Geometry

The geometric designs in Islamic art are often built on combinations of repeated squares and circles, which may be overlapped and interweaved. Many objects from Islamic culture are decorated with beautiful and intricate patterns of interlocking geometric shapes. Ranging from simple to the intricate; geometric patterns can be found in all media, including manuscript illuminations, textiles and with wooden, metal and ceramic objects.

Geometric shapes, repetition and variation reflect a fundamental Islamic belief in the interconnected, harmonious nature of all creation — the coming together of disparate elements into a unified whole. The circle, a symbol of unity and heaven, is the foundation form which many patterns are developed. The various permutations of rotating triangles and squares within the circle form the basis for many geometric designs.