Ardalan, Nader & Bakhtiar, Laleh. “The Sense of Unity”: The Sufi Tradition in Persian Architecture. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973. In this book the conceptual and symbolic significance of Islamic architecture from Persia is explored. Includes excellent photographs, and detailed drawings and charts.
Atil, Esin. “Renaissance of Islam”: Art of the Mamluks. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1981. A treasure of Mamluk art. Includes beautiful photographs of objects made from a variety of media, from metal to glass to textiles. Very interesting and informative accounts of these objects are given.
Christie, Archibald H. “Pattern Design”: An Introduction to the Study of Formal Ornament. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1969.
Critchlow, Keith. “Islamic Patterns”: An Analytical Cosmological Approach. New York: Schoken Books, 1976. Explores how the geometric patterns of Islamic art reveal intrinsic cosmological laws affecting all creation. The esoteric Islamic doctrine of unity in multiplicity is exemplified in the numerous space-filling patterns included in this book. A rich source for art and math teachers alike.
Day, Lewis F. “Every-Day Art.” New York: Garland Publishing, Inc., 1977.
Day, Lewis F. “Nature in Ornament”. New York: Garland Publishing, 1977.
D’Avennes, Prisse. “The Decorative Art of Arabia.” New York: Portland House, 1989. Gives a very comprehensive view of applied design in such media as paintings, tiles, carpets and woodwork. Provides a rich source of genuine Islamic patterns and motifs.
El Emary, Amal Ahmad (ed.). “The Mosque of Ibn Tulun.” Cairo: Al-Ahram, 1982.
Ettinghausen, Richard. “Islamic Art and Archaeology”: Collected Papers. Berlin: Gebf. Mann Verlag, 1984.
———. “The Man-Made Setting: Islamic Art and Architecture” in “The World of Islam.” Bernard Lewis (ed.). London: Thames and Hudson LTD, 1976. This excellent chapter discusses the many forces that helped to create the universal and unified character of Islamic art and architecture. Includes sections on the use of calligraphy and color in ornamentation and on the main elements of a mosque.
Falk, Toby, ed. “Treasures of Islam.” New York: Tabard Press, 1985. Presents a large variety of objects taken from the most important periods in the history of Islamic art from the 7th to the 19th centuries. Very informative accounts written by experts in the field are given of these objects.
Gombrich, E.H. “The Sense of Order”: A Study in the Psychology of Decorative Art. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1979.
Grabar, Oleg. “Cities and Citizens: The Growth and Culture of Urban Islam” in “The World of Islam.” Bernard Lewis (ed.). London: Thames and Hudson LTD, 1976. In this chapter an assessment and description of the city in classical Islamic times is made. Includes a description of the most important religious monuments within the medieval city, among which was the mosque.
———. “Islamic Art and Architecture.” “The Encyclopedia Americana.” Danbury, CT: Grolier Incorporated, 1982. pp. 503-509. A concise, well-organized article presenting the many factors influencing Islamic art and architecture. Includes a discussion of the general characterists of Islamic art.
———. “The Formation of Islamic Art.” New Haven: Yale University Press, 1973. A classic work on the nature of early Islamic art. Explores the important question of how Islamic art was formed.
Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck (ed.). “The Muslims of America.” New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
Jones, Owen. “The Grammar of Ornament.” New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1972. A comprehensive collection of historic ornamental design.
Lane-Poole, Stanley. “The Art of the Saracens in Egypt.” London: Chapman and Hall, Limited, 1886. The authors focuses on the decorative arts used to embellish the mosques and palaces of medieval Egypt. Includes an outline of the principal forms and characteristics of Cairo buildings.
Racinet, A. “Polychromatic Ornament.” London: Henry Sotheran And Co., 1873.
Rice, David Talbot. “Islamic Art.” New York: Thames and Hudson, 1965.
Educational Aids
“Addison-Wesley Mathematics”: Teacher’s Edition Grade 2. Menlo Park, California: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., 1993.
Norman, Jane & Stahl, Stef. “The Mathematics of Islamic Art” (A packet for teachers of mathematics, social studies and art). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1979.
