Islamic Art and Architecture - 5 books - 1998-2005

1. Asie Centrale: Les fils de Tamerlan by Alain Chènevière, Vilo, 1998, 287 pages in French Hardcover

Asie Centrale : Les fils de Tamerlan by Alain Chènevière offers a comprehensive and accessible exploration of Central Asia in the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s collapse. Written in the late 1990s, the book examines how the newly independent republics—Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan—navigate state-building while drawing on deep historical, cultural, and political legacies symbolized by the figure of Tamerlane (Timur).
Chènevière combines historical narrative with political analysis, tracing the region’s inheritance from imperial conquest, Silk Road trade, Islamic civilization, and Russian and Soviet domination. He highlights how authoritarian governance, clan structures, and personality-driven leadership shape post-Soviet regimes, often at the expense of democratic development. At the same time, the book addresses key strategic issues such as energy resources, ethnic tensions, border disputes, and the growing influence of external powers including Russia, China, Turkey, Iran, and the West.
Through reportage-style insights and geopolitical reflection, Les fils de Tamerlan portrays Central Asia as a region caught between tradition and modernity, nationalism and globalization, offering Western readers a nuanced understanding of its enduring complexities and strategic importance.

2.L’Art de l’Asie Centrale, 2003, 255 pages in French,Hardcover
L’Art de l’Asie Centrale is a richly illustrated and scholarly yet accessible survey of the artistic heritage of Central Asia, tracing its development from antiquity to the early modern period. The book presents Central Asia as a major cultural crossroads shaped by the interaction of nomadic traditions, sedentary civilizations, and long-distance exchange along the Silk Roads.
The author explores a wide range of artistic forms, including architecture, sculpture, painting, metalwork, textiles, and manuscript illumination. Particular attention is given to the legacies of pre-Islamic cultures, Buddhist art, and the profound transformations brought by the spread of Islam. Monumental architecture—such as mosques, mausoleums, and madrasas—is examined alongside decorative arts, revealing sophisticated aesthetic systems rooted in geometry, calligraphy, and symbolism.

The book also highlights the influence of Persian, Chinese, Indian, and Mediterranean traditions, showing how Central Asian artists absorbed and reinterpreted external influences to create distinctive local styles. By combining historical context with visual analysis, L’Art de l’Asie Centrale demonstrates the region’s central role in world art history and challenges the notion of Central Asia as merely a peripheral cultural space.

3.Masterworks of Islamic Architecture from Damascus to Granada, from Cairo to Istanbul, Henri Stierlin, 295 pages in English, 2005, Hardcover
Masterworks of Islamic Architecture by Henri Stierlin is a panoramic visual and historical guide to the greatest achievements of Islamic architectural art across time and space. The book examines iconic monuments from the earliest Islamic dynasties to later imperial periods, tracing how religious, political, and cultural forces shaped sacred and secular spaces across West Asia, North Africa, and Iberia. Stierlin highlights the architectural heritage of major cities such as Damascus, Cairo, Istanbul, and Granada, showing how landmark structures—like mosques, madrasas, palaces, mausoleums, and civic complexes—embody evolving aesthetic principles, technological mastery, and religious symbolism of Muslim civilizations. His narrative links the spiritual intentions behind design with the cultural exchange between regions, illustrating how geometric ornament, calligraphic decoration, and structural innovation became signatures of Islamic architecture. Richly illustrated with photographs by Anne and Henri Stierlin, the book presents detailed visual analyses alongside accessible commentary, offering readers both an art historical framework and an appreciation of the beauty and diversity of Islamic architectural genius.
Masterworks of Islamic Architecture was published by The American University in Cairo Press in 2005 and contains 295 pages.

4.Islamic Art and Architecture from Isfahan to the Taj Mahal, Henri Stierlin, Thames & Hudson, 2002, 319 pages in English, Hardcover
Islamic Art and Architecture: From Isfahan to the Taj Mahal (319 pp.) is a richly illustrated survey of Islamic architectural and artistic achievement from Persia to Mughal India, published in 2002 by Thames & Hudson. The book traces the evolution and spread of the Persian style, examining how urban design, monumental mosques, palaces, madrasas, gardens, calligraphy, carpets and decorative arts expressed spiritual and cultural ideals across regions such as Isfahan, Samarkand, Bukhara, Lahore and Agra. It situates key masterpieces—like the Friday Mosque in Isfahan, the Registan ensemble and the Taj Mahal—within historical contexts, linking dynastic patronage to artistic innovation. Stierlin’s narrative, supported by over 500 color illustrations and maps, explores stylistic developments under Safavid and Mughal rule, while highlighting continuity, regional exchanges and symbolic meaning in Islamic built environments. The result is an accessible yet comprehensive visual and historical guide to one of the world’s richest architectural traditions.

5.The Timeline History of Islamic Art and Architecture, Nasser D. Khalili, Worth Pess, 186 pages in English, 2005, Hardcover
The Timeline History of Islamic Art and Architecture (186 pp.) is a richly illustrated, accessible survey of Islamic art and architecture from the 7th century to the modern era. Originally published in 2005 by Worth Press, the book presents the artistic achievements of the Islamic world—from Spain and North Africa to Central and Southeast Asia—through a chronological timeline that visually aligns works across regions and periods. It covers a broad range of art forms, including architecture, calligraphy, Qur’ans, miniature painting, ceramics, glass, metalwork, scientific instruments, textiles, carpets, coins and arms and armour, supported by over 800 colour photographs, many from Khalili’s own renowned collection. The narrative situates artistic developments within historical and dynastic contexts and includes a glossary, maps, lists of rulers and cultural sites, and a rotating reference wheel, making it both an educational reference and visual celebration of Islamic creative heritage.