The Rise of Islamic Art: Transforming the Classical Heritage (500-750) (U03975)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : ACE-4-ACE

Coming from a predominantly nomadic culture, the Arabs came to have, within a century of the Muslim conquests, an achieved material culture. This course explores the astonishing rise and growth of Islamic art in this period, with a focus on the first great Muslim dynasty, the Umayyads. It investigates, among other themes, religious and palatial architecture, the urban fabric of the Near-East, early Muslim painting and the emergence of Arabic calligraphy. The material evidence and related texts will be studied in a broad historical continuum which stretches from late Antiquity to early Islam. We will thereby engage in a reflection about the roots of Islamic civilisation and the fluidity of religious boundaries in this period.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : A pass in either History of Art 2 or Architectural History 2a and 2b

Subject Areas

Home subject area

History of Art, (School of Arts, Culture and Environment, Schedule A)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
08/01/2008	14:00	15:50

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Tutorial	Tuesday	14:00	15:50	Central

? Additional Class Information : There are two seminars held on Tuesdays at 1400 to 1550 and 1610 to 1800. Students will be required to attend one of these.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will gain a thorough knowledge of early Islamic art, its historical context and origins. The course will be encourage them to use a multidiscplinary approach and hold a critical stance towards the printed word. It will also illustrate how, through the lens of material culture, one can approach a civilisation’s deeper layers of meaning.