Dome of the Rock. Jerusalem. Completed AD 691

I’ve always been a big fan of Art Sawa and their next few classes are particularly on subjects I am passionate about. Marta Ameri will touch on the origins of Islamic art on the 23rd of September.

The middle of the 7^th century A.D. saw with the rise of Islam the creation of a new religion and of a great military empire.  It was in these early years that Islamic Art developed and coalesced into a definitive style. By looking at early monuments such as the Dome of the Rock and the Great Mosque of Damascus, this class will explore the ways in which the rulers of the first Islamic empires combined existing artistic styles with new Islamic elements to develop what we now identify as Islamic art.

The class will also discuss issues such as how the precepts of Islamic belief affected early Islamic Art, and the ways in which the early Islamic rulers used art and architecture to express their growing power.

If you are in Dubai and interested in Islamic Art history, then learning about at after work may be a perfect start to your evenings over the next few weeks.