2017-18 Academic Catalog

This course investigates the origins and development of Islamic art and architecture from the seventh to the sixteenth centuries, with a particular focus on the Mediterranean basin. Under Muslim rule, patrons and artists produced a distinctive and sophisticated visual culture in religious and secular contexts. Topics to be addressed include the expression of cultural and religious identity through visual arts; palace architecture and Islamic court culture; the development of sacred spaces; and cross-cultural exchange with the Byzantine Empire and the Christian west through trade, travel, and at specific sites such as Islamic Spain, Norman Sicily, and Crusader Palestine. Prerequisite: One Art History course or instructor permission