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From 1861 to 1890 the Munich publishing firm of Braun and Schneider published plates of historic and contemporary costume in their magazine Munchener Bilderbogen.<br/><br/> These plates were eventually collected in book form and published at the turn of the century in Germany and England.
Surrounded by the Holy Mosque, al-Masjid al-Haram, stands the cubic Kaaba. Shortly after they arrive in Mecca, pilgrims first walk around the Kaaba seven times and then walk back and forth between two hills, al-Safa and al-Marwa. They carry out a large number of rituals in the following days in both Mecca and its environs. On the 10th day of the month of Dhu al-Hijja, they begin the great feast of Eid al-Adha to commemorate Abraham’s willingness to serve God by sacrificing his son. Ritual sacrifices of sheep and goats are made on this occasion throughout the Islamic world. In conclusion, pilgrims drink or are sprinkled with water from the Zamzam Well in the courtyard of the holy mosque.<br/><br/> This print shows an idealized and schematic picture of the Holy Mosque in the center of Mecca. Prints like this one have been popular decorations in private homes as well as offices and coffee houses during the past century.
The ‘Maqama’ are a collection of picaresque Arabic tales written in the form of rhymed prose in which rhetorical extravagance is conspicuous. The style was invented in the 10th century by Badi al-Zaman al-Hamadhani and extended by Abu Muhammed al-Qasim ibn Ali al-Hariri of Basra the following century.<br/><br/> The protagonists in the tales are invariably silver-tongued hustlers, especially the roguish Abu Zaid al-Saruji, who trick the narrator and who live on their wits and dazzle onlookers with displays of acrobatics, acting and by reciting poetry.
Ox Street Mosque or Cow Street Mosque (牛街清真寺; Niu Jie Qingzhensi) was first built in 966. It was destroyed in 1215 by Genghis Khan. Reconstruction of the mosque occurred during the reign of Qing Emperor Kangxi (r. 1661 - 1722).<br/><br/> The mosque has all the usual features of mosques found elsewhere in the world – minaret, prayer hall facing Mecca, Arabic inscriptions – the buildings themselves are distinctly Chinese. It remains Beijing’s largest and oldest mosque.
Ox Street Mosque or Cow Street Mosque (牛街清真寺; Niu Jie Qingzhensi) was first built in 966. It was destroyed in 1215 by Genghis Khan. Reconstruction of the mosque occurred during the reign of Qing Emperor Kangxi (r. 1661 - 1722).<br/><br/> The mosque has all the usual features of mosques found elsewhere in the world – minaret, prayer hall facing Mecca, Arabic inscriptions – the buildings themselves are distinctly Chinese. It remains Beijing’s largest and oldest mosque.
Yahyâ ibn Mahmûd al-Wâsitî was a 13th-century Arab Islamic artist. Al-Wasiti was born in Wasit in southern Iraq. He was noted for his illustrations of the Maqam of al-Hariri.<br/><br/> Maqāma (literally 'assemblies') are an (originally) Arabic literary genre of rhymed prose with intervals of poetry in which rhetorical extravagance is conspicuous. The 10th century author Badī' al-Zaman al-Hamadhāni is said to have invented the form, which was extended by al-Hariri of Basra in the next century. Both authors' maqāmāt center on trickster figures whose wanderings and exploits in speaking to assemblies of the powerful are conveyed by a narrator.<br/><br/> Manuscripts of al-Harīrī's Maqāmāt, anecdotes of a roguish wanderer Abu Zayd from Saruj, were frequently illustrated with miniatures.
Almost every town in Burma with a Panthay population has its 'Panthay Balee' or Chinese Muslim mosque. Some of the more important are in Rangoon, Taunggyi, Mogok, Myitkyina, and Lashio.
Almost every town in Burma with a Panthay population has its 'Panthay Balee' or Chinese Muslim mosque. Some of the more important are in Rangoon, Taunggyi, Mogok, Myitkyina, and Lashio.
The Kaaba (or Qaaba; Arabic: الكعبة‎ al-Kaʿbah; English: The Cube) is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam.<br/><br/> The Qur'an states that the Ka'ba was constructed by Abraham (Ibrahim in Arabic), and his son Ishmael (Ismail in Arabic), after the latter had settled in Arabia. The building has a mosque built around it, the Masjid al-Haram. All Muslims around the world face the Ka'ba during prayers, no matter where they are. This is called facing the Qiblah.
