Unraveling the Mysteries of Islamic Art | Perspective Episode
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Along with Christianity, the Dark Ages saw the emergence of another religion - Islam. After emerging in the Near East, it spread across North Africa and into Europe in such a short time that there was originally no art. In more settled times, highly decorated mosques began to be built based on the prophet Mohammad's own home. Their architectural and scientific achievements, including the mapping of the stars, dwarfed anything existing in the western world.
Januszczak visits the Dome of the Rock, desert palaces forgotten by modern Islam with their more sensual artwork, the Mosque of Ibn Tulun where it was believed Noah's Ark landed, and the Mosque of Cordoba. He identifies the Nilometer used to measure the flood of the Nile and uses an astrolabe that Muslims used to find the direction of Mecca.
Perspective is KZread's home for the arts. Come here to get your fill of great music, theatre, art and much, much more!
From The Dark Ages: An Age of Light
Content licensed from DRG to Little Dot Studios.
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Пікірлер: 418
I've watched most of these multiple times and am so dumbfounded how entertaining and informative he is, and not behind a pay wall! This is the way it should be. Sharing your knowledge many people love and enjoy yet many could not afford otherwise. It spreads the love of art amongst the world. Thanks!!!
@flickz8186
2 жыл бұрын
"Dumbfounded" 💀
@vajra1171
Жыл бұрын
Waldemar Januszczak secretly converted to islam..
@shahidachoudhury6925
Жыл бұрын
@@vajra1171 😃
When I watch these documentaries I am often reminded how lucky I was as a child of the 50s. My father, a scientist and artist, and my mother loved art and used their small amount of disposable income to buy books of all kinds, but art was their passion. Their art books included Indian, Persian, Islamic, & early medieval art. I was allowed to look at them as much as I wanted as long as I treated the books with respect.
@ageofechochambers9469
2 жыл бұрын
Dear Sharon plz look up islam.
@kmmkristin
Жыл бұрын
@@ageofechochambers9469 why? What is your point? What is it that you think Sharon will learn by looking up Islam?
@hereist4nd140
Жыл бұрын
The islam sends painter to hell is what Mohammed said. This is because in that era poeple made images that they worship. But still a lot of muslims hold on to that believe. However in the quran there is nothing explicitly says it's bad.
@emmanueldonnelly5792
Жыл бұрын
Indeed your were an happy child with very wise mum and dad!
It was the Dark Ages for the West not Islam.
@tropicalstrings
3 жыл бұрын
Spain is also the west.
@SarahSmith-nr2wj
3 жыл бұрын
This one documentary shows how our learnt history is very skewed to a certain narrative, but there is a shit load of other suppressed perspectives and facts.
@tropicalstrings
3 жыл бұрын
Was King Arthur Carolus Magnus The monastrys with their books and art sso dark? And was the conquest and attacs on the west stealing people an churches, conquering by sword till Ysland so advanced?
@skanderibnziyad8702
3 жыл бұрын
Hhhh
@user-ge8yn4ql4i
3 жыл бұрын
Long live the Renaissance age people looking down on medieval times. /s
Waldy is my favorite documentary maker ever I am addicted to his work He deserves recognition from the world for his exceptional well researched work You are best at what you do Hope history will do you justice and remember you as one of the best to document it accurately without bias
@Saljarba87
5 ай бұрын
He does deserve a recognition. The level of passion to his knowledge is unmatched
I am thankful to have discovered this series during quarantine. I feel as if I am vacationing with Dr. Januszczak, my private tour guide, in every episode. I only wish they would be listed in the order of which he speaks.
@rickystrychnine
3 жыл бұрын
I was thinking the same. He talks about "the next one" or "the last one" in a series, that is just about the only (very minor) complaint I have through.
@mary-annestuart7419
3 жыл бұрын
It seems this is the order, according to Wikipedia Episode one: "The Clash of the Gods" Episode two: "What the Barbarians Did for Us" Episode three: "The Wonder of Islam" Episode four: "The Men of the North"
@noahhultgren1710
3 жыл бұрын
@Forrest Khari in case anyone is stupid enough to try this, it is a paypal scam. hacking accounts is not so easy.
