West and Central Asia

By mellycarr99
  • 400

    Buddha. Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Gandharan. c. 400-800 C.E. (destroyed in 2001). Cut rock with plaster and polychrome paint.

    Buddha. Bamiyan, Afghanistan. Gandharan. c. 400-800 C.E. (destroyed in 2001). Cut rock with plaster and polychrome paint.
    The main bodies were carved directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modeled in mud mixed with straw. The sculptures were dynamited and destroyed in March 2001 by the Taliban, on orders from leader Mullah Mohammed Omar after the Taliban government declared that they were idols. Found behind the statues is a complex tunnel system where it is believed the monks would live in.
  • Period: 500 to

    West and Central Asia

    "Khan Academy." Khan Academy. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.
    "AP Art History." West and Central Asia Reading and Images. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2017.
  • Mar 27, 641

    Jowo Rinpoche, enshrined in the Jokhang Temple. Lhasa, Tibet. Yarlung Dynasty. Believed to have been brought to Tibet in 641 C.E. Gilt metals with semiprecious stones, pearls, and paint; various offerings.

    Jowo Rinpoche, enshrined in the Jokhang Temple. Lhasa, Tibet. Yarlung Dynasty. Believed to have been brought to Tibet in 641 C.E. Gilt metals with semiprecious stones, pearls, and paint; various offerings.
    Housed in the Jokhang Temple, the image of Buddha known as Jowo Rinpoche attracts pilgrims from all over to worship. It is known as the holiest object in Tibet, studded with pearls, agate, turquoise, corals, and dzi beads which are revered in Tibet. The image is housed and worshipped in the Jokhang Monastery.
  • Mar 27, 692

    Dome of the Rock. Jerusalem, Palestine. Islamic, Umayyad. with multiple renovations. Stone masonry and wooden roof decorated with glazed ceramic tile, mosaics, and gilt aluminum and bronze dome.

    Dome of the Rock. Jerusalem, Palestine. Islamic, Umayyad. with multiple renovations. Stone masonry and wooden roof decorated with glazed ceramic tile, mosaics, and gilt aluminum and bronze dome.
    In the 7th century served as a testament to the power of the new faith of Islam. The Dome of the Rock is one of the earliest surviving buildings from the Islamic world. At the center of the Dome of the Rock sits a large rock, which is believed to be the location where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son Ismail.
  • Mar 27, 700

    Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh). Isfahan, Iran. Islamic, Persian: Seljuk, Il-Khanid, Timurid and Safavid Dynasties. c. 700 C.E.; additions and restorations in the 14th, 18th, and 20th centuries C.E. Stone, brick, wood, plaster, and glazed ceramic tile.

    Great Mosque (Masjid-e Jameh). Isfahan, Iran. Islamic, Persian: Seljuk, Il-Khanid, Timurid and Safavid Dynasties. c. 700 C.E.; additions and restorations in the 14th, 18th, and 20th centuries C.E. Stone, brick, wood, plaster, and glazed ceramic tile.
    It is an architectural documentary, visually embodying the political exigencies and aesthetic tastes of the great Islamic empires of Persia. Because of the mobility and activity surrounding the mosque it leaves the realm of being just for religious functions. The mosque’s core structure dates primarily from the 11th century when the Seljuk Turks established Isfahan as their capital.
  • Mar 27, 1539

    The Ardabil Carpet. Maqsud of Kashan. Silk and wool.

    The Ardabil Carpet. Maqsud of Kashan. Silk and wool.
    This carpet was one of a matching pair that was made for the shrine of Safi al-Din Ardabili when it was enlarged in the late 1530s. Around the edges of the carpet there is four lines of poetry, three of them read, "Except for thy threshold, there is no refuge for me in all the world.
    Except for this door there is no resting-place for my head.
    The work of the slave of the portal, Maqsud Kashani." These lines are important towards knowing who created it and for what reason.