Customer Reviews

Splendors of Islam: Architecture, Decoration and Design

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The 325 photographs in this book--all in color--merit every superlative reviewers have given them. But the text itself is in need of a good editor, for parts are repetitive. (See my content summary for specifics.) Furthermore, the last section is often so grandiloquent that I, a seasoned English teacher who is also well read in the field of Islamic architecture, had to work to decipher it. So why did I pay $40 for a used copy of SPLENDORS OF ISLAM (sans dust jacket)? Quite simply because none of the many other books I examined taught me nearly as much about the decoration and design of Islamic architecture. Granted, for example, one can look at a structure and see that its bricks create patterns, but to learn in detail how this was done is fascinating.

For those unable to find a copy to preview, what follows is a more specific summary of its contents.
SECTION 1--which focuses on the variations in Islamic architecture in one part of the world--devotes 8 to 10 pages of photographs and clearly written text to each of the following: the Dome of the Rock, the Alhambra, the Taj Mahal, and Persia's Shah Mosque. Eight pages of smaller photographs of other significant monuments from the Arab lands, Turkey, India, Iran and Central Asia follow.

SECTION 2: After a lengthy chapter which goes into great detail about the history of the use of brick, stucco, mosaics and ceramics as decorative techniques, separate chapters are devoted to each of the materials. New in each is the detail about how the material is created; repetitive is much of the information about how it is used as architectural decoration. Although no text explains them, additional photographs illustrate the use of bronze, wood and painted wood as decorative devices.

SECTION 3 focuses on the decorative use of mathematically defined forms--e.g. stars, hexagons--vegetation, calligraphy and even occasionally the human figure.

SECTION 4 looks at how the elements in Sections 2 and 3 combine to create surfaces that resemble textiles. Specifically discussed (and often repetitive of information in Section 2) are a) the division of flat surfaces into panels and bands, b) the multi-layering of textures and c) the use of repetition to create geometric designs. Not repetitive is this section's discussion of the use of ornamentation to disguise supporting forms and embellish supported ones.

NOTE: For those who are interested in more of an overview of Islamic architecture in general, I'd highly recommend Treasures of Islam: Artistic Glories of the Muslim World.

Islam expanded quickly within a few centuries, embracing a wide area and altering the political and cultural heritage of the entire region. Splendors of Islam examines the visual effects of Islam, considering the structures in contrast with other architectural traditions and examining the role given to various decorative choices and styles. Four different approaches to Islam architecture provide an exceptionally well-rounded view, with color photo examples packing an oversized coverage.

This is a thorough and scholarly exploration of a fascinating subject - the world of Islamic Design. The work covers all the main areas of the field, from al Andalus to India. The text is clearly written, yet scholarly in its approach, while still being accessible to the amateur. The excellent photographs serve to illustrate this magnificint work well.

If you are someone who is involved in arhitect or interior decoration, this book is a must to guide you in creating something splendor from the Islamic culture, and it's a good refrence on a cofee table top.