İznik is a town in northwestern Turkey, renowned for its Ottoman-era hand painted ceramics & tiles.
İznik tiles decorated walls of shrines, mosques & palaces.
For #TilesOnTuesday here are 24 exquisite examples in museums & collections across the world…
A thread…
1/ Two Iznik Tiles with Continuous Floral Pattern
Ottoman dynasty (1299–1923), c.1560
Pattern typical of the ‘saz style’ a term that derives from the words saz kalem, or “reed pen.” The style developed in album drawings in black ink during second half of 16thc.
Decorated with confronted parrots framed by a dense border of flowers. The emerald green was used for the first time in 1566/7 on the tiles of the mausoleum of Suleyman the Magnificent
10/ Iznik tile, Turkey (Iznik), late 16th century Ottoman
Square glazed grey earthenware tile decorated in polychrome with a design of a pheasant perched on a flowering tree, within a lobed panel with arabesques at the corners
24/ Recently, this highly rare Iznik tile circa 1575, depicting the birds of paradise, sparked a bidding battle to bring £655,200, more than six times its pre-sale estimate @Sothebys
The Taj Mahal, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World is in Agra, India. A symbol of love, it was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, as well as his own tomb too.
1/ The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for being "the jewel of Muslim art in India & one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage". It is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture
2/ A labour force of about 20,000 workers were recruited to build the Taj Mahal. There was also a creative unit of 37 men employed including sculptors from Bukhara, calligraphers from Syria & Persia, inlayers from southern India & Stone cutters from Baluchistan…
Muqarnas is an ornamentation element applied in Islamic architecture. It fills the inner parts of semi-domes with its honeycomb shape. Historically, muqarnas grew in their decorative use in the 12th century during Islam's golden age
Here are 20 extraordinary examples
A thread…
1/ Exquisite mirrored Muqarnas at Al-Askari Mosque, Samarra, Salah al-Din Governorate, Northern Iraq
2/ Astounding geometric Muqarnas details at Imamzadeh Jafar, Iran
A thread on @_Muratpalta Ottoman miniature take on movies…
1/ Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, Ottoman Miniature Style @_Muratpalta
A 1971 fantasy film which tells the story of a poor child named Charlie Bucket who, after finding a Golden Ticket in a chocolate bar, visits Willy Wonka's chocolate factory with four other children
As you probably guessed, this work depicts the final moments of Scarface (1983), where Tony Montana takes revenge on a team of assassins who have infiltrated his lavish compound
Eid al-Fitr translates as "the festival of the breaking of the fast" & marks the end of Ramadan. On Eid, many Muslims attend the mosque for Eid prayer.
To celebrate #EidAlFitr here are 24 exquisite domes & minarets, adorning mosques across the world #EidMubarak
A thread…
1/ Green Mosque, Turpan, China
Located in the center of the XinJiang province in an area known as the "Turpan Depression", the lowest & hottest place in China.
This a close up of the entrance and two central minarets to 'the green mosque' #EidMubarak#EidUlFitr
2/ Putra Mosque (Pink Mosque), Malaysia
Construction of the mosque began in 1997 and was completed two years later. The pink-domed Mosque is constructed with rose-tinted granite. The mosque can accommodate 15,000 worshippers #EidMubarak#EidUlFitr
Friday is the holy day for Muslims, and Fridays in Ramadan are especially important. Muslims gather for congregational prayer (Jum’ah) in Mosques.
To celebrate the last Friday in Ramadan, here are 10 contemporary artists illustrating & painting Islamic architecture…
A thread…
1/ Canadian artist @salwanajmart is a contemporary realist & calligraphy painter.
With a strong admiration of Islamic history & architecture, her detailed & colorful paintings pay homage to the most magnificent mosques built throughout the centuries…
2/ Fascinated with Islamic architecture & changing cityscapes, Turkish artist @afaruk_yilmaz is known for his iconic drawings, contrasting heritage from the past with modern buildings in his detailed colourful illustrations