UNESCO has proclaimed November 18 to be the International Day of Islamic Art. The idea for the observance was initially proposed by the Kingdom of Bahrain and adopted by UNESCO in 2019. The goal is to promote the diversity embodied in Islamic Art - art, craft, calligraphy, architecture, or music. By definition, Islamic art refers to the visual arts produced since the 7th century by people living on territories ruled by Muslim populations. The early works of Islamic art were deeply influenced by Roman, Byzantine, Sassanian, and Chinese arts. The day is a way to show appreciation for cultural diversity and to strengthen intercultural dialogue, tolerance, and peace.
There are so many picture books that introduce child readers to the Islamic way of life. They are very good at showing children similarities and differences between growing up in the Islamic faith and their faith. There are not so many that just highlight Islamic Art. I would start with these three by Hena Khan and Mehrdokht Armini
• Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns
Two other books by Hena Khan will also give you insights into buildings which highlight Islamic art
• Night of the Moon illustrated by Julie Paschkis
• Behind My Doors: The Story of the World's Oldest Library illustrated by Nabila Adani
Two books by M.O. Yuksel and Hatem Aly
For more books featuring the Islamic way of life for children see this Pinterest page.
To find out more about Islamic art see here. For lots of art ideas see this blog post or video.
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