The Abbassid Caliphates
Arts
The Abbasid Dynasty (750-945)
established its capital at Baghad, near the old Sassanian capital. For a
century, the empire experienced a time of unprecedented cultural, artistic and
economic development, particularly during the reigns of Harun al-Rashid
(786-809) and al-Mamun (813-833). Persian scholars and artists played an
important role in this intellectual activity; from the very beginning of the
Abbasid Caliphate, they had been placed in charge of the highest court
functions, and a large number of Iranian customs and traditions were rapidly
adopted in Baghdad.
From the second half of the 9th
Century a period of decline began, and by the middle of the 10th
Century, the Abbassid caliphs at Baghdad had no real political control over
Iran. The governors whom the caliphs had appointed to administer the frontier
provinces displayed a tendency to establish virtually independent local
dynasties. Some of these included the Tahirids of Khurasan (820 - 873), the
Samanids of Khurasan and Transoxiana (819 - 1005) and their offshoot, the
Ghaznavids of Khurasan, Afghanistan and northern India (977 - 1186).
In 945 the Buwayids, a local
dynasty from Gilan occupied Baghdad. During their 110 years of rule, the
Buwayids seized all political power from the Abbassid caliphs.
Arts
Once the initial
shock of the Arab invasion was over, the Iranians got down to the job of
assimilating their vanquishers. Artists and craftsmen put themselves at the
disposal of the new rulers and the needs of the new religion, and Moslem
buildings adopted the methods and materials of the Sassanian period.
The Great Mosque of Samarra,
Iraq, 848-852 AD.
Built on an open plan
principle, this is the largest mosque of Islam (748 x 512 ft).
The most striking feature of the mosque is the winding minaret (Al-Malwiyya)
which is ascended by an external stairway.
|
The size of the buildings
and the techniques of construction in the Abbassid period show a revival
of the Mesopotamian architecture. Bricks were used for walls and
pillars. These pillars then acted as isolated supports for the vaults
that were used repeatedly throughout the Moslem world, due to the
scarcity of roofing timber. The wide assortment of arches in Abbassid
architecture leads one to believe that their varied shapes were for
ornamental purposes rather than structural requirements.
Of all the decorative
arts, pottery made the most remarkable advances during the Abbassid
period. In the 9th century new techniques were developed in
which bold designs were painted with a strong cobalt blue pigment on a
white background. Sometimes several tones of luster were combined on a
white background, including red, green, gold or brown. Towards the end
of the 9th century, animal and human silhouette designs
became quite common, on a plain or densely covered background. |
The hypostyle hall of
the very ancient mosque
at Nayin, east of Isfahan, which dates from AD 960.
The columns are
of brick with decorative stucco, which bears a resemblance
to the sculptured motifs on the 9th century monuments of Samarra. |
The pottery of the late
Abbassid period (12th to early 13th century) includes:
- Carved or molded lamps,
incense burners, small floor tables and tiles with a turquoise-green glaze.
- Jars and bowls painted
with floral patterns, chevrons, animals or human figures etc. under a green
or clear glaze.
- Jars, bowls and tiles
painted with a deep brown luster on a clear greenish glaze; the luster
sometimes combined with blue and green lines.
|
Ceramics are
among the earliest examples of Islamic art
in Iran, and hold a place of special importance. This 9th
century plate is from Nishapur, and is decorated with two
birds on a white background. |
Slip painted
glazed dish from Nishapur, Iran 10th century.
The Kufic script on the border transcribes the following
saying "The beginning of knowledge is bitter to taste, but
the end is sweeter than honey. Peace be (to the owner)". |
|
From Nishapur, a plate with
undulating stripes in three colours
against a white background, dating from the 9th century. The
olive-green black and red-brown hues are typical of this period,
which happens to be contemporary with the Tang dynasty in
China; the influence of this is discernible in Persian ceramics. |
A blue plate from
Gorgan,
decorated
with arabesque. In the centre is
a tiny representation of the bird Simurgh. In
terms of technique this piece, which dates
from 12th century, is derived directly from the
Song in southern China. |
Paintings from the early
Abbasid era are known to us from the fragments excavated at Samarra, outside
western Iran (approximately 62 miles north of Baghdad, Iraq). These wall
paintings were found in the reception rooms of bourgeois houses and in the
non-public parts of palaces, especially the harem quarters, where no religious
function took place. A favorite location of such decorations was the domes over
square halls. A good deal of the images have Hellenistic elements, as shown by
the drinkers, dancers and musicians, but the style is basically Sassanian in
spirit and content. Many have been reconstructed using Sassanian monuments such
as rock reliefs, seals etc.
In the east of Iran, a
painting of a woman's head, (late 8th or early 9th
century) found in Nishapur has a strong resemblance to the art of Samarra;
however, it is hardly touched by Hellenistic influences.
The pictorial art (miniatures)
in the final period before the destruction of the caliphate is found mainly in
manuscripts illustrating either scientific or literary works and was mainly
restricted to Iraq.
|