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Essay Instructions: Identify the name, date, location, medium, and artist/patron for this monument. Then provide as much information as possible about the monument.

MONUMENT LIST: single spaced please,

Sultaniyya, Tomb of Öljeytü
Great Mongol Shahnama
Cairo, Complex of Qalawun
Cairo, Madrasa of Sultan Hasan
Istanbul, Süleymaniye complex
Istanbul, Topkapi Palace
Granada, Alhambra Palace
Isfahan, Masjid-i Shah
Isfahan, Chehel Sutun
Shahnama of Shah Tahmasp
Court of Gayumars
Zal Sighted by the Caravan
Agra, Taj Mahal
City of Fatehpur Sikri


Could you write a brief description of those monuments as told above including their role, different islamic architectural style used to built it as well as decorations it could be a paragraph or two SINGLE spaced please

Essay Instructions: Question 1:

This week we have studied art that is produced by cultures very different from our own. Without a cultural frame of reference it is often challenging for us to gain an understanding or even an appreciation of a work of art that reflects a visual aesthetic that is different. In 3 well developed paragraphs, discuss:

a.In what specific ways is our understanding of a work of art dependent on an understanding of the religious and cultural beliefs from which the work arose?

b.What can we assume about a work of art without such knowledge?

c.Looking at a work of art such as the Taj Mahal, which is the world?s most recognized building, how does not knowing the story or context for its construction shape our perception of this as a master work of art? How does your perception change of this structure once you know the story and reasons for its construction?

Be sure to explain your ideas clearly and support them by discussing specific works of art that you have read about this week, talking about how they illustrate and support your ideas.

Question 2:

All of the cultures that we have looked at this week built architectural monuments, but few have survived intact. Often these monuments embody the social, spiritual, political and religious ideas of the culture that created it. One of the few to have survived is the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. In 3 well developed paragraphs, discuss:

a.What was the function of the Forbidden City?

b.How was it designed to reflect the social hierarchies of the Ming dynasty?

c.What other monumental work of architecture did you learn about this week that also reflects these concerns and how?

Be sure to explain your ideas clearly and support them by discussing specific works of art that you have read about this week, talking about how they illustrate and support your ideas.

Respond to both questions as thoroughly as possible, making sure to use information from the readings and the lectures. All responses should be in complete sentence form, using proper spelling and grammar.


Please use APA and please show references. Thank you.

Essay Instructions: Reflection activity: Form and function

Personal reflection:
In what ways are the form and function of the Buddhist stupa and Hindu temple similar to or different from the Islamic mosque?
In what ways may the Quwwat al-Islam Mosque in Delhi be considered an Islamic(ate) building and an Indic one in terms of its construction and its design?


Discussion activity: Taj Mahal complex

What are the sources and precedents for the layout, elevation and design of the Taj Mahal complex of buildings?
In your research for this group discussion, I would encourage you to consider the following issues and ideas:
? the idea of the paradise garden (charbagh)
? the mausoleum in Indo-Islamic architecture
? Islamic architecture in Persia (Iran) and Central Asia
? the use of white marble, pietradura and calligraphy
? the meaning of the Taj Mahal

Reflection activity: Comparisons

Compare this eleventh-century palm-leaf manuscript with the fifth-century wall paintings at Ajanta and the fifteenth-century Jain manuscript paintings of western India (for example, Dehejia, pages 176-7).
For each, consider: (i) the medium and format; (ii) subject matter; (iii) style and depiction of figures; (iv) possible audience and function.

Discussion activity: Mughal painting

How does this painting relate to earlier paintings produced in India? Aspects that you may wish to consider for discussion include: the role of the artist; the context for its reception, the painting's format; the depiction of the figures; the subject matter; use of perspective, colour and detail.

Reflection activity: Mughal and Rajput court paintings

If we compare two examples we can see the differing Mughal and Rajput court painting aesthetics.
Look at the pairs of illustrations in Dehejia's book of pages from the Mughal Akbarnama of c.1590 (pages 314-15) and the Rajput Ramayana from Mewar of c.1650-52 (pages 348-9).
? What format are the paintings in, and how does this relate to earlier precedents?
? How is spatial depth conveyed by the artist?
? What is the main focus of interest in the painting?
? Can the paintings be distinguished by their use of colour or detail?

Essay Instructions: I need to discuss how the plans of these two structures (Michelangelo's architectural plan for New St. Peter's Basilica, and architectural plan for the Taj Mahal) reflect the religious beliefs and stylistic characteristics of the cultures, which created them. (See the fax form for the plans)!
There are faxes for this order.