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COURSE PREMISE
In the second half of the ninth century, the leading
philosophical society, Ikhwan al-Safa, recognized the plurality of the
character of Islamic civilization: “The ideal and morally perfect man
should be of East Persian derivation, Arabic in faith, of Iraqi education,
a Hebrew in astuteness, a disciple of Christ in conduct, as pious as a
Syrian monk, a Greek in the individual sciences, an Indian in the
interpretation of all mysteries, but lastly and especially, a Sufi in his
whole spiritual life.” This synthetic nature of the character of Islamic
civilization can be examined in the Architecture of most “Islamic
Societies” spread across the globe, especially in the Arabian Gulf,
incorporating the ancient civilizations of the “Near” and “Middle” East.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course examines the historical development of
art and architecture of the Arabian Gulf within the context of the
existing civilizations around the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean.
We will study the geographic, political and social environments within
which lie the origins and expansion of Islam in the seventh century,
forming an integral part of the medieval world. We begin with the study of
the earliest archaeological sites and agricultural settlements, examine
the rise and spread of Islam in the region, and end with an assessment of
the material culture of the Arabian Gulf in the 15th Century C.E.
FORMAT
This course is structured primarily in a Seminar form with
lectures on scheduled topics.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Annotated Bibliography 50 points
Book Review 50 points
Class Participation 50 points
(includes Presentation of Mosque Arch. Pres.)
Mosque Architecture
Report 75 points
Seminar Presentation 75 points
Field
Visit Reports (2) 100 points
A = 370 points or above B = 270—330 C =
170-230 D = 100-170
CODE OF CONDUCT
Absence from four classes reduces the final
grade by one full letter. All incidents of Plagiarism will be reported and
may result in expulsion from the University.
(Ref. to the AUS
Catalogue 2001-2002, Page
30)
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