Umayyad Period Art Paper. History Essay/Assignment.

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Umayyad Period Art
Mosques are religious sites of worship for the Muslims. The first Islamic art was influenced by the Sasanian empire, the Romans, Mesopotamian and novel styles of states conjured by the Muslims (Renima et al., 37). Their first art and architecture relied on the earlier techniques, methods, and forms that were reflected from the Iranian and classical decoration motifs and themes. Later, they developed distinctive features in the form and decoration of their buildings. The most important buildings during the Umayyad period include the mosques, various cities, and palaces (Hawting, 2002). The earliest Islamic cities were Kufa, Basra, and the Wasit city. The need to pray daily explains why mosques are unique places for the Muslims not only as a place to congregate but also, as an impressive demonstration of their benefits as the ruling authorities.
Early Mosques, including the Dome of the Rock and the magnificent Mosques in Damascus, were both built on sites where churches and temples stood. The arts on the Mosques were decorated using extensive mosaics and epic Koranic quotes (Treadwell & Luke, 94). The Dom of the rock was built using stones, with a wooden roof that was decorated with polished ceramic tiles and a bronze dome (ArchNet, n.d). The rock is located in the old city of Jerusalem, Palestine, and was the first Jewish temple. It was built by prophet Abdal-Malik-Umayyad Caliph and was associated with the rich traditions of the Jewish and the Christian natives. The Dome of the Rock is surrounded by two sets of colonnades with an octagonal inner wall that is capped at the center by a dome that measured 20 meters diameter. The dome is also attached to an elevated circular drum that stood on sixteen supports; four tiers and twelve columns. Also, there is an octagonal arcade that is made up of twenty-four piers and columns that border the central loop.
On the other hand, the magnificent Mosque of Damascus, also known as Jumi’al-Umawi al Kabir, was built on the Syrian church, which was then used as the Mosque. The primary reconstruction of the Mosque took place after its northern portion was destroyed by the earthquake of 1759 (Renima et al., 46). The mosques measured 97 m by 156m with three elements inside the structure; the Dom of the clock, the ablution fountain, and ...