The Fatimid court in Cairo was itself a show of power. The court was located within a ten-gated large well. Inside that, the palace area was cordoned off by chains and protected by a large clear space (which was constantly patrolled by guards).
The palaces themselves were a location of great splendor that was able to […]
In 1068 the fabled treasury of the Fatimid caliph’s palace was pillaged by troops whose lack of adequate pay had motivated them to mutiny. The pillaging revealed the amazing collection that the caliph had amassed and dispersed this collection to the world. In some cases these objects found their way to the Christian west (the […]
Hooked rugs are made by using a hook that pulls a loop of thread through a flat weave backing. This creates a pile that consists of loops of thread. This type of rug has enjoyed some recently popularity. One factor that is often cited for this popularity is their lighthearted themes. These rugs portray images […]
Islam is not the only religion in which weaving has been an important form of expression. Buddhism is another religion that has used weaving and rugs as an artistic medium. Below is an example of a piece of Tibetan art. Similar styles are used in Tibetan weavings often using bright colors and swirling complex pictorial […]
When the ‘abbasid dynasty came to power they were greatly aided by the shi’a minority in the Middle East. This was at least partially because the ‘abbasid dynasty based their right to power in part on bloodlines to Mohammed. However, once the dynasty was in power they embraced Sunni Islam and shunned shi’a beliefs. This […]
An islamic prayer rug, or sajada, is generally a rather small rug. It’s size ranges from 3’x5’ to 4’x6’. Sometimes they are extremely fine rugs with extra attention paid to details. However, the vast majority of prayer rugs are simply made in a factory setting and often with the same patterns.
Weavings and rugs do not come from the Middle East alone. One example of a weaving that comes from outside the middle east is called the dhurrie. This type of rug can be found in India. These rugs are a flat weave and lack the pile on such rugs as the Kazaks. Most dhurries are […]
This is a picture of a magazine rack made out of pieces of carpet. On some levels this seems rather silly. Why spend that much effort on a magazine rack when a stack of magazines works just as well? However, on other more artistic levels I do kind of like it. It looks soft.
The Shi’a / Sunni split in Islam has become an increasingly important issue for the United States since our involvement in Iraq. This is a very longstanding split in the Islamic religion that has caused a great deal of strife for quite some time.
Initially this split was based on a disagreement between who should gain […]
An important part of Islam is prayer five times a day. As part of this prayer ritual Muslims clean himself or herself prior to praying and pray in a clean place. Often praying in a clean place is interpreted as not touching the unclean ground during prayer, and prayers are commonly performed on a sajada […]