ARHI-283 : Islamic Art

This course is meant as an introduction to the arts and architecture of the Islamic world, from the time of the Prophet to the present day. The course will concentrate on selected moments and monuments in the central historic regions—the Arab Middle East, North Africa, Spain, Iran, India, and Turkey—and consider the relationship of the visual arts to the history, geography, and traditions of each region. We will also consider contemporary arts, and problems of historic preservation. The Washington, DC area is particularly rich in museum collections of Islamic art, which this course will feature. Students will visit a local museum collection on their own during the semester as part of the course work.