Nakkaş Osman (sometimes called Osman the Miniaturist) was the chief miniaturist for the Ottoman Empire during the latter half of the sixteenth century. The dates of his birth and death are uncertain, but most of his works are dated to the last quarter of the sixteenth century.<br/><br/> The oldest known illustrations of Nakkaş Osman's were made between 1560 and 1570 for a Turkish translation of the Persian manuscript Firdausi's Shahnama.Among the works he illustrated, he is known to have been the chief illustrator of the various official histories written by Sayyid Lokman for Murad III that were produced in this era, including the Zafername (Book of Victories), the Şahname-ı Selim Han (Book of Kings) and the Şehinşahname (Book of King of Kings). He was also one of the illustrators of the Siyer-i Nebi, an epic on the life of Muhammad written around 1388, then illustrated around 1595.<br/><br/> Representations of the Prophet Muhammad are controversial, and generally forbidden in Sunni Islam (especially Hanafiyya, Wahabi, Salafiyya). Shia Islam and some other branches of Sunni Islam (Hanbali, Maliki, Shafi'i) are generally more tolerant of such representational images, but even so the Prophet's features are generally veiled or concealed by flames as a mark of deep respect.
Yahyâ ibn Mahmûd al-Wâsitî was a 13th-century Arab Islamic artist. Al-Wasiti was born in Wasit in southern Iraq. He was noted for his illustrations of the Maqam of al-Hariri.<br/><br/> Maqāma (literally 'assemblies') are an (originally) Arabic literary genre of rhymed prose with intervals of poetry in which rhetorical extravagance is conspicuous. The 10th century author Badī' al-Zaman al-Hamadhāni is said to have invented the form, which was extended by al-Hariri of Basra in the next century. Both authors' maqāmāt center on trickster figures whose wanderings and exploits in speaking to assemblies of the powerful are conveyed by a narrator.<br/><br/> Manuscripts of al-Harīrī's Maqāmāt, anecdotes of a roguish wanderer Abu Zayd from Saruj, were frequently illustrated with miniatures.
The Craig retroazimuthal map projection was created by James Ireland Craig in 1909. It is a modified cylindrical projection. As a retroazimuthal projection, it preserves directions from everywhere to one location of interest that is configured during construction of the projection.<br/><br/> The projection is sometimes known as the Mecca projection because Craig, who had worked in Egypt as a cartographer, created it to help Muslims find their qibla. In such maps, Mecca is the configurable location of interest.
The earliest mention of Kashgar occurs when a Chinese Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) envoy traveled the Northern Silk Road to explore lands to the west.<br/><br/> Another early mention of Kashgar is during the Former Han (also known as the Western Han Dynasty), when in 76 BCE the Chinese conquered the Xiongnu, Yutian (Khotan), Sulei (Kashgar), and a group of states in the Tarim basin almost up to the foot of the Tian Shan mountains.<br/><br/> Ptolemy spoke of Scythia beyond the Imaus, which is in a 'Kasia Regio', probably exhibiting the name from which Kashgar is formed.<br/><br/> The country’s people practised Zoroastrianism and Buddhism before the coming of Islam. The celebrated Old Uighur prince Sultan Satuq Bughra Khan converted to Islam late in the 10th century and his Uighur kingdom lasted until 1120 but was distracted by complicated dynastic struggles.<br/><br/> The Uighurs employed an alphabet based upon the Syriac and borrowed from the Nestorian, but after converting to Islam widely used also an Arabic script. They spoke a dialect of Turkic preserved in the Kudatku Bilik, a moral treatise composed in 1065.
Late 16th century minature of the Prophet Muhammad and the Muslim army at the Battle of Uhud, near Mecca, in 625. The painting was commissioned by the Ottoman sultan Murad III. Muhammad is represented veiled, according to Muslim convention.
From an illuminated Ottoman dua kitabi or ‘prayer book’ by Hasan Rashid (Istanbul, 1845) once the property of a Topkapi harem lady.<br/><br/> The Arabic term ‘du’a’ is generally translated into English as ‘prayer’, though a more exact rendering would be ‘supplication’. The term is derived from an Arabic word meaning to 'call out' or to 'summon', and Muslims regard this as a profound act of worship. This is when Muslims connect with God and ask him for forgivness or appeal for his favour. The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said ‘Dua is the very essence of worship’, while one of Allah's commands expressed through the Qur'an is for Muslims to call out to Him: 'Call to Me; I will answer your prayers’.<br/><br/> There is a special emphasis on du'a in Muslim spirituality and early Muslims took great care to record the supplications of Muhammad and transmit them to subsequent generations. These traditions precipitated new genres of literature in which prophetic supplications were gathered together in single volumes that were memorized, taught – and treasured.
