Learn: Lesson 1
All
Islamic geometric designs were originally constructed
with
just a compass and a ruler. By drawing circles and
joining
intersections of circles with straight lines, traditional Islamic
craftsmen have, over the centuries, been able to create
hundreds
of different designs.
The design on the left is one of the
most ubiquitous designs in Islamic art and architecture. On this page
you can learn how to make this design.
My
book contains
eighteen different designs that can all be created using the same basic
techniques as shown on this page.
Mosque
of Ala al-Din Kayqubad, Nigde, Turkey. Seljuke era (1223CE)
(photograph: David Wade)
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
1. Draw a circle with diagonal, vertical and horizontal
lines. Draw a
square that contains the circle |
2. Draw four pairs of lines that start where
the horizontal and
vertical lines meet the circle & square. Let these lines extend
through the intersections that are indicated by the red circles |
3. Draw two squares within the circle |
4. Draw two pairs of diagonal parallel lines. Let these
lines extend
through the intersections that are indicated by the red circles |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
5. Draw another two pairs of parallel lines, this time
they are
horizontal and vertical, Let them extend through the same intersections
as in the previous diagram |
6. All the necessary construction lines have now been
drawn. With a
different colour pen, draw the line sections as shown
in
the diagram |
7. With the same colour pen as in the previous image,
draw the remaining line sections
as shown in
the diagram |
8. This shows the final design. The drawing below shows what appears
when this design is
repeated in a
3 x 3 format |
 |
