Author: Abu Raef
The Role of Muslims in the Formation and Development of Sciences (Part 54)
The Art of Ornamentation (Zukhrufah)
The Muslim artist stepped into a new world—a world free from human depiction and direct imitation of nature. It was here that his genius shone, his creativity emerged, his imagination became active, and his refined and authentic taste was revealed. One of these new realms was the world of ornamentation and decorative motifs.
If the creation of beauty is the principal aim of Islamic art, then zukhrufah (ornamentation) is one of the most important tools for achieving that beauty. Ornamentation is a pure practice, whose only goal is to manifest beauty. Here, the form of an artwork becomes one with its content, producing a complete unity that reflects beauty both in appearance and in spirit—something rarely found in other branches of art. [1]
Islamic ornamentation developed unique characteristics that played a major role in showcasing the splendor of Islamic civilization, and this art reached a peak of excellence—both in design and execution, and in themes and methods. Muslim artists employed exquisitely decorative lines to create compositions in which imagination was infinite, repetitive, diverse, interwoven, and innovative. They invented star-shaped polygons, foliate motifs (tawreeq), and patterns known as Tawshiḥ ʿArabi—or Arabesque. This style emerged during the Fatimid era, especially in the Al-Azhar Mosque in the 4th century AH (10th century CE) and remains popular in many countries to this day. [2]
Masters of Islamic architectural ornamentation had great skill in carving raised and recessed engravings on wood, stone, and marble, and achieved mastery in the use of colors and the execution of motifs.
Among the key elements of this art are vegetal motifs and geometric patterns, which sometimes appear combined, and sometimes independently. Thus, there are two main types of ornamentation in Islamic art: vegetal ornamentation and geometric ornamentation.
Vegetal Ornamentation
Vegetal ornamentation, or the art of tawreeq, is based on motifs of various plant leaves and diverse flowers. These patterns were depicted through various techniques—such as single motifs, pairing, mirroring, and interweaving. In many instances, a single decorative unit was composed of multiple plant elements arranged in a symmetrical, organized, and interlaced manner.
By employing imagination, the Muslim artist was able to move beyond mere imitation of nature. His tawreeq motifs became structured works where living elements of nature were stylized and subjected to abstraction. These motifs were used to decorate walls, domes, vessels (like copper, glass, and ceramic items), as well as pages and covers of books. [3]
Geometric Ornamentation
This is the second major category of Islamic ornamentation. Muslims showed exceptional skill in using geometric lines and transforming them into beautiful artistic forms. Among these forms were polygons, geometric stars, and interwoven circles. These patterns were applied in architecture, wooden and metal objects, doorways, and ceilings, and they reflected a high level of knowledge in applied geometry.
Muslim artists were able to derive various forms—hexagons, octagons, decagons—as well as triangles, squares, and pentagons—from the circle. From the overlapping of these shapes and the use of filled or empty spaces, countless and novel decorative patterns emerged that captivated the eye and guided the gaze step by step from the parts to the whole, from each detail to the greater composition.
The central concern of the Muslim artist was to discover new and original combinations that arose from the interaction of different angles or the blending of geometric shapes to present deeper and more enduring beauty. Some of the geometric forms he employed included tangent and adjacent circles, weaves, broken lines, and interwoven patterns.
Among the most notable types of geometric ornamentation in Islamic art are multi-sided star motifs, also called abshak al-nujūm (star polygons). These designs were widely used in the embellishment of wooden and metal objects, illuminated Qur’anic manuscripts, books, and ceilings.
The French critic Henri Focillon (H. Faucillon), with great precision and insight, remarked: “I do not think anything strips the face of life as effectively as the geometric patterns in Islamic ornamentation and leads us to its inner depths. These designs are the product of thought based on precise calculation, which at times transforms into a diagram of philosophical ideas and spiritual concepts.” [4]
He added: “One should not forget that within this abstract structure, a living force flows through the lines, generating combinations—sometimes scattered, sometimes intertwined—as if a wandering spirit creates, breaks, and reconnects them. Every composition of these patterns holds multiple meanings, depending on the viewer’s reflection and interpretation. All of them simultaneously conceal and reveal something—secrets of infinite potential and capacity.”⁴
Prominent Techniques Used in Islamic Decorative Art
Technical Methods:
Tarsiʿ (inlay work)
Takfit (panel inlay)
Talbis (coating or covering)
Taʿshiq (interlocking or latticework)
Taṭʿim (insertion or marquetry)
Tajṣiṣ (plasterwork)
Qarnasa (joining or framing)
Tazyiq (embellishing or striping)
Taṣfiḥ (paneling or sheathing)
Tawshiʿ (radiating or branching decoration)
Primary Materials Used:
Marble
Plaster
Wood
Metals
Brick
Mosaic
Glazed tiles (kashi qashani)
Ceramics
Roger Garaudy, speaking about Islamic decorative art, stated: “Arabic decorative art is an effort to express a symbolic model of the concept of ornamentation—one that simultaneously unites abstraction with harmony. In this art, the musical essence of nature and the rational meaning of geometry are always its two essential pillars.” [5]
Continues…
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References:
[1] Ṣaliḥ Aḥmad al-Shami, Al-Fann al-Islami: Iltizam wa Ibtidaʿ, p. 169, Dar al-Qalam, Damascus, Beirut, Lebanon.
[2] Al-Turath al-ʿIlmi al-Islami, p. 144.
[3] Al-Fann al-Islami: Iltizam wa Ibtidaʿ, p. 171.
[4] Madha Qaddama al-Muslimūn li-l-ʿalam?, p. 606 and Al-Fann al-Islami, p. 173.
[5] Madha Qaddama al-Muslimūn li-l-ʿalam?, p. 608.
