Across the Islamic world illuminating Korans from Morocco to Malaysia & adorning mosques mausoleums & palaces are hidden some of the most exquisite geometrical devices ever conceived by man In this excellent little book geometer Daud Sutton unravels the mystery of Islamic patterns explaining where they come from how to draw them & hinting at the Divine messages they encode WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information Fascinating FINANCIAL TIMES Beautiful LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS Rich & Artful THE LANCET Genuinely mind-expanding FORTEAN TIMES Excellent NEW SCIENTIST stunning NEW YORK TIMES Small books big ideas ...

Islamic geometric designs are admired worldwide for their beauty & marvellous intricacy yet in truth they are seldom understood Indeed their complexity & artistry can seem almost beyond the powers of human ingenuity In this handsomely illustrated volume artist & teacher Eric Broug analyses & explains these complex designs in their historical & physical context His own original drawings accompany magnificent photographs of mosques madrasas palaces & tombs from the Islamic world ranging from North Africa to Iran & Uzbekistan & from the 8th to the 19th centuries Chapters are devoted to each of the main families of geometric design fourfold fivefold & sixfold & to the complex combined patterns Every design is carefully explained & illustrated with a wealth of stunning photographs & clear meticulously detailed drawings Readers can follow the design processes by which these patterns were created & even learn to reproduce & invent geometric patterns for themselves using exactly the same tools as the Islamic craftsmen of old a ruler & a pair of compasses ...

Geometric patterns are perhaps the most recognizable visual expressions of Islamic art & architecture magnificent in their beauty & awe-inspiring in their execution Now with the aid of this book anyone can learn how to master this ancient art & create intricate patterns or re-create classic examples An introduction guides the reader through the basics & is followed by some of the best examples of geometric patterns from around the world arranged into three levels of complexity with careful step-by-step instructions taking the reader through the stages of composition This book also

Includes:: a CD-ROM allowing you to experiment with Islamic geometric patterns on the computer

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In this inventive interpretation of the popular colouring book concept Islamic design expert Eric Broug helps readers to create their own patterns based on compositions from across the Islamic world The book opens up the world of intricate Islamic patterns allowing artists designers & doodlers alike to learn about these works of art as they produce their own With 48 Islamic geometric compositions from around the world to choose from artists at all skill levels will relish the myriad opportunities to replicate these intricate patterns or create their own The workbook&s clever design invites the pattern-maker to consider a composition in the book take a corresponding loose leaf from the back of the book & figure out which sections of lines to trace to make the composition Readers will have the unique satisfaction of making patterns appear where previously none were visible Compositions
- including a mix of more familiar geometric compositions & those that have scarcely been documented
- are categorized by region & have various levels of complexity making it possible for beginners to get started & artists or designers to develop their skills

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Does history matter? This book argues not that history matters but that Islamic history does This Very Short Introduction introduces the story of Islamic history; the controversies surrounding its study; & the significance that it holds
- for Muslims & for non-Muslims alike Opening with a lucid overview of the rise & spread of Islam from the seventh to twenty first century the book charts the evolution of what was originally a small localised community of believers into an international religion with over a billion adherents Chapters are also dedicated to the peoples
- Arabs Persians & Turks
- who shaped Islamic history & to three representative institutions
- the mosque jihad & the caliphate
- that highlight Islam's diversity over time Finally the roles that Islamic history has played in both religious & political contexts are analysed while stressing the unique status that history enjoys amongst Muslims especially compared to its lowly place in Wester




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An incisive analysis of Islamist movements in the Middle East A political social & cultural battle is currently raging in the Middle East On one side are the Islamists those who believe Islam should be the region's primary identity In opposition are nationalists secularists royal families military establishments & others who view Islamism as a serious threat to national security historical identity & a cohesive society This provocative vitally important work explores the development of the largest most influential Islamic groups in the Middle East over the past century Tarek Osman examines why political Islam managed to win successive elections & how Islamist groups in various nations have responded after ascending to power He dissects the alliances that have formed among Islamist factions & against them addressing the important issues of Islamism's compatibility with modernity with the region's experiences in the twentieth century & its impact on social contracts & minorities He explains what Salafism means its evolution & connections to jihadist groups in the Middle East Osman speculates on what the Islamists' prospects for the future will mean for the region & the rest of the world ...

Tracklist Just That Time Of The Night All In My Head She Lyra Just That Time Of The Night (Instrumental) All In My Head (Instrumental) She (Instrumental) Lyra (Instrumental) Lyra (2014 Demo) ...

For over a hundred years the Pacific island of Pala has been the scene of a unique experiment in civilisation Its inhabitants live in a society where western science has been brought together with Eastern philosophy to create a paradise on earth When cynical journalist Will Farnaby arrives to research potential oil reserves on Pala he quickly falls in love with the way of life on the island Soon the need to complete his mission becomes an intolerable burden & he must make a difficult choice In counterpoint to Brave New World & Ape & Essence in Island Huxley gives us his vision of utopia WITH A BIOGRAPHICAL INTRODUCTION BY DAVID BRADSHAW ...

These slow beautiful stories
- resolute & resonant
- are small masterpieces apparently simple but actually crafted with enormous

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'I grew up on the world's largest island' From his childhood Tim Winton's relationship with the landscape around him
- Australia's
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