@noahhultgren1710
3 жыл бұрын
@Leroy Bo most likely these are bots posting this stuff, i have seen a couple goobers fall for this one on reddit and other sites. don't expect hacking to be so simple. the reason scammers will choose a service like account hacking is because its technically slightly illegal, that way victims will be less likely to ask for help as it would be an admission of guilt.
@lauramarks6207
3 жыл бұрын
@@rickystrychnine p
It's impossible to be sated from Waldemar's programs. There's always more to learn, and the appetite just grows. As one toddles around with him, from one eye-popping experience to the next, Waldemar the Cherub-Art Critic-Analyst-PHD- Enthusiast, one is left completely agog with exciting information. With wonderful teachers like Waldemar, you can almost scent the faint wafting aroma of fried brains in the air. Fabulous! Love it! May I have some more please?
The David Attenborough of art his documentaries are so captivating
@lindabranigan1443
Жыл бұрын
Mr. DJdo. Well put. Now, I am going to Google Mr. Attenborough, since I could use an educational fix of another kind.
I was in Cordoba a few years ago, and the mosque-cathedral was undeniably the crown jewel in its beauty and imposing architecture, but I was even more taken with the dozens of fountains and other small-scale architectural curiosities that I saw while on a morning walk around the city. I still think it was maybe the most beautiful place I've ever been to
@classics39
3 жыл бұрын
Try to go to Uzbekistan. Can't wait to go back.
1:41 - how does the astrolabe work 4:25 - Himalayas formed natural border north of india isolating them from their neighbors 8:03 - King solomon (sulaiman) & Herod 9:53 - Prophet Ibrahim 10:01 - Arc of the covenant 29:25 - Mehrab origin (imaam spot) 34:54 - Nilometer 36:22 - Alfra Ganus 39:57 - Arabesques meaning 44:46 - Bawerhaus 49:44 - Talismanic 52:52 - Visigoth 58:08 - difference between sextant and astrolabe
@kckazcoll1
3 жыл бұрын
thank you!
@mikeny5020
2 жыл бұрын
@@kckazcoll1 🤯👎
Ive wanted something like this to come out, my favourite class was Eastern Art History growing up.
@sasnad3
3 жыл бұрын
Of all the art history you like eastern. 🤔
@sitahsinrva
3 жыл бұрын
@@sasnad3 Yes, is it so hard to understand? I majored in ART HISTORY. Its good to know the roots of what later added to our worlds cultural history. In islam Art, Religion and life all follow the same trend. One denotes another, unlike in the west where i live and everything is cheap from the begging. What part of Arts history do you like?
@sasnad3
3 жыл бұрын
@@sitahsinrva I am a sculpture major, but I loved art history. I like European Art more. AND I'd say I like Eastern muslim architecture better.
@sasnad3
3 жыл бұрын
@@sitahsinrva renaissance, baroque, post impressionism, surrealism. Bernini, Durer, Michelangelo, davinci. I mean they all have contributed to the building of human conscience
@sasnad3
3 жыл бұрын
@@sitahsinrva I'm from Lahore, Pakistan
woww admiro el trabajo de Waldemar Januszczak !!! es completamente admirable, profundo, divertido, educativo, rompe-mitos, iluminador, placentero, ameno, ilustrativo, una maravilla de cultura y una obra maestra de pedagogia, asi, con la obra frente a tus ojos, una imagen habla mas que mil palabras, un buen documental como todos los de Waldemar hablan más de 1,000,000, te iluminan, y se hace la luz de la razón y la belleza. gracias a Perspective por estos maravillosos documentales. ( que bueno que existe google translate, decenas y decenas de palabras nuevas en ingles). Saludos desde México.
I'm very happy that such content is available freely on KZread, your channel is a gold mine.
Fantastic! THANK you SO much for this Valentine morning's treat! Kudos!
As a Muslim, I learned a lot about my religion through others. And learning was something that Muhammad pbuh was asked to do when Gabriel came down and said "Read!" to the Prophet. In that very context, many of the early scholars were inspired by the words of God. Quranic inscriptions were everywhere as shown in the video. The Dome of Rock and the Great Mosque of Kairouan are the perfect examples of what Islam shall be - the religion that superseded the previous ones and instead of saying "Fuck you, Christians, Jews etc.", what Islam does was bringing together everyone in unity. And unity is holy. Just because having Roman pillars and crosses inside the mosque, it does make the site less holy. See and recognise the values it brought.
