Islamizing Art: Archaeological Facts and Fictions in Honor of Oleg Grabar
Keywords:
Islamization of art, Islamic Archaeology, Islamic Worldview, Continuity and TransformationAbstract
The Islamization of art has often been discussed through normative, theological, or stylistic perspectives, yet its archaeological dimensions remain insufficiently explored. This study examines the Islamization of art through the lens of archaeology by distinguishing between empirically verifiable facts and interpretative constructions that are often shaped by modern assumptions or ideological narratives. By analyzing material culture—such as architectural remains, decorative motifs, inscriptions, and artifacts—from early and medieval Islamic contexts, this paper investigates how artistic forms were transformed, adapted, or re-signified within an Islamic worldview rather than abruptly replaced. Archaeological evidence demonstrates that the Islamization of art was a gradual, context-sensitive process marked by continuity, selective adaptation, and ethical reorientation, rather than iconoclastic rupture alone. At the same time, the paper critically addresses common “fictions,” including oversimplified claims of uniform aniconism, total rejection of pre-Islamic artistic traditions, or the notion of a monolithic Islamic artistic style. By situating archaeological data within historical, social, and religious frameworks, this study argues that the Islamization of art reflects a dynamic interaction between faith, local cultures, and material practices. The findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of Islamic art as a lived and evolving expression of belief, rooted in both material reality and spiritual meaning.
References
De Man, A. “Islamic Architecture in the West of al‑Andalus: Balancing Archaeology and Commodification.” In Islamic Heritage Architecture IV (2022).
Fadhila, M., and M. R. Rachida. “How Does Islamic Art Contribute to Enriching Arab‑European Cultural Diversity?” International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Social Science (2025).
Gonzalez, V. “The Religious Plot in Museums or the Lack Thereof: The Case of Islamic Art Display.” Religions 13 (2022).
Grabar, Oleg. The Formation of Islamic Art. Revised edition. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1987.
Grabar, Oleg. Islamic Art and Beyond. Aldershot: Ashgate Variorum, 2006.
Grabar, Oleg. Islamic Visual Culture, 1100–1800. Aldershot: Ashgate Variorum, 2006.
Insoll, T. “‘Becoming Muslim’: Archaeology, Islamisation, and Conversion in Gao (Mali) and Harlaa (Ethiopia).” Journal of Islamic Archaeology 9 (2023).
Kazempour, M., and S. Shokrpour. “A Symbolic Analysis of the Islamic Period Gravestones in the Ahar Museum.” International Journal of Historical Archaeology 25 (2021).
Korn, L. “Introduction: Encompassing the Sacred in Islamic Art.” Beiträge zur islamischen Kunst und Archäologie 6 (2020).
Milwright, Marcus. “Archaeology and Material Culture.” In The New Cambridge History of Islam, vol. 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.
Milwright, Marcus. Review of Arts of Allusion: Object, Ornament, and Architecture in Medieval Islam, by Margaret Graves. Journal of Islamic Studies 31 (2020).
Milwright, Marcus, and R. Irwin. “Islamic Art and Architecture.” In Companion to the History of the Middle East (2000).
Osim, S. “Islamic Art and Architecture: A Reflection of the Culture and Tradition of Islam” (2021).
Rabbat, Nasser. “Continuity and Rupture in Islamic Architecture.” International Journal of Islamic Architecture 10 (2021).
Shatanawi, M. “Museum Narratives of Islam between Art, Archaeology and Ethnology.” In [Edited Volume on Museums and Islam] (2021).
Suryanti, S., et al. “Islamic Aesthetics in the Carvings of the Syekh Ahmad Khatib al Minangkabawi Grand Mosque.” International Journal of Social Science and Human Research (2025).
Utrero Agudo, M. A. “Stratigraphy Matters: Questioning the (Re)Sacralisation of Religious Spaces… in the Iberian Peninsula.” Religions 14 (2023).
Vernoit,
