A new method to analyse mosaics based on Symmetry Group theory applied to Islamic Geometric Patterns

[EN] This article presents a new method for analysing mosaics based on the mathematical principles of Symmetry Groups. This method has been developed to get the understanding present in patterns by extracting the objects that form them, their lattice, and the Wallpaper Group. The main novelty of this method resides in the creation of a higher level of knowledge based on objects, which makes it possible to classify the objects, to extract their main features (Point Group, principal axes, etc.), and the relationships between them. In order to validate the method, several tests were carried out on a set of Islamic Geometric Patterns from different sources, for which the Wallpaper Group has been successfully obtained in 85% of the cases. This method can be applied to any kind of pattern that presents a Wallpaper Group. Possible applications of this computational method include pattern classification, cataloguing of ceramic coatings, creating databases of decorative patterns, creating pattern designs, pattern comparison between different cultures, tile cataloguing, and so on.The authors wish to thank the Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife (Granada, Spain) and the Patronato del Real Alcázar de Sevilla (Seville, Spain) for their valuable collaboration in this research work.Albert Gil, FE.; Gomis Martí, JM.; Blasco, J.; Valiente González, JM.; Aleixos Borrás, MN. (2015). A new method to analyse mosaics based on Symmetry Group theory applied to Islamic Geometric Patterns. Computer Vision and Image Understanding. 130:54-70. doi:10.1016/j.cviu.2014.09.002S547013

An Islamicate History of the Alcazar of Seville: Mudejar Architecture and Andalusi Shared Culture (1252-1369 CE)

At the height of the Reconquista c. 1340 CE, Christian King Alfonso XI of Castile-León constructed a new throne room to commemorate his victory over Muslim forces from neighboring Granada and North Africa. The throne room called the Sala de la Justicia (Hall of Justice) was built almost entirely in the Mudéjar style, a style that looked Islamic in nature and included inscriptions in Arabic, several referencing the Qur’an, but predominantly intended for non-Muslims. The construction of this throne room in the Alcazar of Seville, a palace built by the Muslims and later used as the royal residence for the conquering Christians, has puzzled scholars due to its clearly Islamicate design being used in a new construction by a Christian ruler against a backdrop of the Crusades and the Reconquista in Spain. Raising further questions was the construction of the Alcazar’s Mudéjar palace by Alfonso XI’s son Pedro I between 1364-1366 CE. This new construction mirrored designs in the neighboring Alhambra of Granada, a territory still controlled by Muslims, which even employed some of the same artisans. Attempts to interpret the Mudéjar designs utilized by Christians was further exacerbated by the same design style appearing in new buildings and additions by non-ruling Christians, Muslims, and Jews across al-Andalus, among them residential and religious buildings including churches and synagogues. This project re-examines these constructions through the lens of a cultural history reveal a shared culture and visual language that existed between the Castilian Christians, their Muslim antagonists and the minority populations of Christians, Muslims, and Jews living in al-Andalus over the course of several hundred years, reaching its apex in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Participation in this shared culture by members of the three confessional communities was enabled because it existed separately from any specific political or religious affiliations which would otherwise be prohibitive. In this proposed re-interpretation, a cosmopolitan Islamicate culture coexisted among residents in al-Andalus, including ruling Christians, minority Muslim or Jewish subjects, and neighboring political and religious antagonists. Ultimately, it is this shared Islamicate culture that best explains the Christian constructions in the Alcazar of Seville

Research programs on geometry and ornament : a case study of Islamicist scholarship

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1989.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 156-161).by Muhammad H. Nasri.M.S

The suburban villa (munya) and court culture in Umayyad Cordoba (756-976 CE)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2005.Includes bibliographical references (p. 218-241).As the capital of the Umayyad dynasty (r. 756 CE-1031 CE), the city of Cordoba developed into one of the most renowned urban centers of the western Mediterranean. The Great Mosque of Cordoba is the outstanding testament to the architectural activities of the dynasty, yet textual and material evidence indicates that the Great Mosque was but one facet of a broader program of Umayyad patronage. The dissertation focuses on the dynasty's secular monuments - the suburban villas (Arabic munya, p. munan) constructed around the city by the Umayyad rulers and their courtiers. It analyzes the munya as a medieval architectural, landscape, and social phenomenon. By addressing issues of function, patronage, and meaning, the dissertation utilizes Cordoban villas as a vehicle for the investigation of Umayyad court society. The dissertation is divided into two parts. Part One (Chapters I-IV) defines the architectural characteristics and agricultural functions of the munya. Part Two analyzes the social functions of the Cordoban estates as settings for Umayyad court activities, and the meanings associated with estate patronage and the Umayyad construction of a villa landscape.(cont.) The dissertation contextualizes the munya within a broader constellation of Mediterranean villas and villa culture, and argues that the munya tradition informed subsequent developments in palace architecture on the Iberian Peninsula. Cordoban villas provided significant revenue for the state and patrons, supplied the court with the luxury crops considered necessary to refined life, served as settings for court activities, and demonstrated status and power among the Umayyad ruling class. The Cordoban rulers therefore attached a strong ideological importance to the estates. With the establishment of the caliphate in the tenth century, Cordoba's fertile villa landscape became entwined with Umayyad notions of sovereignty and good governance, in which a fertile landscape was conflated with political legitimacy, a theme that is also apparent in Umayyad court literature. Thus, the dissertation demonstrates that an appreciation of the many links between the villas and the Cordoban ruling class is central to comprehending Umayyad court society.by Glaire D. Anderson.Ph.D

The role of architectural representations in the context of Islamic decoration.

The role that architectural representation plays within Islamic decoration is a subject that has been neglected and requires investigation. This study aims to address the subject of the role of architectural representation in relation to the various objects of art and architecture, their context, types and significance, and to present a comprehensive interpretation of the history and meaning of examples of architectural representation. It draws attention to the artistic splendour and sacred associations of representing architectural iconographies in Muslim art. As such, it is the first study to attribute the significance of the architectural form to the function of the art object and to interpret the meaning of its architectural forms as "signatures" of their artists. It is also the first to propose the relationship between the significance of the architectural representation, the artistic techniques and methods used in its representation within the corpus of Muslim art. The fields of examination are divided into two areas: architectural iconographies on architecture and on art objects. In volume one, the brief general introduction summarizes the present state of research, discusses the source and explains the chosen approach to the material. The three following chapters deal with the significance of architectural representation in Muslim art. Chapters one and two outline the cultural, religious, and social origins of the architectural representation on architecture and on art objects, and discuss the various interpretations of its significance. The artistic structure of the architectural forms and its contribution to the meaning and significance of the architectural representation are then examined in chapter three. In volume two, the photographic material of the thesis is assembled containing colour and black and white photographs