The Magical Beauty of Islamic Geometry

It’s no secret that mosques are some of the most beautiful places in all of the Islamic world. I’ve spent hours just staring at some of the designs on the walls. I’ve always wondered how people designed these patterns, but more importantly, what were they for?

As it turns out, the beautiful buildings in the Islamic world are not an accident. In fact, builders, engineers, and architects thought a lot about how to make their creations pleasing to the eye. The earliest patterns like the ones on the next page date all the way back to 836 C.E. from the Great Mosque of Kairouan, Tunisia. That’s over a thousand years ago!

Even the most complicated patterns you see in mosques are all made using simple mathematical rules found in geometry. The word “geometry” literally means “measuring the Earth’’ because ancient mathematicians were studying how to measure the land around them and build structures on it. For example, ancient Egyptians used geometry to build the Great Pyramids. Geometry is now an entire branch of mathematics and is very important in other sciences.

Geometry took off in ancient Greece when an ancient Greek mathematician named Euclid wrote a geometry textbook called the Elements. Euclid had figured out how to prove facts about shapes and different ways to arrange them into patterns, both of which he included in Elements. This textbook was later translated into Arabic and used for over 2000 years by different cultures! Just imagine if your textbooks were that old!

Islamic geometry uses only four basic shapes: circles, squares, star patterns, and multi-sided polygons. From only these four shapes, an infinite number of beautiful designs can be created. Even more amazing is that these patterns are not made using any fancy computer software, instead, they were made using a simple ruler and compass. These tools are still used today to do geometry, and have been used for thousands of years.

Far from simply being pretty decorations, geometric patterns are inspired by Islam: they convey the majesty and wonder of the Universe and its Creator.

In Islamic art, the circle is a symbol of unity and perfection and the ultimate source of all diversity in creation. A circle has no end or beginning and is infinitely symmetrical. Most Islamic patterns start by using an inscribed circle (a circle within a square) and then adding divisions using straight lines to perfect it. The Greek philosopher Plato thought that the circle was the most beautiful shape of them all.

Complex patterns that never repeat, called tessellations, can be made from very simple starting points. Similarly, the star patterns used in Islamic designs are meant to resemble the heavens above. The famous 16-point star patterns look a lot like the stars in the sky.

These patterns are found across the Islamic world, such as in mosques, domes, and minarets. The geometry behind them extends to pottery, ceramic bowls and plates, and floor tiling. They

are used for woodwork and even in carpets and leather. Every corner of the Islamic world uses these patterns and developed their own unique regional style. No two mosques are exactly the same, but they share similar principles of design and purpose.

Within Islamic culture, geometric patterns are believed to be a bridge to the spiritual realm. They help you think deeply and feel connected to the infinite and to the heavens above. Seeing the patterns repeat over and over links with the infinite nature of God’s existence and power.

Gazing at the beautiful patterns in mosques that seem to stretch forever, I can’t help but wonder what the architects and designers were trying to say all those hundreds of years ago. What is it they wanted the future to see and to know? Whatever the reasons, I always marvel at the beautiful patterns.

Early Muslims left these patterns as reminders to pause and get lost for a moment. On a mosque’s walls and decorations, arts and maths and devotion become one, and I’m always left in awe. Understanding and learning how geometry works only adds to the wonder I feel.

Beyond just being beautiful, geometry can also be a very powerful tool. The lengths of objects in nature like sea-shells or flower petals follow simple geometric laws discovered centuries ago by mathematicians. Imagine being an early mathematician looking at flowers and measuring petal lengths. With a little bit of math, you would be able to predict what the next length would be. How amazing is that?

Even today, architects and engineers have to use geometry when trying to build homes and skyscrapers. The animators at Pixar use geometry to make Toy Story come alive. Math isn’t just about numbers or rules, it can help you understand the world around you.

Early Muslims left these patterns as reminders to pause and get lost for a moment in beauty itself. In a mosque’s walls and decorations, art and math and devotion become one, and I’m always left in awe. Understanding and learning how the geometry works only adds to the wonder I feel. I hope that you too can get a sense of that feeling with the activity on the next page.