@jonathansoko1085
2 жыл бұрын
Your religion isnt the reason for any of it. Notice that at the rise of islam, ALL innovation CEASES!? Whys that? Oh, its becuase islam stomped out the innovation. You worship and bow down to a rock and your false prophet had s*x with CHILDREN. Your religion is SICK. You didnt supersede anything, you are liars and thieves. Islam doesnt bring people together, its death and destruction.
@sharonkaczorowski8690
2 жыл бұрын
@@jonathansoko1085 you are very ignorant of the history of Islam…I’m always sad for people who don’t learn history in order to preserve their prejudices. If you truly learn the histories of humanity, prejudice flees.
@sharonkaczorowski8690
2 жыл бұрын
@Meep P he’s not a loser…human children and young people often receive education which serves those in power and reflects their bigotry…and historically bigotry is a useful tool of oppression. Keep people hating/terrified of each other they won’t be to organize in their own shared interest. An oversimplification, but no less true,
@jonathansoko1085
2 жыл бұрын
@@sharonkaczorowski8690 actually I study it exclusively, I fear you don't know you're own history. Your prophet is a pedophile, that's a fact not opinion
I had hoped to see many of these places when I retired, but became quite I’ll before that happened. These wonderful videos give me a way to see so much beauty.
This is a great Art series. Thank you for the great insights information appreciation etc etc you give. Are you going to do a series on Asian art? Chinese art and architecture? Korean etc? that would be great thanks.
Divine Mathematics-what a super concept, Waldy! Thanks again.❇️
Thanks for uploading this awesome resource! I'm taking my content test for visual arts education soon and this definitely helped me brush up on islamic art and architecture
Thank you for this beautiful work, and for giving justice to Islamic Art.
@mikeny5020
2 жыл бұрын
💩👎
Waldemar makes the best documentaries about art and art history.
Astrolabe come from the word Astrulabi the lasname of Maryam bint Al Astrulabi syrian Muslim women scientist work in golden age of islam during the abbasid caliphate era
@nvoid2597
3 жыл бұрын
Nice
Very interesting perspective..early use of recycling in the Tunisian mosque
I absolutely LOVE this series!!! ❤
Spending my Saturday evening with the informative Waldemar, no regrets 💜 I wish to hold an astrolabe in my hands one day!!
What a beautiful series. I'm enjoying these shows 100%.
From now on, dont call it the dark age. Call it the age of light.
A delightful insight into the journey of collective spiritual aspirations during the dark ages, lifting the veil of dogma through art makes history that much more human and colorful, thank you.
Great vid Love Islamic architecture
Absolutely stunning photography and erudite commentary !!!! More please !
I really like Arabic music.
Great tour, fabulous architecture and Islamic artwork
Thank you for delightful video...
I found the same type of paradise when I moved from the desert to the subtropics.🤔🌴🌊🍖🌺🌻🍝🌳⛅🍇🍍🧀🍉🌦️🥑🍦💧
Dark ages never the same for me. Perfect learning experience.
@henrykmichaelfantazos
2 жыл бұрын
The real "dark ages" are now.The Modern Art killed art.
Riveting! The children are spellbound! Grandmother, the retired professor, and art critic, believes in the accuracy of the programming. Great job in the casting choice.😊
The Islamic art is the Arab ,Persian,roman art that have been transformed to an amazing art
Very very béautifull islamic civilisation And humanity With peace.
@bugibugati8542
2 жыл бұрын
i hate islam it was a mistake
@MasterGoogleWay
2 жыл бұрын
@@bugibugati8542 and so is your life
Everytime Waldemar makes a documentary I get sucked In and have to watch it lol
Beautiful... unbelievably skilled artists
This might be my favorite video in this series!
Thank you very much for this marvellous program which reminded me my courses of Islamic arts at university.
Very Instructive, Bravo ! Happy New Year 2024 !
He is awesome. I've learned lots from this guy.
