TOURING THE ORIENT | IN PRAISE OF GOD: Islamic architecture and built form with Susan Scollay

Many features and concepts of religious and secular architecture overlap in the Islamic world, yet the mosque is so central to the Islamic faith that this session will focus on its origins and development, using examples such as the Great Mosque at Qairouan in Tunisia, and its counterparts in Cairo, Damascus, Ottoman Turkey and Mughal India.  Palace life and architectural patronage will also be discussed.

TOURING THE ORIENT: William Johnston, Orientalism and the Arts of the Islamic World looks at the themes in the travels and collection of William Johnston is his pursuit of what has been described as the ‘Orientalist’ aesthetic. Using WilIiam Johnston’s travels in Tunisia, Egypt and northern India as a starting point, the four lectures will provide an overview of the arts of the Islamic world.

In this series of four illustrated lectures, Susan Scollay will outline the origins of ‘Orientalism’, with its artistic and cultural references to the former European colonies in Islamic North Africa, the Levant and India.

Susan Scollay is an internationally recognised specialist in textiles and carpets, and Islamic art and culture.  She is a contributing editor of HALI, the London-based journal of carpet, textile and Islamic art, and is currently completing a PhD at La Trobe University, Melbourne