Islamic Gardens and Landscapes

Western admirers have long seen the Islamic garden as an earthly reflection of paradise, but Ruggles contends that it is more sophisticated and diverse than that. Islamic gardens began as practical farming efforts to organize space, tame nature, enhance the earth's yield, and create a legible map of natural resources. They evolved into aristocratic formal gardens in famous places like the Alhambra in Spain and the Taj Mahal in Agra. The traditional Islamic garden is inwardly focused, surrounded by buildings or a courtyard, and divided into four equal parts with water as a counterpoint to the green sections. Islamic Gardens and Landscapes is a book of impressive scope that will interest scholars and enthusiasts alike.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 12 April 2022
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press

Western admirers have long viewed the Islamic garden as a terrestrial representation of the heavenly paradise promised to the faithful. However, such a simplistic perspective, according to Ruggles, fails to acknowledge the sophistication and diversity of this art form. Islamic Gardens and Landscapes immerses readers in the world of the architects who created the magnificent gardens of the Islamic world, spanning from medieval Morocco to contemporary India. Just as Islamic culture is rich in history, complexity, and diversity, so too is the history of its built landscapes. Islamic gardens originated from the practical need to organize the surrounding space of human civilization, tame nature, enhance the earth's yield, and create a legible map for distributing natural resources. Ruggles traces the evolution of these early farming endeavors to their aristocratic pinnacle in the famous formal gardens of the Alhambra in Spain and the Taj Mahal in Agra. Whether in a modest urban residence or a royal courtyard, the garden exhibits several defining features, which Ruggles explores. Most notably, it is an enclosed space divided into four equal parts, with a central design element at its center. Water serves as a striking contrast to the divided green sections. Drawing from a wide range of sources, including poetry, court documents, agronomy manuals, and early garden representations, Islamic Gardens and Landscapes is a comprehensive book that will captivate scholars and enthusiasts alike.

Weight: 744g
Dimension: 183 x 248 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780812225143