THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Islamic Art and Architecture
Pictured above: Mosaic tiles decorating the ceiling of the pavilion that stands over the tomb of the celebrated Persian poet, Hafez, located in Shiraz, Iran.
Art of the Islamic World: A Resource for Educators - The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection of Islamic art is one of the most important and comprehensive in the world. It comprises more than twelve thousand works of art created in a vast geographical area, stretching from Spain to India. This guide and the organization of the Museum's galleries emphasize the diversity of regional traditions and their cultural contexts, rather than presenting the art and culture of the Islamic world as a single monolithic entity dominated by religion. Learn about art and culture of the Islamic world and glean ideas for supporting studies of English language arts, math, science, social studies, world history, and visual arts. The Introduction and each of the seven units are available as downloadable PDFs.
Islamic Art and Culture: A Resource for Teachers - Produced by the National Gallery of Art, this booklet contains introductory material, slide descriptions, teaching suggestions, maps, a glossary, and resources.
Victoria and Albert Museum: Islamic Middle East Collection - A series of interlinked webpages showcasing the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection of Islamic artifiacts. Explore several subject hubs on Islamic Art & Design and Islamic Architecture as well as supplemental articles on calligraphy and textiles.
Islamic Art as an Educational Tool about the Teaching of Islam
Archnet - A collaborative digital humanities project focused on Islamic architecture and the built environment of Muslim societies more generally. Conceptualized in 1998 and originally developed at the MIT School of Architecture and Planning in co-operation with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, it has been maintained by the Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture since 2011. Educators will benefit from the Archnet Pedagogy Collection, which is designed to make well-crafted and practical resources publicly available for those teaching the subject of Islamic art and architecture.
How to Look at a Qur'an: Freer | Sackler Educator Resource - A short guide for educators to help them understand how artists, historians, and practicing Muslims understand the significance of a Qur'anic manuscript in different ways.
Lapis and Gold and Wondrous Words - Explore a Qur'anic manuscript by flipping through the pages and clicking on hotspots to learn more. The folios in "Lapis and Gold" contain the last fourteen chapters of the Qur’an. Completed in September 1517, this luxurious manuscript is a triumph of illumination and calligraphy that showcases the skill of artists at the Ottoman court. The folios in "Wondrous Words" are from a Qur'an commissioned by the Mongol ruler Uljaytu (reigned 1304–16) for his monumental tomb in Sultaniyya, which is in northwestern Iran.
Traces of the Calligrapher: Islamic Calligraphy in Practice 1600-1900 - This exhibition and its companion exhibition, Writing the Word of God: Calligraphy and the Qur’an, explore Islamic art’s quintessential art form: calligraphy.
Islamic Art and Geometric Design: Activities for Learning - The Metropolian Museum of Art has produced this activity booklet to help educators and students examine the principles of geometric design that are the basis for the beautiful and intricate patterns in the art of the Islamic world. This resource includes a brief overview of Islamic art, an introduction to related works in the Museum, and a series of pattern-making activities (including reproducible grids) for use in the classroom. Teachers can readily adapt these materials to create exciting lessons in art, culture, math, and geometry.
Common Core Math and Islamic Art - One of the skills highlighted in the Common Core State Standards for mathematics involves generating and analyzing patterns and pattern relationships. Islamic art made for a religious purpose or setting does not include images of people, and often focuses on intricate geometric designs. A close look at Islamic art provides an opportunity, not only for the reinforcement of these Common Core skills, but also for a glimpse inside this important culture.