Islamic art and architecture : [from Isfahan to the Taj Mahal

A beautifully illustrated survey of Islamic architecture and architectural decoration from the frontiers of Iran to the heart of India From Isfahan through Samarqand and to the Taj Mahal, the luxurious 'Persian style' took Islamic art to new aesthetic heights. In this superbly crafted survey, Henri Stierlin discusses the vast scope of Islamic architecture and architectural decoration from the frontiers of Iran to the heart of India and places it within its historical context, while copious photographs of Islam's monuments, ceramics, miniatures and carpets enable us to use art as a window into Islamic culture. The final section of the book is an in-depth presentation of nine great masterpieces of Islamic architecture, including the Friday Mosque in Isfahan, the Registan in Samarqand, the abandoned Mughal city of Fategpur Sikri and Agra's miraculous Taj Mahal. Written in a lively and accessible style, this magnificently illustrated book shows us not only the range but also the amazing skill and virtuosity of the Islamic architect. With its clear yet thoroughly comprehensive coverage of this immense subject, it is an indispensible overview of one of this great civilization's artistic traditions. Table of Contents Part 1: History and Art • The Spread of the Persian Style from Isfahan to the Taj MahalMap • The Rebirth of Iran • Muslims in India and Mongols in Iran • Samarqand and the Masterworks of the Timurids • The Evolution of the Mughal Style from Babur to Akbar • Architecture, Manuscript Painting and Carpets in Bukhara and under the early Safavids • The Flowering of Safavid Iran: the Masterworks of Isfahan • Jahangir and Shah Jahan: the Great Age of the Mughals • The Last Creations: Late Iran, the Khanate of Khiva, Aurangzeb and the Rajputs • Postscript: The Primacy of Architecture in the 'Persianized' World Part 2: Key Monuments in the Persian Style • The Origins of Muslim Iran: History and Culture 622 - 900 • Glossary • Select Bibliography "In this survey, Henri Stierlin discusses Islamic architecture and architectural decoration from the frontiers of Iran to the heart of India and places it within the historical context. Lavish illustrations of Islam's monuments, ceramics, jewelry, miniatures, textiles, mosaics, enamels and ivories enable us to use art as a window into Islamic culture. The final section of the book presents in depth nine great masterpieces of Islamic architecture, including the Friday Mosque in Isfahan, the Registan in Samarkand, the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri and Agra's miraculous Taj Mahal."--BOOK JACKET More than five hundred full-color illustrations and reproductions capture a panoramic array of Islamic art and architecture in a study that examines the sources, forms, themes, and symbolism of Islamic artistry, as exemplified in mosques, palaces, landscape architecture, caligraphy, miniature painting, tapestries and textiles, and other artforms. This album of the greatest Islamic art and architecture of Iran and India explores and celebrates cities from Tabriz to Khiva, Lahore to Sikandra. It offers a key to understanding the immense heritage left by hundreds of architects, landscape gardeners, calligraphers, miniaturists and weavers