Page from a very early Qur'an. Hijaz, 7th century. Sura 'The Cow', written in Hijazi script.
From an illuminated Ottoman dua kitabi or ‘prayer book’ by Hasan Rashid (Istanbul, 1845) once the property of a Topkapi harem lady.<br/><br/> The Arabic term ‘du’a’ is generally translated into English as ‘prayer’, though a more exact rendering would be ‘supplication’. The term is derived from an Arabic word meaning to 'call out' or to 'summon', and Muslims regard this as a profound act of worship. This is when Muslims connect with God and ask him for forgivness or appeal for his favour. The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said ‘Dua is the very essence of worship’, while one of Allah's commands expressed through the Qur'an is for Muslims to call out to Him: 'Call to Me; I will answer your prayers’.<br/><br/> There is a special emphasis on du'a in Muslim spirituality and early Muslims took great care to record the supplications of Muhammad and transmit them to subsequent generations. These traditions precipitated new genres of literature in which prophetic supplications were gathered together in single volumes that were memorized, taught – and treasured.
Page from a very early Qur'an. Hijaz, 7th century. Sura 'The Cow', written in Hijazi script.
From an illuminated Ottoman dua kitabi or ‘prayer book’ by Hasan Rashid (Istanbul, 1845) once the property of a Topkapi harem lady.<br/><br/> The Arabic term ‘du’a’ is generally translated into English as ‘prayer’, though a more exact rendering would be ‘supplication’. The term is derived from an Arabic word meaning to 'call out' or to 'summon', and Muslims regard this as a profound act of worship. This is when Muslims connect with God and ask him for forgivness or appeal for his favour. The Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said ‘Dua is the very essence of worship’, while one of Allah's commands expressed through the Qur'an is for Muslims to call out to Him: 'Call to Me; I will answer your prayers’.<br/><br/> There is a special emphasis on du'a in Muslim spirituality and early Muslims took great care to record the supplications of Muhammad and transmit them to subsequent generations. These traditions precipitated new genres of literature in which prophetic supplications were gathered together in single volumes that were memorized, taught – and treasured.
Surrounded by the Holy Mosque, al-Masjid al-Haram, stands the cubic Kaaba. Shortly after they arrive in Mecca, pilgrims first walk around the Kaaba seven times and then walk back and forth between two hills, al-Safa and al-Marwa. They carry out a large number of rituals in the following days in both Mecca and its environs. On the 10th day of the month of Dhu al-Hijja, they begin the great feast of Eid al-Adha to commemorate Abraham’s willingness to serve God by sacrificing his son. Ritual sacrifices of sheep and goats are made on this occasion throughout the Islamic world. In conclusion, pilgrims drink or are sprinkled with water from the Zamzam Well in the courtyard of the holy mosque.<br/><br/> This print shows an idealized and schematic picture of the Holy Mosque in the center of Mecca. Around the mosque’s courtyard are a number of tall minarets. The heading exhorts the beholder to make the pilgrimage as often as possible. Prints like this one have been popular decorations in private homes as well as offices and coffee houses during the past century.
Nezami-ye Ganjavi (1141—1209) is considered the greatest romantic epic poet in Persian literature, who brought a colloquial and realistic style to the Persian epic. His heritage is widely celebrated and shared in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran and Tajikistan. Nezami is best known for his five long narrative poems, the ‘Panj Ganj’ or ‘Khamsa’ (Persian: Five Jewels), which are written in the Masnavi style (double-rhymed verses).
Birth of the Prophet Muhammad. Miniature illustration on vellum from the book Jami' at-Tawarikh (literally 'Compendium of Chronicles' but often referred to as 'The Universal History or History of the World'), by Rashid al-Din, Tabriz, Persia, 1307 CE, now in the collection of the Edinburgh University Library, Scotland.<br/><br/> Representations of the Prophet Muhammad are controversial, and generally forbidden in Sunni Islam (especially Hanafiyya, Wahabi, Salafiyya). Shia Islam and some other branches of Sunni Islam (Hanbali, Maliki, Shafi'i) are generally more tolerant of such representational images, but even so the Prophet's features are generally veiled or concealed by flames as a mark of deep respect.
