Jake Writes A Blog

  Mimar Sinan, Courtyard, Süleymaniye Mosque, İstanbul, 1558 The mosque is a quintessential part of any religious Islamic community, containing corners and placemats for prayer. Known as Masjid in Arabic, mosques are considered places of prostration where every Muslim can go, every day, to repeat their five daily prayers. It's also the place that Muslim men go for their required Friday noon prayers and gatherings. These Friday specific prayers are mainly referred to as  "Jami Masjid" or meaning quite literally "Friday Mosque". Sometimes it is even referred to as "Congregational Mosques". Looking at the artworks and styles of the structures in Islamic culture really tells us a lot about Islam in general. Looking at the style of Mosques being used for years was the same as what is considered the very first Mosque built and doubling as a home for the Prophet Muhammad. The building style is known as hypostyle which means "many columns". This styl...

Constantinople was the foremost Center of Commerce and trade throughout the whole of Europe, until the 13th century when competitive centers on the Italian Peninsula ascended to rival the bustling trade city. The riches found and brought by Africa, The Middle East, and Asia were brought for distribution and trade through the city's various warehouses. One of the largest and most sought after items of trade was in the ivory market. The majority of ivory came from Egypt and sources in East Africa. Ivory is a very versatile and durable material that is not only easy to carve and sculpt into whatever statue you want. Ivory also doesn’t warp and, if that isn’t enough to tickle your fancy, it also isn’t very prone to breakages, such as would be a problem with a lot of woods and other materials. Some of the main art pieces that came of the times were consular diptychs, pyxides, icons (such as diptychs or triptychs), and finally caskets made for secular or religious purposes. Byzantine I...

  The Colosseum, Rome, AD 72-80, Tufa and Concrete faced with Travertine This week, I chose to write about the Colosseum in Rome. The Colosseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is a famous Roman structure whose building was initiated by the much-beloved Roman emperor, Vespasian. After the cruel, and egotistical, rule of Nero, Vespasian decided to give back to his people. Vespasian decided that the land under the extravagant and selfish golden house of Nero should be given back to the people in a grand gesture. The building of the monumental arena and amphitheater made it the grandest amphitheater anywhere in the world. Its events included mock sea battles, wild beast hunts, and gladiator games (ironically, where a great tyrant once stood). The varying types of entertainment served to entertain the people. The architects built doors at the inner ends of the Colosseum to allow both gladiators and wild beasts to enter and exit the arena safely. They also built elaborate pass...

                         Parthenon sculptures, frieze: 438-432 B.C.E., pediment: c. 438-432 B.C.E. and metopes: c. 447-32 B.C.E. I found the Parthenon marbles, also known as "The Elgin Marbles", and was intrigued by their story. After doing some additional research, I decided that they would be my second topic for this week. In 1816, Lord Elgin, a politician and diplomat, sold multiple pieces of the frieze of the Parthenon to the British Museum. There are many questions that revolve around these removed pieces of art. Should they stay where they are in Britain or perhaps be returned to Greece? Do they belong to Greece due to their heritage or do they belong to the world? Was the way he removed the sculptures fair? While these questions have been speculated for decades, and the answers remain a matter of opinion rather than fact.  Based on the research I have done, I do not believe that the Marbles were taken initially...

                                               Etruscan hut urn (c. 800 B.C.E.), impasto (Vatican Museums) https://smarthistory.org/the-etruscans-an-introduction/         In Etruscan burial practices, the use of urns, used to house the cremated remains of the deceased, was considered the most common practice. I have chosen to write about the Etruscan hut urns.  I like the design of these urns, especially for that time period. Comparing them to now, the urns back then were a lot more appealing. They were far more personal and there were reasonings as to what urn was made for each person. Personally, I think that this is an important aspect to consider and it's always fascinating to read about these cultures and their burial traditions. It's a nice sentiment learning about these burial traditions because, these days, it doesn't seem like there is...

  https://smarthistory.org/ancient-mediterranean/the-palace-at-knossos-crete/ After reading about the Palace at Knossos, located in Crete, Greece, I decided that it was fitting to write an ethical question post on these partially restored ruins.The structure itself was purely Minoan. However, Sir Arthur Evans, the archaeologist who originally discovered the site, incorporated architectural forms and art styles from other regions and time periods, including the Mycenaean era, during the reconstruction. This meant that the structure itself no longer was historically accurate and the restoration, more accurately a remodel, was almost overshadowed by Evans' own biases and preconceptions. The way that Evans restored the Palace reminded me of old Roman themed movies, too sleek, too modern. This reconstruction is not so much a question of ethics but a question of historical integrity. For example, Evans could have, and should have, taken more time to consult other historians on what would...

                             The artwork I've chosen to write about today is the coffin and tomb of King Tutankhamen (how original, I know). His tomb is a piece of history that has been retold for years, across the span of generations. it seems that when they dug up this ancient piece of history in Egypt, it really was close to being, well, not part of history as we know it today i was surprised to find ( https://smarthistory.org/tutankhamuns-tomb-innermost-coffin-and-death-mask/ ). In 1922, an archaeologist by the name of Howard Carter discovered the once lost tomb of King tut, in turn saving the story of the now world famous Egyptian pharaoh.                                                             In the early 20th ...