Water, Islam and Art

de Alessandro Vanoli, Giovanni Curatola, Marco Galateri di Genola

"There exists an age-old and intimate bond between water and the Islamic world. This relationship can be explained only in part by atmospheric conditions: an ancient legacy of previous cultures and civilizations, a deep sense of religion and many complex social and cultural themes. Water belongs to our most profound dreams: it evokes motherhood, cleanliness, purity, sensuality, and death. Naturally, this is true for every civilization, but in Islam this series of ideas found its most profound meaning, turning water into one of the cornerstones of human existence: a cornerstone that is both spiritual as well as social and aesthetic. Water was tamed with the qanat, became a ritual with the hammam, it was venerated as a heavenly gift and feared as a divine punishment. The statements in the Qur'an and subsequent literature illustrate the historic development of the many roles and meanings of water and the incarnation of its significance in Islamic art and craftsmanship. This volume tells a story through artifacts, books, and miniatures, but also through canalization systems in Syria, gardens in Spain and baths in Istanbul. In this story everyday life, art and technology intertwined offering the reader a new approach to the millenary Islamic culture"--Page 4 of cover.