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CHAPTER NINE
ISLAMIC ART
9
Multiple Choice
1. The Muslim place of worship is called the
A. cathedral.
B. basilica.
C. mosque.
D. temple.
2. A key feature distinguishing the Dome of the Rock from Early Christian and Byzantine
buildings is
A. the central-plan structure.
B. the decorated exterior.
C. the use of glass mosaic.
D. the use of abstract imagery.
3. The wall of the prayer hall that is closest to Mecca is called the
A. qibla.
B. hypostyle.
C. surah.
D. mihrab.
4. How do the mosaics in the central dome of the Great Mosque of Cordoba (Fig. 9-9)
demonstrate cultural and artistic exchange in the medieval period?
A. Just as with Christian churches, they probably symbolize a celestial canopy.
B. They were installed by a Byzantine master sent by the emperor in Constantinople.
C. The imagery was appropriated from pagan and Christian sources.
D. The melon-shaped, ribbed dome was adopted from Roman temples.
5. Which of the following is commonly used as a decorative element in Islamic architecture?
A. fire
B. sand
C. water
D. sky
6. Which culture invaded and caused a dramatic rift in the Central and Eastern Islamic worlds?
A. Mongols
B. Visigoths
C. Crusaders
D. Umayyads
7. Sinan’s crowning achievement as an architect was the
A. Hall of the Abencerrajes.
B. madrasa-mausoleum-mosque.
C. Mosque of Sultan Selim.
D. Court of the Lions.
8. How is Islamic religious belief reflected in the art of calligraphy?
A. Reverence for the Qur’an and for writing extends the word of God.
B. The written word promotes literacy and intellectual development.
C. Calligraphy serves as a common visual language uniting the Muslim community.
D. The variety of cursive scripts reflects the diversity of Islamic culture.
9. The Islamic Mosque and Cultural Center in Rome reconciles Islamic cultural identity with
A. literacy.
B. classicism.
C. Christianity.
D. modernity.
10. Figural imagery is most common in what type of Islamic art?
A. illuminated pages of the Qur’an
B. palaces and manuscripts
C. glass mosaics
D. architectural ornament
11. What is a notable difference between the design of the Mosque of Sultan Selim (Fig. 9-26)
and the church on which it was modeled, Hagia Sophia?
A. There are no windows at the base of the dome.
B. There is no longitudinal pull toward the apse.
C. The structure employs the horseshoe arches characteristic of Islamic buildings.
D. The ornamental use of muqarnas obscure the dome’s physical structure.
12. In Sultan Muhammad’s The “Court of Gayumars” (Fig. 9-30), the king elevated above a
mountaintop is surrounded by
A. the prophet Muhammad and his family.
B. members of his family and court.
C. the artist’s self-portrait.
D. geometric designs.
13. Under the Ottoman rulers, what were used on coins, seals, buildings, and imperial edicts that
supplemented Muslim law to denote the sultan’s authority?
A. firmans
B. barakas
C. tiraz
D. tugras
14. Because they were shared by multiple readers simultaneously, early Qur’an manuscripts
A. had only three to five lines per page.
B. were vertically oriented.
C. employed naskhi script.
D. were large and elaborately decorated.
15. “Lusterware” refers to a technique used to make ceramic surfaces resemble
A. glass.
B. metal.
C. enamel.
D. porcelain.
16. What language serves as a powerful unifying force within Islam?
A. English
B. Latin
C. Arabic
D. Farsi
17. What decorative feature of the minbar (Fig. 9-10) from the Kutubiya Mosque in Marrakesh
reflects its original architectural surroundings?
A. the stair risers
B. the inlaid ivory
C. the wooden panels
D. the ablaq strapwork
18. Which device is used to divide the garden in the Court of the Lions (Fig. 9-20)?
A. four-iwan mosque
B. garden carpet
C. cross-axial walkways
D. joggled voussoirs
19. Which word means “submission to God’s will”?
A. Qur’an
B. Maqamat
C. Torah
D. Islam
20. The huge tower from which the faithful are called to pray is called a
A. minaret.
B. mihrab.
C. qibla.
D. masjid.
21. What is a blocky, angular formal script that may have developed first for carved or woven
inscriptions?
A. Minbar
B. Tugras
C. Kufic
D. Qibla
22. What kind of arch has flat sides and slopes where other arches are curved?
A. horseshoe
B. keel
C. semicircular
D. muqarnas
23. In the citadel of buildings in the Alhambra, the windows that frame specifically intentioned
views are called
A. muqarnas.
B. iwans.
C. miradors.
D. masjids.
24. What does the Mina’i Bowl with Bahram Gur and Azada (Fig. 9-14) represent?
A. interest in ancient customs
B. establishment of new laws
C. religious devotion
D. prowess in love and hunting
25. In the Lusterware Jar (Fig. 9-13), what makes the figures enigmatic?
A. their posture
B. the reflective luster
C. the surrounding inscriptions
D. their hoods
Short Answer
1. What is the difference between a Shi’ite Muslim and a Sunni Muslim?
2. Why did the use of Muslim tombs increase after the eleventh century?
3. How does the Masjid-i Shah of Isfahan display aesthetic continuity?
4. Why is the madrasa-mausoleum-mosque in Cairo a public display of piety, personal wealth,
and status?
5. What are the Five Pillars of Islam?
6. What attributes make the Alhambra so beautiful?
7. In the mid-twelfth century, what prompted the use of brass for inlaid work?
8. How do Muslim manuscript pages resemble carpets, and why?
9. What artistic formats did artists of the Herat School study?
10. What were tugras and what purpose did they serve?
Essay
1. How does Islamic art synthesize a broad range of cultural traditions with its own stylistic
concerns?
2. How do secular objects reflect the aesthetic and religious traditions of Islamic culture?
3. How does Islamic architecture reflect Muslim beliefs and religious practice?
4. Discuss the style, composition, and content of The Maqamat of Al-Hariri (Fig. 9-1).
5. Compare and contrast the Plan of the Great Mosque, Cordoba (Fig. 9-8) and the Plan of the
Sultan Hasan Madrasa-Mausoleum-Mosque Complex, Cairo (Fig. 9-15).
