A Comparative Study of Abstraction Between Islamic and Western Arts in the Abbasid Era (The Aesthetics of the Architecture of Churches and Mosques as a Model)

The current research mainly seeks to clarify the relationship between Islamic architecture and the construction of design for the aesthetics of the architecture of churches and mosques, in addition to that it aims to shed light on the necessity of linking the decorative design of the aesthetics of the architecture of churches and mosques to Islamic architecture and presenting models inspired by the vocabulary of Islamic architecture and its relationship to the decorative design of the aesthetics of the architecture of churches and mosques. The research adopted the descriptive-analytical approach due to its relevance to the nature of this study, as it is descriptive and analytical, which collected qualitative data and information, analyzed it and extracted the similarities and differences of abstraction between Islamic and Western arts in the Abbasid era, by studying the urban models of churches and mosques. In its conclusion, the research reached several results, most notably that the greatest similarities between Islamic and Western art can be found in architecture. Both traditions are heavily influenced by classical architecture and use light as an important element symbolizing divinity, as well as similar floor plans in some cases. Islamic art is known for its intricate floral, geometric, and calligraphic patterns. Although Western art does not use patterns in the same scope and for the same purpose, it does share some of the same sources as Classical art. The research also indicated that the value and aesthetics of the artwork are evident through its essence and not its contingency, and also from that spiritual touch that the artist gives it, so the soul responds with it, and feels its belonging to spiritual worlds, suggesting peace and tranquility, imaginary worlds extending beyond the edges of the artwork to raise the recipient to touch Absolute. And the method of forming Islamic arts made the recipient’s taste elevate, so the seeing eye sees these arts as the supreme goal of them, where there is communication between the recipient and art, so language and the sighted eye are absent to make room for the receiver’s unification with the spirit of art that represents perfection, and here the mystic soul appears, where the absence of The subject and the presence of the abstract form in its two spirits and absolutes, and thus Islamic art was confined to a system of symbols, which are different forms based on lines and colors. The research also noted that Muslim artists did not try in the Abbasid era to represent and simulate nature in their drawings as much as they were drawing things as their imagination depicted them, so their arts dominated by innovative conventions and situations, and they tended to abstract forms.