THE MAGICAL BEAUTY
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t’s no secret that mosques are some of the most beautiful places in all of the Islamic world. I’ve spent hours just staring at some of the designs on the walls. I’ve always wondered how people designed these patterns, but more importantly, what were they for?
Islamic geometry uses only four basic shapes: circles, squares, star patterns, and multi-sided polygons. From only these four shapes, an infinite number of beautiful designs can be created. Even more amazing is that these patterns are not made using any fancy computer software, instead, they were made using a simple ruler and compass. As it turns out, the beautiful buildings in the These tools are still used today to do geometry, Islamic world are not an accident. In fact, builders, and have been used for thousands of years. engineers, and architects thought a lot about how to make their creations pleasing to the eye. Far from simply being pretty decorations, The earliest patterns like the ones on the next geometric patterns are inspired by Islam: they page date all the way back to 836 C.E. from the convey the majesty and wonder of the Universe Great Mosque of Kairouan, Tunisia. That’s over a and its Creator. thousand years ago! In Islamic art, the circle is a symbol of unity and Even the most complicated patterns you perfection and the ultimate source of all diversity see in mosques are all made using simple in creation. A circle has no end or beginning and is mathematical rules found in geometry. The word infinitely symmetrical. Most Islamic patterns start by “geometry” literally means “measuring the Earth’’ using an inscribed circle (a circle within a square) because ancient mathematicians were studying and then adding divisions using straight lines to how to measure the land around them and build perfect it. The Greek philosopher Plato thought structures on it. For example, ancient Egyptians that the circle was the most beautiful shape of used geometry to build the Great Pyramids. them all. Geometry is now an entire branch of mathematics and is very important in other sciences. Complex patterns that never repeat, called tessellations, can be made from very simple Geometry took off in ancient Greece when starting points. Similarly, the star patterns used an ancient Greek mathematician named Euclid in Islamic designs are meant to resemble the wrote a geometry textbook called the Elements. heavens above. The famous 16-point star patterns Euclid had figured out how to prove facts about look a lot like the stars in the sky. shapes and different ways to arrange them into patterns, both of which he included in Elements. These patterns are found across the Islamic This textbook was later translated into Arabic and world, such as in mosques, domes, and minarets. used for over 2000 years by different cultures! The geometry behind them extends to pottery, Just imagine if your textbooks were that old! ceramic bowls and plates, and floor tiling. They 4 | THE MUSLIM VOICE PETITE EDITION | FEBRUARY 2021
