Symmetry is
neither unique to Islam nor unique to man; it is evident that symmetries
prevail throughout the natural
world as well. However, around the 10th
century and for around 400 years to follow, Muslim symmetry blossomed and
became interwoven with much of Islamic daily life. One may see immediately that
the architecture of their mosques, tapestries, walls, holy books, and even
script have
symmetric properties of varying sorts. So I ask, why the obsession
with symmetry? What could possibly make it so appealing that all aspects of a
whole religion reflect it? One answer is the aesthetic qualities; it is most
pleasing to the eyes. As stated above by the
famous prophet and
founder of Islam, Allah loves beauty and thus loves symmetry. Why not please
Him with their artwork? Finally, the most striking reason that Muslims enjoy
geometric patterns and such stems from their belief that it is wrong to portray
humans or Allah in artwork. Therefore, in place of still-lives and portraits,
their eyes enjoy
wallpaper patterns, frieze patterns, and much other symmetry.
The most obvious and present use of symmetry in this
faith is architecturally. Two of the greatest feats of early Islam were the Taj
Mahal in Agra in India and the Nasrid Palace of Alhambra in Granada in Spain.
In fact, the first color book printed in Great Britain was designed to show off
the beauty of the Alhambra. While a Hindu started the plans for the Taj Mahal,
it was mostly constructed by a Muslim dynasty. You may see in the above photo
that it contains bilateral symmetry of the left and right halves. Also, the
minarets in the four corners are a symmetric distance from the center. Although
it may only be a trick of depth in the picture, it even appears that the whole
structure may have two mirror lines and four-fold rotational symmetry when seen
from the air. There is also some self-similarity within the center arches and
the doorways and windows they contain. Symmetry of architecture is widely
studied and often presented, thus I will conclude this topic emphasizing only
that the holiest of Muslim buildings are the most symmetric.
The
Arabic language in itself has a curvaceous structure that almost begs to be
gilded (see title as your first example – “Muslim Symmetry”). In the same way
that monks of the Middle Ages illuminated passages of Bibles, Muslims
embellished their writing style and created images as decorations for the Koran
– the holiest book of Islam, equivalent with the Bible in Christianity and the
Torah in Judaism. Above is the name of Allah (literally “God”) written with
purposeful mirror symmetry. This particular design came from the inside of a
copy of the Koran, which is kept in the Masjid Al Sakhrah mosque in Jerusalem
(more frequently referred to as “The Dome of the Rock”). In a sense, using
symmetric calligraphy if a way of worshipping Allah; portraying his name as a
symmetry is empowering it with another sense of beauty, separate from all the
inherent
notions associated with
“Allah.” To further the beauty, Korans are typically adorned with symmetric
figures as covers, figures such as wallpaper patterns and other figures that
contain rotational, reflectional, glide, and translational symmetries. Note the
symmetries of the figure to the left. If the internal Arabic script is ignored,
the design almost has four-fold rotational symmetry and four-fold mirror
symmetry. Once again, this has a similar purpose as the Bibles that monks
gilded – it seems only logical that a holy scripture would be decorated with
the most beautiful patterns possible.
Muslims
are required to pray five times a day while facing Mecca, the holy city of
Islam. Since theseprayers are not short and tiresome for the knees, Muslims
use prayer rugs as a method for lessening the distraction cauused by these
aches. As you may have guessed already, the designs on those rugs are some of
the seventeen different wallpaper patterns. Wallpaper patterns do not just
please the eye by fulfilling the laws of symmetry, but also by tiling the plane
and completing the beauty with a sense of infinite symmetry. Associating
infinite beauty with God and religion seems only natural, right? Many
examples of Islamic rugs
come from Persia and it is a common fact that Persian rugs are “in style” and
considered the most beautiful rugs one can buy. This shows that the whole world
accepts and affirms Islamic symmetric beauty. The picture above shows a Muslim
praying on a rug of type p3m1 (as far as I can tell from the photo). I have
also come across examples of rugs of types p1, pmm, p4m, and pgg. The most
striking inference from this is that Muslims have been aware of the different
wallpaper patterns for at least a millennium. Muslims have been known as mathematicians
and prove themselves with their religious items.