RLBcB388 Visual Representations of Islam

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Attila Kovács, Ph.D. (lecturer), PhDr. Dalibor Papoušek, Ph.D. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Attila Kovács, Ph.D.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Kristýna Čižmářová
Supplier department: Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites (in Czech)
( RLA08 Islam || RLKA08 Islam || RLBcA008 Islam || RLBcKA008 Islam ) && ! RLB388 Visual Islam
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 80 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/80, only registered: 0/80, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/80
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course brings an introduction to the problematics of visual representation in general, in particular it demonstrates the role of visual representations in Islamic context. During the course the students are acquianted with main issues and problems of historic and dogmatic development of Islam in the context of its visual display.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student will be able to:
- identify basic rules of depicting in Islam in the context of its historical development
- identify principal object of visual representation in Islam and understand their eventual ritual function
- understand relations between dogmatic and visual level of Islam
- identify and interprete typical depictions connected with various Islamic cultures and explain their historical and cultural context.
Syllabus
  • Islam and visuality. Introduction to the problems, theory and practice. Interpretation of visual materials in Islamic context.
  • Development and sources of Islamic visual culture.
  • Figurative representation and Islam. Issues of figurative representation in Islam and Judaism.
  • Figurative representation in the context of contemporary islamic Near East: from the statues of Saddam HUsain to the destruction of Buddhas´ statues in Bamyan.
  • The prophet Muhammad and its visual representation. God, prophet, monotheism and visual representation.
  • Islamic space and visual representation I: a mosque as a ritual space.
  • Islamic space and visual representation II: a garden.
  • Shiite Islam and visual representation. Cult of immams and shiite ethos in pictures.
  • Islamism and visual representation.
Literature
    required literature
  • EMMISON, Michael and Philip SMITH. Researching the visual : images, objects, contexts and interactions in social and cultural inquiry. 1st pub. London: SAGE Publications, 2000, xiii, 242. ISBN 0761958460. info
    recommended literature
  • MENDEL, Miloš. Islám jako nepřítel? Eseje a poznámky k dějinám a současnosti islámu. 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2014, 110 pp. ISBN 978-80-210-7031-8. Digitální knihovna FF MU info
  • EL-SAID, Issam and Ayşe PARMAN. Geometrická koncepce v islámském umění. Vyd. 1. Praha: Půdorys, 2008, 166 s. ISBN 9788086018232. info
  • GRABAR, Oleg. Constructing the study of Islamic art. Hampshire: Ashgate Variorum, 2005, xxviii, 32. ISBN 9780860789215. info
  • Cosmology and architecture in premodern Islaman architectural reading of mystical ideas. Edited by Samer Akkach. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2005, xxv, 262 p. ISBN 9780791483442. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, reading, interpretation of visual material presented during the lectures.
Assessment methods
The course is finished with colloquim. The evaluation consists of fullfilement of continuos tasks and final colloquim.
During the course the students write tests, which are based on compulsory reading (5 % per one text). Texts are provided through the IS before the beginning of the course. COntinuous tests create 40% of the overall evaluation in the course.
Final colloquim consists of a description and an analysis of three samples of selected visual object, that were discussed in the course (all material is provided in presentations, 20% per one visual object).
Visual materials are provided in Information System after each lecture. Evaluation of visual material 60 % Overall evaluation: required minimum of points is 60% of the overall achievements, including points for tests and final oral colloquim.
Language of instruction
Slovak
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught in blocks.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku je podmíněn souhlasem vyučujícího.
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