never saw anything like it before...magnificent!
Posted on 04/01/2012 1:35:44 PM PDT by WPaCon
Talking about Islamic art is rather like talking about the art of the Khanates. The Imperial Kingdom of Genghis Khan was the largest contiguous empire on earth. But just because different lands and cultures were conquered by Genghis Khan doesn't mean that there is a significance to grouping their art. The sphere of power of the Muslim Empire stretched from the borders of China and the Indian subcontinent across Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Sicily, and the Iberian Peninsula, and on to the Pyrenees. There needs to be a further rationale for calling art collections from lands conquered or subdued by the forces of Islam "Islamic Art."
Then why all the impetus, which started in earnest some almost a decade ago, for all the "Islamic Art" openings at prestigious museums, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Victoria and Albert Museum in England? The creation of departments of Islamic art at prestigious universities and museums? The support of prestigious foundations like Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art?
It is political correctness.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
Just a thought, but there isn’t an example of the Sydney Opera House anywhere either. Some ‘things’ are simply originals?
Excerpt:
Places taken by assault: If a place was taken by assault-which was mostly the case because it was seldom that the Hindus surrendered-it was thoroughly sacked, its surviving population slaughtered or enslaved and all its buildings pulled down. In the next phase, the conquerors raised their own edifices for which slave labour was employed on a large scale in order to produce quick results. Cows and, many a time, Brahmanas were killed and their blood sprinkled on the sacred sites in order to render them unclean for the Hindus for all time to come. The places of worship which the Muslims built for themselves fell into several categories. The pride of place went to the Jãmi‘ Masjid which was invariably built on the site and with the materials of the most prominent Hindu temple; if the materials of that temple were found insufficient for the purpose, they could be supplemented with materials of other temples which had been demolished simultaneously. Some other mosques were built in a similar manner according to need or the fancy of those who mattered. Temple sites and materials were also used for building the tombs of those eminent Muslims who had fallen in the fight; they were honoured as martyrs and their tombs became mazãrs and rauzas in course of time. As we have already pointed out, Hindus being great temple builders, temple materials could be spared for secular structures also, at least in the bigger settlements. It can thus be inferred that all masjids and mazãrs, particularly the Jãmi‘ Masjids which date from the first Muslim occupation of a place, stand on the site of Hindu temples; the structures we see at present may not carry evidence of temple materials used because of subsequent restorations or attempts to erase the evidence. There are very few Jãmi‘ Masjids in the country which do not stand on temple sites.
Also, the previous comment #55 was partly for cronos, who had earlier said this (#33): "as James pointed out in post 6, the Taj Mahal was based on north Indian Hindu architecture"
It isn't a big deal, but out of interest, I searched the net a bit for photos of "north Indian Hindu architecture" and Temples. Nothing I found remotely resembles the architectural style or design of Taj Mahal - at least not from the outside. Although most other contemporary or older Hindu Temples look alike & there are distinct similarities. The only pre-Islamic photos that look a bit like Taj Mahal's style were the ancient Zoroastrian Fire Temple in #55 - made me wonder if the Aryan roots that both Hindu and Zoroastrians share had something to do with it; referencing post #28 ...
never saw anything like it before...magnificent!
I can fully appreciate that. The moslems did precisely the same to Zoroastrian places of worship as well as other pre-Islamic & non-Islamic sites & building in Iran. In many ways, it was & has been much worse in Iran.
Obviously, India still has much larger Hindu population than Iran has Zoroastrian one. In more modern times, India has been secular, whereas every effort by various moslem rulers in Iran, since the fall of the Sassanid, has been made to eradicate anything & most things that were and are pre-Islamic. Well, the Pahlavis were exceptions.
It is gorgeous!
While doing a search yesterday, I saw another pic of a recent Hindu Temple in the US. Can’t find it right now, but apparently it cost something in excess of 10 million to build.
What we know as Moorish architecture can be very pleasing and quite advanced.
It seems telling that we don't see that sort of thing anywhere in "modern" islamic societies.
As to art itself, the images posted at #18 take me back to post RVN days.
They seem like poor rip offs of Buddhist and Hindu art but requiring a pretty good high for proper appreciation.
I’m currently reading a book entited “Crimes Against India and “. It is an excellent and graphic history of Muslim atrocities and invasions. It’s way, way beyond what is in any regular history books and indeed is not even taught in India today; Muslims have way too much influence in the goverment and are still encroaching Hindu practices by law, helped by Communist party (can’t remember the name) and “Christian” groups which are often fronts for communists.
It’s very horrible. But there is a sort of waking up now among Hindus.
Oops! Forgot to include the whole title, it’s long.
“Crimes Against India: and the Need to Protect its Ancient Vedic Tradition: 1000 Years of Attacks Against Hinduism and What to do About it”.
Yes, he needs an editor...
Here’s a link to a review:
I’ve read it was a Shiva temple.
The Muslim invaders of India (which was much larger than now) not only slaughtered millions of Hindus but enslaved huge numbers of them. Many skilled artisans, architects and the like were brought to Muslim countries and forced to work for Muslims.
Countless Hindu temples were demolished by Muslim invaders. Countless numbers. Most of the more ancient ones still existing are in south India where Muslims didn’t manage to conquer.
I was thinking of you...I should have pinged you, sorry.
“Islam imposes a threat to the whole world which is far worse than deforestation, nuclear destruction or AIDS. It is an insidious, devilish disease creeping into the veins of the world. Every individual must realise the destructive and evil nature of this religion, for it eats away at the very foundation of humanity which is an individual’s ability to think individually and act accordingly. The following articles logically analyse different aspects of this so called religion and bring forth the true nature of Islam...”
READ MORE:
http://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate/
Photograph of a 19th century Arab village with flat-roofed stone buildings and small windows similar to villages in Bible times
I think we can stop kidding ourselves, I can see no foundation for 'islamic art' - the conquering arabs either destroyed or pillaged and claimed as theirs what-ever useful or beautiful they came across. Their own living standards in the arab villages never progressed beyond the primitive as the above photograph shows.
Arab Settlement in the Esdraelon Valley 1910
The Village Of Zar'in (Jezreel) 1900
Typical Arab Settlement in the Sharon Valley (close to Tel-Aviv) 1911
I visited Arabic villages in Jordan in 1959 as a child and they didn’t look much different; also in Syria.
If you get a chance you should try to get that book. I can only read it in short sittings, it’s so horrible. But I feel it is my duty to read it.
check that link, I got a very serious virus warning...if you get one too, might be an idea to ask the Mods to remove the comment.
I opened that link again, no virus warning at my end.
Can you please check the link #77 for virus and remove the post if necessary?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.