MECCA, CAIRO, ISTANBUL, DELHI: GREAT CITIES OF ISLAM

ARTHIST 210

Why were the ancient Egyptians obsessed with building elaborate tombs? Was the Taj Mahal really a monument to love? Why do the Greeks want the Parthenon marbles returned? Was Frank Lloyd Wright "modern?" How have buildings reflected and shaped the historical forces of the modern age, from colonialism, to industrialization, to globalization? Take a journey through space and time and explore the history of the world through its great buildings. Learn to recognize, analyze, and question the dynamic interaction between culture, politics, religion, and architectural form. Perhaps more than any other visual art, architecture is alive. Buildings shapeshift over decades, centuries, millennia. They stand as both witnesses to and agents of historical change. Unpack our buildings' histories to reveal their role in our shared human story.

ARTHIST/ASIAN 379

Historical overview of the built environment of cities of Asia from antiquity to the present; architectural and urban legacy in its social and historical context; exploration of common themes that thread through the diverse geographical regions and cultures of Asia. Not open to students with credit for LCA 379 prior to Fall 2019.

ARTHIST 305

Surveys the architecture, landscape, book arts, and luxury objects produced in Islamic contexts from Spain to India from the 7th through the 21st centuries. Attention will be focused upon the relationships between Islamic visual idioms and localized religious, political, and socioeconomic circumstances. In particular, examine the vital roles played by theology, royal patronage, ceremonies, gift exchange, trade, and workshop practices in the formulation of visual traditions.

ARTHIST 413

The tenth century CE marked a period of drastic change in the Islamic world, as the unified Islamic caliphate splintered into three rival dynasties: the Sunni Iraqi Abbasids, Spanish Umayyads, and the Shi'ite Fatimids in Egypt. Consider this turning point in the history of Islamic culture through the lens of art and architectural patronage. Explore the architectural and urban projects of the three dynasties to examine competing visions of power, sources of legitimacy and the development of Cairo, Baghdad/Samarra and Cordoba as capital cities. Also consider the role of portable arts, addressing the role of exchange and gift-giving in the Mediterranean context and the problems of attribution in this highly mobile environment. Themes include the role of sectarian identity (Shi'ite vs Sunni); the incorporation of Christian and Jewish culture; the relation between the court and urban populations; and the meaning of ornament and style in Islamic art.

ARTHIST 440

Considers the use of art and architecture as an expression of power in the Arab world, from the seventh century to the present. Beginning with the establishment of the caliphate and ending with the arts of revolution following the Arab Spring, investigates the shifting role of art and architecture in the quest for political dominance. With a particular focus on the arts of Cairo, Baghdad, Cordoba, Mecca, Jerusalem, Damascus, and the modern Arabian Gulf, explore competing visions of power and sources of legitimacy, through the lens of artistic production.