Islamic Art and Architecture: From Isfahan to the Taj Mahal

Product Details

Hardcover: 320 pages

Publisher: Thames & Hudson (November 2002)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0500511004

ISBN-13: 978-0500511008

Product Dimensions: 14.5 x 9.9 x 1.1 inches

Shipping Weight: 6 pounds

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Art historian Henri Stierlin explores a dazzling 1,000-year-old decorative tradition in Islamic Art and Architecture: From Isfahan to the Taj Mahal. The gorgeous art book opens with several two-page full-color spreads of the mosque at Isfahan, Iran, noted for its brilliant tiles and elaborate domes. Stierlin argues that "Persian style" reigned in Islamic art from the 10th century to the late 18th and that its influence spread beyond Iran as far as India and Uzbekistan. The book boasts more than 500 color illustrations of mosques, palaces, tombs and minarets, as well as close-ups of details such as decorative stucco, calligraphy, arch designs and tile mosaics.

From Booklist

Islamic Art and Architecture takes a less academic approach, examining a massive span of Islamic art and history with a consistently well written text and stunning photographs, reproductions, and floor plans. The art of the building, from the elaborately tiled walls of mosques and tombs to the famed Persian arches, gets the most attention here. Fascinating explications, including a myth-debunking history of the Taj Mahal's construction, accompany the artwork. The book doesn't quite deliver on the grandiose promise of its title, but by focusing on the classical modes of Islamic art and architecture, architectural historian Stierlin provides an engrossing introduction to the diverse artistry of the Islamic world.

John Green