MOSAIC ART

Mosaic art is created by humanity It is one of the oldest techniques of illustration, description and depiction. Art started with the history of humanity and the materials, techniques and presentation forms used continuously have developed. Each age has revealed its own art method, tools and materials in its own historical reality. The adventure, which started with cave paintings, has survived to the present day with different techniques and methods of application. The first examples It appeared in Sumerian and Egyptian art in Mesopotamia around 4000 BC.

Roman Empire under its rule He transferred his own culture to the civilizations living in the geographies he took. Rome, which took most of the communities in Anatolia under its sovereignty, brought the art of mosaics to these lands. Roman Empire in Anatolian cities such as Antakya, Zeugma (G. Antep), Aleppo Garden (Ş. Urfa), Commagene (Adıyaman), Ephesus (İzmir) BC. Most of the mosaics made between 300 and 400 AD are mythological subjects. However, subjects that rarely reflect the characteristics of local life, local culture and geography are also covered. The subject of the Germanicia mosaics unearthed so far is mostly the scenes in which local life is discussed.

WHAT IS MOSAIC?

The dictionary meaning of the word mosaic is as follows: It is the art of depiction that covers the walls, floors and ceilings of the buildings, performed by bringing together small-sized pieces of stone, glass or terracotta in various colors.

Mosaic art has many different techniques. Some of these are those:

Opus Regulatum (Grid Pattern):

It is known as the easiest method. The shape is created by laying the mosaic stone grains in a grid pattern. The pattern, which consists of stones of the same size, presents a grid image along the joint lines of the stones. It is a flooring method that is generally preferred in borders and large-sized mosaic applications.

Opus Vermiculatum (Worm Pattern):

This type of mosaic laying technique is named so because it shows a curved structure similar to a worm. First of all, the pattern is taken as the center and the pattern is completed by arranging the stones around the pattern. Although it is one of the most effective ways of making mosaics, it requires a high degree of craftsmanship and skill.

Opus Classicum (Classic Pattern):

This mosaic technique is a general name for exemplary mosaics made by the Romans. This technique is composed of Opus Vermiculatum (worm pattern) and Opus Tessellatum (brick pattern) patterns. While the main objects of the design are created with the worm pattern technique, the background is made with the brick technique. Since two different patterns are formed on the background of each object, very effective patterns emerge with this technique.

THE USE OF MOSAICS IN ISLAMIC CULTURE

Mosaic is an important art form in Islamic culture and has a long history. Mosaics used in the interior and exterior decorations of structures such as mosques and palaces in Islamic architecture have an artistic and aesthetic value. A mosaic is a form of painting or pattern formed by gluing small colored stones or pieces of glass to a surface. This art form was used in the Islamic world, especially in mosques and madrasahs.
Islamic culture is famous for the mathematical richness it brings to mosaic patterns. Although glass cubes and stones were used in places, in Islamic works, generally, tile plates that were specially produced for patterns, then hand-sanded, were used to fit side by side without gaps.
Mosaic is considered an important element of Islamic art and is closely related to Islamic architecture. The mosaics were made in Andalusia using stones of different colors. Vegetal and geometric patterns were generally used in Islamic mosaics. These patterns are closely related to the art of ornament, which is one of the most important features of Islamic art. The art of ornament refers to decorative patterns and ornaments in Islamic art.

The colors and patterns used in Islamic mosaics reflect the symbolic meanings of Islamic culture. For example, the color green represents heaven in Islam, while the color red represents love and passion. In addition, the geometric patterns used in the mosaics reflect the important role of Islam in mathematics and science.

Islamic mosaics are generally used in important parts of mosques such as mihrabs, minarets, domes and walls. Mosaics are used to beautify the air inside the mosque, to express the beauty of Allah and to impress the worshipers. Mosaics are also considered among the leading works of Islamic art and are exhibited in museums.

In conclusion, mosaic in Islamic culture is an art form with artistic and aesthetic value. While reflecting the symbolic meanings and mathematical heritage of the culture, Islamic mosaics are used to beautify the atmosphere inside the mosque and impress the worshipers.

MOSAIC IN ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy as "loving knowledge" aims at a mosaic totality. This situation focuses on a harmonic whole rather than dealing with the elements and parts one by one, and many different systems in philosophy reach a whole. Although people's thoughts are different, phenomena exist in a unity in the universe and time.

Mosaic philosophy; combines fundamental questions of philosophy with many other questions connected with human social existence.

One of the earliest reasons for the emergence of mosaic art is Islam's spiritual approach to reality rather than its physical form. The Islamic faith encourages artists to render their works as "beautiful" as possible because Islam says that beauty represents God's divine nature. For this reason, the making of mosaics is a form of expression of faith for many philosophers and artists.

Many patterns and shapes have symbolic meanings, as Islamic mosaic art is a way of expressing belief and an excellent example of Islamic philosophy.

In mosaics, for example, a small part of the embroidery mirrors the pattern as a whole. Likewise, a small creation of God on earth (for example, a single human being) is a representation on Earth of his divine and supreme beauty. Islamic philosophers argue that by looking at these patterns, individuals will better understand God and the world they live in.

The main purpose of mosaic in Islamic works of art is not only decoration but also change. Artists of the Islamic world cover large structures with ornaments, turning them into repetitive patterns and shapes that go beyond the almost imaginary, physical lines and the reality of the building.

One of the basic concepts of Islam is "tawhid", that is, the unity of God. Islamic artists express the bottomless, endless nature of God when they use patterns and patterns that form an endless cycle in their works. They emphasize not only the omnipresence of God, but also his obscurity and incomprehensibility by the human mind. In this context, the patterns in the mosaic can also be seen as a meditative tool.

While works in Christian art are used to tell the story of Jesus, Islamic art uses these tools to tell some "mental images", imaginary thoughts, and the "abstract".