We're in the golden age of dark ages.
A Coptic Egyptian build and designed the rock of Dom in case you wonder..
Excellent documentary.
Aaaah Waldemar... You're a sheer delight to follow around the web... May you and yours be blessed forever 😎🙏
Awesome documentary!
Great doc. ! Again I've learned a lót. Thank you for charing. I wonder what the total of traveling costs were at the end of this series. Paid by Channel Four ? Ps: often one sees a presenter showing us viewers an extremely old and precious book and telling about it while (s)he's turning the pages ....withóut wearing glóves.
@rbzvncnt
3 жыл бұрын
Never wear gloves with old books! Your touch isn't as sensitive and you will tear the pages faster wearing gloves... wear gloves when you handle other artifacts on which you could leave fingerprints :)
Just fascinating ❤️
@iyeiself-lordandmasterer4888
Жыл бұрын
I like your name.
Thank you for another great art class 🌷
"but sometimes i should just shut up!" love that quote! and when he says "borrowing" as it pertains to all the columns in the mosque, is it a lend-lease program or did the Arab just plain out and out steal them? curious monologue
@demitasse22
3 жыл бұрын
Curious indeed
@ademali8199
3 жыл бұрын
You wouldn't understand, he's talking about people of the book
this is like the 1001 nights ❤
Waldemar Januszczak is is for art history what Carl Sagan was for astronomy.
A bouffet of the most intoxicating bits of true art.
Is that zurna playing at 28:03?
If that brazier at 22:15 was lit, what would the shadows cast on walls have looked like? If the crystal ewers at 46:15 were full of wine and backlit?
Islam is the most logical, practical and most just religion in my humble opinion. 💯💔🇸🇴
Ooo I love their art !
In our elementary schools we are taught that Abacus was the first computer and not even a grazing mention of Astrolab anywhere.
The astrolabe was used during the time of the library at Alexandria for telling time Among other things, so I doubt that it was invented in the middle ages.
@beakeeper5243
3 жыл бұрын
Could it be that they "invented" their version of it? Genuinely asking
@whitedomerobert
3 жыл бұрын
@@beakeeper5243 Well of course it’s not likely anyone put out an international patent restricting its use. It’s primarily use WAS for casting horoscopes, finding your location as well as many other astronomical, mathematical, geographic and geometric uses. Hypatia was killed accused by extremist Christians of witchcraft, torn limb from limb for use of the Astrolabe and for her knowledge, in the libraries of Alexandria.
Very well done !
I likelike islmic art
Thanks for posting.
This man is GREAT fun to watch...........good way to learn art history that seemed unlearnable in college; to me anyway, back in the 60s
THANK YOU SO MUCH IS THE ONLY WORD I CAN COMMENT...
The best art history I I ever seen,
it was golden age not dark age
48:57 Oh Dios mío. ¡las combinaciones de Dios.
Re: the 'Nileometer' (around 33.30), I wonder if the artist M.C.Escher ever payed a trip there. If not then he certainly came to some very similar geometric conclusions
Excellent !
SUBHANALLAHU VE ELHAMDULILLAHI....LA IL LAHE IL ALLAHU VE ALLAHU AKBAR....
Hey everybody! There's lots of comments here about a load of ads in this video. To end that go to the menu in the upper right of chrome and select more tools. Then select extensions. Then select adblock for you tube. One small ad will appear in the beginning and then NO MORE ADS for the entire video! Thank me now! LOL
@Palmieres
2 жыл бұрын
No, don't do that. Ads are there so the content creator gets some money. If you disable the ads KZread still gets the money from sponsors and the creators get nothing. You're watching this for free. The least you could do to reward and thank the content creator is let the stupid ads run. If not all, let at least one or two of them run. It's a few seconds, ffs.
@Cosmicsurfpro
2 жыл бұрын
@@Palmieres do you really think the people complaining about the ads care if the creator gets more money? FFS.. .
The thing with Islam is that it keeps on changing it's standard narrative and keeps on making new set of narratives.
Define history. 😎 I'm just glad I've lived long enough to see the beginning of the end of the judeo christian hegemony of too much of the globe.