The Prophet Muhammad receiving his first revelation from the angel Jibril (Gabriel). Miniature illustration on vellum from the book Jami' at-Tawarikh (literally 'Compendium of Chronicles' but often referred to as 'The Universal History or History of the World'), by Rashid al-Din, Tabriz, Persia, 1307 CE, now in the collection of the Edinburgh University Library, Scotland.<br/><br/> Representations of the Prophet Muhammad are controversial, and generally forbidden in Sunni Islam (especially Hanafiyya, Wahabi, Salafiyya). Shia Islam and some other branches of Sunni Islam (Hanbali, Maliki, Shafi'i) are generally more tolerant of such representational images, but even so the Prophet's features are generally veiled or concealed by flames as a mark of deep respect.
The Prophet Muhammad preaching his final sermon to his earliest converts, on Mount Ararat near Mecca; taken from a medieval-era manuscript of the astronomical treatise 'The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries' by the Persian scholar al-Biruni; currently housed in the collection of Edinburgh University Library, Scotland.<br/><br/> Representations of the Prophet Muhammad are controversial, and generally forbidden in Sunni Islam (especially Hanafiyya, Wahabi, Salafiyya). Shia Islam and some other branches of Sunni Islam (Hanbali, Maliki, Shafi'i) are generally more tolerant of such representational images, but even so the Prophet's features are generally veiled or concealed by flames as a mark of deep respect.
The Prophet Muhammad preaching his final sermon to his earliest converts, on Mount Ararat near Mecca; taken from a medieval-era manuscript of the astronomical treatise 'The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries' by the Persian scholar al-Biruni; currently housed in the collection of the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, France.<br/><br/> Representations of the Prophet Muhammad are controversial, and generally forbidden in Sunni Islam (especially Hanafiyya, Wahabi, Salafiyya). Shia Islam and some other branches of Sunni Islam (Hanbali, Maliki, Shafi'i) are generally more tolerant of such representational images, but even so the Prophet's features are generally veiled or concealed by flames as a mark of deep respect.
The Prophet Muhammad preaching his final sermon to his earliest converts, on Mount Ararat near Mecca; taken from a medieval-era manuscript of the astronomical treatise 'The Remaining Signs of Past Centuries' by the Persian scholar al-Biruni; currently housed in the collection of Edinburgh University Library, Scotland.<br/><br/> Representations of the Prophet Muhammad are controversial, and generally forbidden in Sunni Islam (especially Hanafiyya, Wahabi, Salafiyya). Shia Islam and some other branches of Sunni Islam (Hanbali, Maliki, Shafi'i) are generally more tolerant of such representational images, but even so the Prophet's features are generally veiled or concealed by flames as a mark of deep respect.
In 630, the Prophet Muhammad marched on Mecca with a large force, said to number more than ten thousand men.<br/><br/> With minimal casualties, the Muslims took control of the city. The Prophet Muhammad declared an amnesty for past offences, except for ten men and women who had mocked and ridiculed him in songs and verses. Some of these were later pardoned.<br/><br/> Most Meccans converted to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad subsequently destroyed all the statues of Arabian gods in and around the Kaaba.<br/><br/> Representations of the Prophet Muhammad are controversial, and generally forbidden in Sunni Islam (especially Hanafiyya, Wahabi, Salafiyya). Shia Islam and some other branches of Sunni Islam (Hanbali, Maliki, Shafi'i) are generally more tolerant of such representational images, but even so the Prophet's features are generally veiled or concealed by flames as a mark of deep respect.
The Kaaba (or Qaaba; Arabic: الكعبة‎ al-Kaʿbah; English: The Cube) is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The Quran states that the Kaaba was constructed by Abraham (Ibrahim in Arabic), and his son Ishmael (Isma'il in Arabic), after the latter had settled in Arabia. The building has a mosque built around it, the Masjid al-Haram. All Muslims around the world face the Kaaba during prayers, no matter where they are. This is called facing the Qiblah.<br/><br/> One of the Five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime if able to do so. Multiple parts of the Hajj require pilgrims to walk seven times around the Kaaba in a counter-clockwise direction (as viewed from above). This circumambulation, the Tawaf, is also performed by pilgrims during the Umrah (lesser pilgrimage). However, the most dramatic times are during the Hajj, when about 6 million pilgrims gather to circle the building on the same day.