Islamic illumination - known as Tezhip in Turkish, is a decorative art using gold pigments to beautify the Qur’an & manuscripts. The fine detail takes dedication & patience
Today, the art of Tezhip continues
Here are 21 artists sharing artistic techniques in tezhip
A thread…
1/ Tezhip was first practiced by the Uyghur’s in the 9th century. The Seljuks brought it to Anatolia, & the art culminated during the Ottomans. Mameluke artists in the 15th century developed it & advances were seen in Central Asia
A process video by Turkish artist Berre Filoglu
2/ Turkish Artist Zuleyha Karaca specialises in the art of tezhip & Islamic illumination. Here, Zuleyha presents a great example of shading in gold & finely outlining details…
3/ Iranian artist Mina Kazemiyan is skilled in the delicate and detailed art of tezhip. Here, she demonstrates the delicate fine black outlines to provide definition to the work…
4/ Turkish artist Handan Gülserin is an expert in the art of tezhip. Here she shares her detailed skill of effortlessly painting details with gold pigments.
Bazen karanlıktır, göz gözü görmez,
Bazen karanlık değildir, öz özü görmez...
Beautiful details from Iranian traditional tezhip
شب تاریک و سنگستان و مو مست
قدح از دست مو افتاد و نشکست
نگهدارنده اش نیکو نگهداشت
و گرنه صد قدح نفتاده بشکست #باباطاهر
6/ Iranian artist Mina Kazemiyan is skilled in the delicate and detailed art of tezhip. Here, she demonstrates creating shadows using gold and metallic pigments to provide definition to the work.
7/ Turkish artist İlknur GÜÇLÜ specialises in Tezhip. Here is a work in progress showing details of the use of colour to create wonderful definition…
8/ Artist @EsraAlhamalArt is a specialist in Islamic illumination & biomorphic pattern. Here she shows us how to make real gold pigment shine by forming an indentation. This little trick makes the dots look like they are little jewels…
9/ Turkish artist K.Bayraktar is trained in the traditional art of Tezhip, here she shares delicate details of precision, painting bold colour to fill between the luminous gold…
10/ Turkish artist Gul Cerik is a specialist in Tezhip. Here we see precision details to add definition to the gold pigments and illumination…
Iranian artist Maryam Ghafari is inspired by poetry
«أحببتك وكأنك آخر أحبتي على وجه الأرض،
و عذبتني كأنني آخر أعدائك على وجه الأرض...»
تو را دوست داشتم،
چنانکه گویی تو آخرین عزیزانِ من بر روی زمینی؛
و تو رنجم دادی،
چنان که گویی من آخرین دشمنانِ تو
بر روی زمینم
12/ Artist Hatice Karaman is based in Istanbul, Turkey. Traditionally trained in the art of Tezhip, she is committed to continuing & preserving this artform for future generations.
See Hatice at work…
13/ Turkish artist Nurhan Barutcular is trained in the traditional art of Tezhip. Here is detailed work in progress…
14/ Iranian artist Maryama is not only trained in the art of tezhip, but also a psychologist. She uses this traditional artform as a tool for talking about issues connected to psychology, including trauma. Here she shares details of her exquisite work in progress…
15/ Turkish artist Perdah Sanat Atölyesi is an expert in the art of Tezhip. Here, we are able to see the fine lines and precision in pattern in this work in progress…
16/ Iranian artist T. Mousavi is an expert in the art of tezhip, Here is a work in progress, highlighting the precise work and patience required to outline details…
17/ Turkish artist Gul Cerik specialises in the art of tezhip. Here is a look at the technique of finely applying white as a highlighter to add further luminosity and depth the the illumination…
18/ Artist @NagihanSeymour is a specialist in tezhip. Here she shares her favourite step in the artistic process, burnishing the gold pigment…
19/ Iranian artist Nasim Khadevi shares tezhip work in progress, painting illumination for Islamic verses…
رنگگذاری بندهای اسلیمی
20/ Turkish artist Ayse Raziye Ozalp creates miniatures in the art of tezhip. Ayse is particularly interested in the natural world, here is a work in process video of a spider…
Hayvanları çok sevdiğim doğrudur.Örümcekleri bile😉🕷
21/ Turkish artist Fatma Özçay is a master of the art of tezhip. Here is an exquisite example of a work in progress, meticulously painting fine details…
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From the bagpipes to the guitar, to the piano, many musical instruments came into Europe from Muslim cultures. Much of this is hardly known & rarely acknowledged. Music is one of the most popular and loved art forms.
A thread on Muslim cultures and European musical instruments…
1/ Highland Bagpipes & The Galecian Gaita
The Ghaita is a double-reed wooden instrument from North Africa. It resembles the Arab Mizmar & the Turkish Zurna
It evolved into the Portuguese Gaita, the English Waygh & Highland Bagpipes, which use multiple reeds
1.1/ The Galecian Gaita has been a common feature in folk music from Northern Portugal since the 12th century, when Al-Andalus was at the peak of cultural & artistic progress
In Scotland however, the first documented use of the bagpipe dates back to 1549 at the Battle of Pinkie
The city of Damascus is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world — known in Syria as aš-Šām & the "City of Jasmine.” Damascus is a major cultural center, with distinctive art & design aesthetics that continue to inspire…
In the Philippines, Islam was the first monotheistic religion
recorded - introduced in the 14th century by Arab &
Gujarati traders. Mosques in the Philippines are
celebrated not only for their beauty but also, their cultural
significance.
The oldest mosque in the Philippines & in Southeast Asia - according to local folklore it was built by an Arab trader Sheikh Makhdum Karim in 1380. The pillars are thought to be from the original mosque & considered sacred
2/ The Golden Mosque (Masjid Al-Dahab), Manila, Philippines
The largest mosque in Metro Manila. This masjid stands out even from across the Pasig River with its gold dome and stained glass. Formerly, the mosque even had a minaret and a fountain that added to its grandeur.
Stained glass has been used by artisans across the globe for thousands of years. Since the 8th century, the Muslim world played a major role in the growth of the glass industry. Mosques & cities were transformed into beautiful spaces richly decorated with glass.
A thread…
1/ Stained glass window at The Şemsi Pasha Mosque, Turkey
Designed by Ottoman imperial architect Mimar Sinan in 1581 for Grand Vizier Şemsi Pasha. It is one of the most attractive mosques in the city & a celebrated example of the chief architect's skills.
2/ Stained glass window at Beit Al Qur'an, Hoora, Bahrain
A multi-purpose complex dedicated to the Islamic arts. Established in 1990, the complex is most famous for its Islamic museum, which has been acknowledged as being one of the most renowned Islamic museums in the world.
Moroccan design is all about colour, texture & fluid lines. It is a unique blend of North African, Mediterranean & Islamic styles, creating a distinctive look which has inspired artists & designers all over the world.
A thread on the art of Moroccan design aesthetics...
1/ City planning, military architecture, urban casbahs, and the intricate beauty of Moroccan carpets, woodwork, and zellij tilework are all part of this distinctive and brilliant world of art.
Moroccan aesthetics continues to influence artists and designers all over the world…
2/ Some of the readily recognized features of Moroccan design include Islamic geometric patterns, vivid colors, and zillij tiles. Zillij tiles are terra cotta tile-work of enamel chips set in plaster to create mosaic geometric shapes…
Cats were valued by Islamic scholars, who are said to have kept them in their libraries, because they would prey on mice that would ruin books. Cats are often depicted in paintings alongside Islamic scholars & bibliophiles
For Caturday, a thread on cats, books and the Qur’an…
1/ “Cats do not invalidate the prayer because they are one of the things that are useful in the house”
- Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.