Showing posts with label egyptian art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label egyptian art. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Islamic Art, Cairo the capital



Islamic Art chose the old city of Cairo as its capital. As Cairo was one of the main cities in Islamic history, and at the same time the destination of the most profiled artists of that time, it was bound to become the next cultural centre of the world, starting with "El Fustat Mosque" which was the first Mosque not in Cairo alone but the first to be built outside of Arabia. Now known as "Amr Bin El As Mosque Picture below taken by me" it still stands as a witness of the elegance of Islamic Architecture and art.


Islamic Art is considered the art produced by people not necessarily Muslim that lived in Islamic territories in the 7th century onwards, these artists were famous for masterpieces in the fields of architecture, calligraphy, painting, and ceramics, among others.

As is well known Islamic art is not a religious art but better known as the art of the people who committed to the rich and varied Islamic culture as well. Islamic Art is developed from many sources: Roman, Early Christian, and Byzantine styles were taken over in early Islamic architecture; the influence of Sassanian art—the architecture and decorative art of pre-Islamic Persia was of paramount significance; Central Asian styles were brought in with various nomadic incursions; and Chinese influences had an important effect on Islamic painting, pottery, and textiles.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Egypt's Arts... Sand In A Bottle

Glass is not just that window or mirror we have in our houses, it's also an art and a craft that is hard to master, Egyptians are known to have mastered the art of glass for thousands of years. Glas is made from the pure white sand that comes from the deserts of Egypt, so it was easy for Egyptians to get quickly inspired by the Idea of mastering the art of glass. Either by hand made moulded bottles or by filling a glass bottle with coloured sand. Which is a craft that is admired by all of Egypt's visitors alike.

The art of glass is one of the oldest crafts known to the Egyptians, even nowadays you can find street sellers selling their cheap bottles that they made at home, while elegant and beautifully crafted bottles are sold at fancy bazzars and antique shops.

It is said that taking a bottle full of sand home with you from Egypt is just like taking a peice of Egypt home with you, with all the elegance of history, and greatness of the Pharaohs, so if you do visit Egypt some day be sure to take a nice bottle full of sand home with you.