Throughout history, the magnificent elephant is much loved & an integral part of cultures around the world.
To mark #WorldElephantDay here are wonderful depictions of elephants in Islamic art & culture, starting with Al-Jazari's ingenious elephant clock invention
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1/ Twelfth century engineer Al-Jazari was fascinated by every kind of mechanism & designed machines of all kinds, shapes & sizes.
His Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices (1206 AD) described 50 mechanical devices, including water clocks #WorldElephantDay
2/ One of the engineering marvels of the medieval Islamic world is AI-Jazari's 800 year old automatic Elephant clock
A reproduction in Kasımiye Medrese , Mardin, Turkey #WorldElephantDay
3/ Its moving parts were automated using a water-powered timer inspired by an Indian mechanism known as ghatika – the clock’s timer was a bowl that would slowly sink into a hidden water tank #WorldElephantDay
Find out how the mechanism worked here:
4/ Al-Jazari wrote: "The elephant represents the Indian & African cultures, the 2 dragons represent Chinese culture, the phoenix represents Persian culture, the water work represents Greek culture & the turban represents Islamic culture.’ #WorldElephantDay
5/ The elephant clock gives physical form to the concept of multiculturalism, reflecting influences from across Muslim civilisation, including Indian, Egyptian, Greek, Chinese & Arab #WorldElephantDay
Ben Kingsley describes the Al-Jazari's Elephant Clock
6/ The clock incorporated a figure of a scribe and his pen that move to indicate the number of minutes past the hour.
As well as telling the time, this grand beautiful water-powered Elephant clock was a symbol of status, grandeur, and wealth #WorldElephantDay
7/ Al-Jazari's elephant clock continues to delight today. Reproductions can be found across the world including in the Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai, the Musée d'Horlogerie du Locle in Switzerland, & the Museum of Science & Technology in Islam in Saudi Arabia #WorldElephantDay
8/ Elephants are featured widely in Islamic art. There are many depictions of elephants in Islamic manuscripts and miniature paintings from across South Asia & Central Asia
9/ This Mughal drawing of an elephant from 1630 is identified by a Persian inscription written by emperor Shah Jahan. It records that the animal's name is Mahabir Deb, it had been presented to the emperor by 'Adil Khan, & was worth 300,000 rupees
10/ The 2 affectionate elephants shown here are an illustration in the manuscript Manāfi˓-i ḥayavān (The Benefits of Animals). They are royal elephants, as seen from their caps and the bells on their feet
11/ One of the outstanding paintings of Muhammad Adil Shah’s reign. Wearing a gold robe, the Sultan directs the elephant while his African minister Ikhlas Khan rides behind waving a cloth.
13/ A detailed colourful Mughal miniature painting of Prince Aurangzeb, son of Shah Jahan, on the elephant Sardar Gaj #WorldElephantDay
14/ The royal elephant Madhukar, by Hashim, Mughal, Agra, c 1630- 40
The 17th c. saw Mughal art & culture spread across the world. So impressive was the dynasty for Europeans, that John Milton refers to its wonders in Paradise Lost
15/ Here are some magnificent Mughal elephants at the wedding of Prince Dara-Shukoh, son of the Mughal Emperor Shah-Jahan. They are illustrated in the Padshahnamah, a history of Shah-Jahan's reign made in 1640-50 @RCT#WorldElephantDay
16/ Great Mogul And His Court Returning From The Great Mosque At Delhi India - Oil Painting by American Artist Edwin Lord Weeks Portland Museum of Art, Maine, 1918.1. #WorldElephantDay
17/ This majestic elephant is made of moulded stonepaste, covered with a slightly opacified white glaze, with turquoise and cobalt-blue in-glaze staining (laqabi ware)
Arabic calligraphy is the most highly regarded element of Islamic art, as it is the language of Qur’an. The script has the potential for creating ornamental forms
Today, the art of Arabic calligraphy continues. Here are 20 contemporary artists redefining calligraphy
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1/ Influenced by her British and Pakistani heritage, artist Maaida Noor combines ancient techniques with modern expression. Through her work, she aims to reconnect with nature and spirituality, using harmonious geometries and vibrant colors as her language.
2/ Born in Tehran, @snasernia
began his career primarily as a calligrapher & typography artist. He turns Arabic letters into an abstract language, creating a new concept called Crazy Kufik & deconstructs the rules of Arabic & Persian writing
It is believed 2000 years ago in Persia, Arabs who conquered the Persian Empire enriched the recipe of snow chilled honey with milk & sugar #IceCreamDay
For #WorldIceCreamDay here are 25 frozen treats from Muslim cultures…
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1/ Es Doger, Indonesia
Made of shaved ice, coconut milk, coco pandan syrup, fermented sticky rice & fermented cassava. It is popular in Bandung, West Java & comes from Cirebon. Its name is derived from ‘es dorong gerobak’, which translates as ‘carousel-pushed ice.’#IceCreamDay
2/ Dondurma Ice Cream, Turkey
Dondurma is a Turkish mastic ice cream, typically including the ingredients cream, whipped cream, salep, mastic, and sugar. It is believed to originate from the city and region of Maraş and hence also known as Maraş ice cream #IceCreamDay
Chess is a significant part of Muslim history. The game originated in northern India in the 6th century AD & spread to Persia. When the Arabs conquered Persia, chess was taken up by the Muslim world
For #WorldChessDay here is the history of chess & Muslim heritage
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1/ The Indian ancestor of Chess was called chaturanga, developed in the 6th century AD meaning “4 Members”, it comes from the 4 military divisions of the Indian army: infantry, cavalry, elephantry, & chariotry.
Two women play Chaturanga, c. 1805 — c. 1815
#WorldChessDay
2/ Eventually, the game spread to Persia. After the Islamic Conquest of Persia, the game spread westward & a large portion of the Arabian population began to take up chess where it became known as Shatranj
Chess Piece as Seated Man, 13th c. Iran @KhaliliOnline
#WorldChessDay
The incredibly unique contemporary Bab Al-Salam Mosque in Oman is nothing like you’ve ever seen before!
Designed in the form of a circular disc, borrowing from the moon, the windows in the shape of its crescents & its glass ball pendant symbolises the vault of heaven
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1/ ‘Allahu Nur as Samawati wa al Ard’ means Allah is the Pure, Primordial Light of both the Heavens and the Earth.
Surah An-Nur ayat 35
Bab Al-Salam Mosque
2/ This is embodied in prayer that involves raising hands to the sides of the face, proclaiming Allah Akbar, and entering a peaceful and silent world where there is a connection with the divine. This state of surrender is what true prayer is all about.