Glories of Islamic Art

Synopsis

Consisting of three programmes of 45 minutes each, this series celebrates the heritage of Islamic artists and architects. It explains the close connection between the architectural splendor and the religious message of Islam. Combining travelogue with story-telling, the programme is aimed at a broad audience. The spirit of this programme, presented by Professor Akbar Ahmed, is to embrace trust and shared values between Islam, Judaism and Christianity. The first episode looks at the achievements of the first Islamic dynasty, the Umayyads, who established their capital at Damascus. Their regime spread throughout greater Syria and they left a rich architectural heritage. This includes two of the great surviving Islamic buildings, the Great Mosque of Damascus and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The second episode moves on to Cairo, the cockpit of the early Islamic struggles between Sunni and Shi’a faiths. Cairo displays the glories of two of the great Islamic regimes - the Shi’ite Fatimids who swept in from the North African desert - and the Mamluks, slave soldiers who overthrew their masters to set up their own Sunni dynasty. Both have left behind impressive evidence of their strength. The final episode eplores the last great Islamic dynasty, the Ottomans, and their great capital at Istanbul.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of release

2013

Subjects

Art; Religious studies

Keywords

art - Islamic; Islam; Istanbul; Ottoman Empire; religious art

Credits

Contributor

Akbar Ahmed

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 2 PAL

Price

£14.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

135 minutes

Year

2014

Production Company

Name

TVF International

Distributor

Name

Canny Store

Web

https://cannystore.com/ External site opens in new window

Phone

01789 207440

Address

The Mansley Centre
Timothy’s Bridge Road
Stratford upon Avon
CV37 9NQ