Minaret: Symbol of Islam: 7 (Oxford Studies in Islamic Art) - Hardcover

Bloom, Jonathan M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0197280137 ISBN 13: 9780197280133

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1990

Synopsis

Using buildings, archeological reports, medieval histories, geographies and early Arabic poetry, this book reinterprets the origin, development and meanings of the minaret, explaining how the tower became identified with Islam. It shows that introducing the tower into the mosque marked a major shift in the iconography of architecture, in that the tower, once a sign of political and royal power, became associated with religious architecture. The author then describes the spread of the minaret throughout the Islamic lands until it became universally accepted as a sign of Islam in the 12th century. It concludes with an overview of subsequent developments once the minaret had become the symbol of Islam. The book not only provides a historical survey, but is also an attempt to investigate the modes of perception in the medieval world.

About this title

Review

"Ought to be part of the library of all institutions with an interest in Islam."--Religious Studies Review

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0197280137
• ISBN 13: 9780197280133
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 216