I was 20 when that dam went up…I was horrified and even grief stricken over the lost art…I had admired Nassar until that dam went up, though now I understand the need for water. I do wonder what it’s impact will be when climate change really hits.
Nowadays are the real “Dark Ages “
Well to Islamic art where geometry meets architecture and their marriage officiates by non other than mathematics himself. art itself inspired by Devin revelation.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ عَلَى نَبَيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ وَعَلىٰ آلِهِ (مـا أنـا عـلـيـه و أصـحـابـي) وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلِّمْ تَسْلِيمًا ﷺ ( إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيماً) سورة الأحزاب Verse 56 Blessings of ALLAH be upon Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam and the progeny of our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam ALLAHUMMA SALLI ALA SAIYYEDINA MUHAMMADIN NOORIL ANWARI WA SIRRIL ASRARI WA SAIYYEDIL ABRAR Oh ALLAH, shower thy blessings on Hazrat Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam, Who is light, actual light, mystery among the mysteries, and the leader of the excellents. ......
brilliant series on art - thank you so much for sharing...wish more muslims would watch this particular show......Is it an accident that the stairs at 34:21 look so much like the inspiration to M C Escher Relativity & stairs series?
Dear Waldemar, I very much enjoyed your documentary, however, again I see some miss information one is the dark ages computer that you introduced, it was made by Omar khayyam, he is known only as a poet in west but he was a grand Mathamatison and Astronomer 900 years ago. He made it with multiple use ( a compus, ...) One of its use that It was made to give a correct calander that makes Persian calander the most accurate calander in experience In IRANIAN calander year changes to the second(ex. Year changes at March 21 at 19:36:56 sec) it was not made for praying. I appreciate if you correct this at least. Thanks for your beautiful documentaries
@faribamirshahi9333
2 жыл бұрын
Sorry I meant the most accurate calander in existence is IRANIAN calander 👍😀
@user-lz1tz7um5w
4 ай бұрын
That had nothing to do with calender lol it's a compass
Very Good
Thanks!
I see sacred geometry.
Eratosthenes of Cyrene, c. 276 BC - c. 195/194 BC, calculated the circumference of the Earth long before Abū al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn Kathīr al-Farghānī.
@amoohabib8845
2 жыл бұрын
All those art was lost or destroyed before dark ages which was Islam Golden age,that cannot be denied.
Islam = astonishing art.
The Arabs had an exquisite taste in architecture,no one can doubt it.
this is a delightful video and i am happy you posted it on youtube.... but it does prompt this question --- if arabs are so intrigued/enamored w/ flowing water, etc. why don't they leave the fricking desert? back in Mohammed's day, they didn't have oil as an economic reason ---- soooooo what the heck is the incentive for sticking around? i would have moved! as a matter of fact, now i think on it -- i did leave Arizona for that reason precisely!
@beakeeper5243
3 жыл бұрын
I'm not sure if you're kidding, apologies if so, but people born and raised in a place rarely miss what they don't know (generally speaking, although there will always be people who want to relocate or dream of something different for one reason or another). Additionally, the more rare something is the more precious and revered it becomes. If they, as a civilization, originated from a place with an abundance of water it might be that their focus would shift to a more precious and scarce resource. In a similar way you could imagine the price for diamonds would undoubtedly drop if they grew on trees by the dozen haha!
For the crystal vessels, how is it possible to carve in this bulbous shape from such a small opening at the neck? Can't visualise it
Domr of the rock: absolute byzantine art.
Haraam al Sharif IS NOT located on the temple mount. It is the site of the Roman garrison.
Fascinatingly beautiful, but I do wonder... is "Islamic times" a thing? I assume that since Muslims are still very much around, it's a bit weird to refer to "those times" as if they are gone. Maybe I'm misunderstanding?
@eggyegg7424
3 жыл бұрын
The perspective of the islam and perspective on architecture and art has changed a lot. Just as all religions changed over time.
Waw-ta
I love this guys videos, he is brilliant, but I can't watch this.
جميل جميل بالتوفيق
Cuando tu me des lo que te pido yo te respondere. 🌕
50:03
It reminds me of the game "soul reaver legacy of kain"
If i could only find the background music for this documentary
Thank you brother for your hard work and research.