Historically, artists have been inspired by the Hajj pilgrimage. Their artworks are beautiful visual representations of Hajj, creating spiritual connections.
To celebrate Hajj, here are 20 contemporary artists perspectives on the Holy Kaaba #Hajj1443#Hajj2022
A thread…
1/ Beautiful interpretation of the Kaaba by artist @safialatif
Safia’s work is distinguished by her loose & textured brush strokes. Painting of the Kaaba surrounded by tall grass & wild flowers, Epilogue 2, oil on panel. Epilogue 1 above.
2/ Beautiful interpretation of the Kaaba by artist @_99khxn
Fatima Khan has a passion for Islamic architecture, history & heritage. She explores this in her magnificent paintings of Mosques from around the world.
3/ Beautiful interpretation of the Kaaba by artist Saimah Hussain
Saimah is British Bangladeshi born and based in South Wales, Cardiff. She has a passion for painting Islamic architecture and experiments with texture and colour in her work
4/ Beautiful interpretation of the Kaaba by artist Naseeba Khader
Naseeba is a Mississauga based artist whose passion is Islamic art & architecture. This her painting of a Qibla tile from Rüstem Paşa Camii, with the Kaaba at the centre.
6/ Beautiful interpretation of the Kaaba by artist Sara Mir
Born in Pakistan, having lived in the Middle East, America & Europe, Sara believes that everything in creation is a sign of Divinity, the Kaaba is present in most of her works
12/ Beautiful interpretation of the Kaaba by artist Azra Aghighi Bakhshayeshi
Azra has found a way to express beauty with words in a non-literary way. Her work reflects the fulfillment of a lifelong desire to perform Hajj @IslamScienceNet
13/ Beautiful interpretation of the Kaaba by artist Hammad Haider
British artist Hammad finishes one of his artworks while on pilgrimage to Mecca. He is Junior architect & his art is inspired by Islamic architecture specifically.
14/ Beautiful interpretation of the Kaaba by artist Siddiqa Juma
Siddiqa is a multi-award-winning and critically acclaimed contemporary Islamic artist from the tiny Zanzibari island of Pemba. This work is titled SUPERNOVA.
17/ Beautiful interpretation of the Kaaba by artist Lamya Kabbani
Emirati artist Lamya’s distinctive colourful works feature holy landmarks as well as scripts from the Holy Quran using various Arabic typography, from Kufic to Naskh
18/ Beautiful interpretation of the Kaaba by artist Ashfia
Ashfia is based in Manchester, UK. She is a student of Tezhip. Her work is mainly floral, pattern-based and often illuminated in 24k Gold leaf or Shell Gold.
19/ Beautiful interpretation of the Kaaba by artist Merve Karli
Turkish artist Merve is a specialist in tezhip and miniature painting, particularly influenced by Ottoman painting reinterpreted through a contemporary lens.
20/ Beautiful interpretation of the Kaaba by artist Ahmed Mater
This miniature diagrams faith & religion. Iron filings radiate around a black cube, an emanation of attraction that evokes a pilgrims circling the Kaaba @IslamScienceNet
Shah-i-Zinda is one Samarkand’s most beloved sites, which contains some of the richest tile work in the world. The magnificent architecture draws inspiration from multiple periods & styles, taking you back through time & across cultures
A thread on the beauty of Shah-i-Zinda…
1/ The Shah-i-Zinda ensemble includes mausoleums, mosques & other ritual buildings of 11-15th & 19th centuries. The name Shah-i-Zinda (meaning The living king) is connected with the legend that Qutham ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH is buried here
📷 Ash Diler
2/ Shah-i-Zinda is a world-famous example of a continuously constructed historical site. Over 1,000 years ago, it was founded with a single religious monument. Between the 11th & 19th centuries, mosques & mausoleums were continuously added
From Spain to Azerbaijan, to Germany to Bosnia, Europe has some of the finest mosques.
The presence of Islam in Europe is not a new phenomenon, with Muslims residing in the continent as early as the 8th century.
Here are 24 mosques across Europe #JummahMubarak
A thread…
1/ Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque, Mostar, Bosnia
Dates back to 1617 & features numerous multicolored windows, a minaret with a lookout spot & a courtyard with several tombs. Although the original Ottoman mosque was heavily damaged during the attacks of the 1990s it has been restored
2/ The Shah Jahan Mosque, Woking, England
This is the first purpose built mosque that was built in the UK.
It was built in 1889 by Dr Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner, an orientalist of Jewish descent from Hungary. Money was donated by Begum Shah Jahan, the Nawab Begum of Bhopal.
Welcome to Al-Mutanabbi Street the ‘Book Market of Baghdad’, where books remain in the street at night because Iraqis say:
“The reader does not steal and the thief does not read.”
A thread on the rich heritage of the historic book market on Al-Mutanabbi Street…
1/ Al-Mutanabbi Street is the historic center of Baghdad bookselling, that dates back to the time of the Abbasids. Located near the old quarter of Baghdad, Al-Mutanabbi Street was Baghdad’s first book traders’ market.
2/ Al-Mutanabbi Street has been, since time immemorial, the historic heart and soul of the Baghdad literary and intellectual community.
Libraries developed in the Islamic Golden Age due to a commitment to literacy & seeking knowledge. One of the oldest libraries in the world Al-Qarawiyyin library, was founded by a Muslim woman, more than 12 centuries ago!
A thread on the greatest libraries in Islamic history…
1/ Al-Qarawiyyan Library, Fez, Morocco
Founded by a Muslim woman, Fatima El-Fihriya in 859, it is one of the oldest libraries in the world & the oldest library in Africa. It also holds the distinction of being the world’s oldest working library, & is still in use today…
1.1/ The Al-Qarawiyyan Library houses a collection of 4,000 rare books & ancient Arabic manuscripts written by renowned scholars of the region. The manuscripts include a 9th century version of the Quran and a manuscript on Islamic jurisprudence written by philosopher Averroes.
Designed to imitate the heavens, Islamic gardens are lush oases of scent, water and sacred geometry. They are a cool place of rest and a reminder of paradise.
Here are 20 beautiful Islamic gardens from across the world…
A thread….
1/ Gardens @CambCentMosque
A harmonious balance between Islamic structure & relaxed English herbaceous and naturalistic planting. A concern for sustainability, biodiversity & insect-friendly planting has also been a constant theme in the selection of plants.
@CambCentMosque 2/ Jardin Majorelle, Morocco
The garden, started in 1924, contains a psychedelic desert mirage of 300 plant species from five continents.
The colour blue (al-azraq) in Islamic tradition often signifies the impenetrable depths of the universe, and turquoise blue is thought to have mystical qualities.
Here are 24 beautiful Islamic buildings & mosques, designed using the colour blue…
A thread…
1/ Jalil Khayat Mosque, Erbil, Kurdistan, Iraq
The largest mosque in the city, it was begun by Jalil Khayat who died in 2005 & completed in 2007 by his sons in memory of their father. The blue style resembles the Mosque of Muhammad Ali in Cairo & Blue mosque in Istanbul
2/ Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Sohar, Oman
Inaugurated in 2018 & influenced by Persian & central Asian blue Islamic architectural styles with touches of traditional Omani architectural elements that make it unique