Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, late 7 th century, a.k.a. Mosque of Omar, earliest Islamic mosque, encloses a sacred rock cropping that is precious to both the Jews and Christians (Temple Mount – location of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac and of the first Jewish temple built by King Solomon in the
10 th century B.C.) Building was inspired by round
Christian martyria, centrally planned octagon, exterior was marble and mosaic with a gilded dome, said to “blind” Muslims so they could not see the beauty of monuments built by other faiths.
Koran – kufic writing which would be compare to basic print, shows interest in linear complexity and design, the Koran is not allowed to be translated, only in Arabic, one characteristic that joined believers from various parts of the Islamic empire.
Sinan the Great, mosque of Suleyman I, Istanbul,
Turkey, 1550, Sinan was originally Greek and converted to Islam. In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks from central
Asia; they renamed it Istanbul. The Ottoman
Empire grew rapidly, peaked in the 16 th century but persisted until 1922. It was under the
Ottomans that Hagia Sophia was converted to a mosque.
965- Denmark became Christian
In 934, Germans invaded Denmark and brought
Christian missionaries, some 30 years later Harald
Bluetooth converted and created this stone monument to commemorate his conversion.
Odo of Metz,The Palace Chapel, commissioned by
Charlemagne, 792-805, moved the captiol to
Aachen, near the Belgium – Dutch border, constructed a palace with offices, workshops and other buildings. Chapel was Charlemagne’s personal chapel.

Manuscripts – important because they were portable, they created an artistic and educational communication.
Christ Blessing, Godescalc Gospels (court scribe)
Notice the Byzantine references, flat space, cruciform halo, characteristic attribute, hand raised in blessing, shaded hand and face, folds in drapery are black lines
Hiberno-Saxon influence in the interlaced border
Double arches of the Great Mosque at Cordoba,
786-787, 832-848, 961, 987; in the 13 th century the
Christian took control of the mosque and converted it to a cathedral. Mihrab bay, as part of the second expansion in 961, the caliph built a magnificent mihrab in front of the qibla wall, it was an area reserved for the caliph and his entourage, enter through 3 tiers of lobed arches into 3 domed chambers
Book of Kells, the four gospels written on over 680 pages in Latin. It is more complex with the addition of animal and human forms. The T arms stretch into legs and claws of an animal. The X-chi is still prevalent for Christ’s Greek name.
Animal headpost, carved wood, Oseberg, Norway, use is unknown. The Vikings were Scandinavian warriors who inhabited Norway, Sweden and
Denmark. They are known for their paganism and ferocious destructive raids.