Editing Islamic art (section)

====Iran and Central Asia====
[[File:SamarkandBibiKhanym.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Bibi-Khanym Mosque]], [[Samarkand]], [[Uzbekistan]], built by [[Timur]] in 1399]]

Iran and the north of India, the [[Tahirid dynasty|Tahirids]], [[Samanid]]s, [[Ghaznavids]], and [[Ghurids]] struggled for power in the 10th century, and art was a vital element of this competition. Great cities were built, such as [[Neyshabur|Nishapur]] and [[Ghazni]], and the construction of the Great Mosque of [[Isfahan]] (which would continue, in fits and starts, over several centuries) was initiated. Funerary architecture was also cultivated, while potters developed quite individual styles: kaleidoscopic ornament on a yellow ground; or marbled decorations created by allowing colored glazes to run; or painting with multiple layers of slip under the glaze.

The [[Seljuq dynasty|Seljuqs]], nomads of Turkic origin from present-day Mongolia, appeared on the stage of Islamic history toward the end of the 10th century. They seized Baghdad in 1048, before dying out in 1194 in Iran, although the production of "Seljuq" works continued through the end of the 12th and beginning of the 13th century under the auspices of smaller, independent sovereigns and patrons. During their time, the center of culture, politics and art production shifted from [[Damascus]] and [[Baghdad]] to [[Merv]], [[Nishapur]], [[Rey, Iran|Rayy]], and [[Isfahan]], all in Iran.<ref>Hillenbrand (1999), p.89</ref>
[[File:Ceramic bowl decorated with slip beneath a transparent glaze and designed by anthropic figure with bull head Golestan, Gorgan 9th century CE, Early Islamic period.jpg|thumb|Ceramic bowl decorated with slip beneath a transparent glaze, Gorgan, 9th century CE, Early Islamic period, National Museum of Iran]]
Popular patronage expanded because of a growing economy and new urban wealth. Inscriptions in architecture tended to focus more on the patrons of the piece. For example, sultans, viziers or lower ranking officials would receive often mention in inscriptions on mosques.  Meanwhile, growth in mass market production and sale of art made it more commonplace and accessible to merchants and professionals.<ref>Hillenbrand (1999), p.91</ref> Because of increased production, many relics have survived from the Seljuk era and can be easily dated. In contrast, the dating of earlier works is more ambiguous. It is, therefore, easy to mistake Seljuk art as new developments rather than inheritance from classical Iranian and Turkic sources.<ref>Hillenbrand (1999), Chapter 4</ref>

Innovations in ceramics from this period include the production of minai ware and the manufacture of vessels, not out of clay, but out of a [[silicon]] paste ("[[fritware]]"), while metalworkers began to encrust bronze with precious metals. Across the Seljuk era, from Iran to Iraq, a unification of book painting can be seen. These paintings have animalistic figures that convey strong symbolic meaning of fidelity, treachery, and courage.<ref>Hillenbrand, p.100</ref>

During the 13th century, the [[Mongols]] under the leadership of [[Genghis Khan]] swept through the Islamic world. After his death, his empire was divided among his sons, forming many dynasties: the [[Yuan dynasty|Yuan]] in China, the [[Ilkhanate|Ilkhanids]] in Iran and the [[Golden Horde]] in northern Iran and southern Russia.

=====Ilkhanids=====
A rich civilization developed under these "little khans", who were originally subservient to the Yuan emperor, but rapidly became independent. Architectural activity intensified as the Mongols became sedentary, and retained traces of their nomadic origins, such as the north–south orientation of the buildings. At the same time a process of "iranisation" took place, and construction according to previously established types, such as the "Iranian plan" mosques, was resumed. The [[Persian miniature|art of the Persian book]] was also born under this dynasty, and was encouraged by aristocratic patronage of large manuscripts such as the ''[[Jami' al-tawarikh]]'' by [[Rashid-al-Din Hamadani]]. New techniques in ceramics appeared, such as the lajvardina (a variation on luster-ware), and Chinese influence is perceptible in all arts.

=====The Golden Horde and the Timurids=====
The early arts of the nomads of the Golden Horde are poorly understood. Research is only beginning, and evidence for town planning and architecture has been discovered. There was also a significant production of works in gold, which often show a strong Chinese influence. Much of this work is preserved today in the [[Hermitage Museum|Hermitage]].

The beginning of the third great period of medieval Iranian art, that of the [[Timurid dynasty|Timurids]], was marked by the invasion of a third group of nomads, under the direction of [[Timur]]. During the 15th century this dynasty gave rise to a golden age in Persian manuscript painting, including renowned painters such as [[Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād]], but also a multitude of workshops and patrons.