non-representational. We shall explore Islamic art’s figural side, and show how widespread figural art really is, even, most surprisingly, in some religious settings, highlighting sectarian divides in the Islamic world.

13:00 - 14:00 - Lunch

14:00 - 15:00 Domes and Minarets: Mosques of the Islamic world. Images of Romanesque or Gothic cathedral architecture may linger in our memories, but many of us would be pressed to describe a typical mosque. We shall look at three of the most important forms, typified by the Friday Mosque in Cordova (now the Cathedral), the Mosque of Suleyman the Magnificent in Istanbul, and the Royal Mosque in Isfahan. The lecture explores their different styles, and the minarets and domes that enhance their skylines, and illustrates the rich designs, whether in mosaic, tile, or other media, that adorn these buildings. It also asks whether sectarian differences between Sunni and Shia belief affect mosque design.

Fee: £35 with coffee & tea, buffet lunch with wine and soft drinks

Fee online: £20

For further information, please email Christopher on wessexconnectedevents@gmail.com