Traditions
Where the geometric tradition comes from, why it took the form it did, and what the canon actually contains.
Islamic geometric art: a complete guide
A comprehensive guide to Islamic geometric art — what it is, how it developed, the mathematics behind it, the regional traditions, and how to engage with it as a collector or visitor.
A short history of Islamic geometric art
From the 7th-century Umayyad mosaics to today's parametric design tools, a complete short history of Islamic geometric art and the people who shaped it.
10 min readArabesque vs Islamic geometric art: what's the difference?
Geometric patterns and arabesque are both core to Islamic art but they're not the same thing. A clear guide to the difference, with examples.
7 min readHow Euclid traveled to Islam: the House of Wisdom and Islamic mathematics
The 9th-century Bayt al-Hikma in Baghdad translated Greek mathematics into Arabic, laying the intellectual foundation for Islamic geometric art.
8 min readThe Islamic decorative canon: calligraphy, geometry, and arabesque
Classical Islamic art is built on three modes — calligraphy, geometric pattern, and vegetal arabesque. How the canon emerged and how the three work together.
7 min readThe Sunni Revival: when the Islamic decorative canon was born
The 11th and 12th centuries saw Islamic art crystallize into its formal canon — calligraphy, geometric pattern, arabesque. The Sunni Revival explained.
7 min readWhy there are no figures in Islamic art: aniconism explained
A clear explanation of why Islamic religious art avoids figurative imagery, what the Qur'an actually says, and where the rule applies (and where it doesn't).
8 min read