ARTH3012 · Fine Arts

After Genghis Khan: Art and Architecture in Iran and Central Asia

Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences

This course will examine the Mongol invasions of the thirteenth century and their effects on artistic production in Iran and Central Asia up to the early sixteenth century. Students will learn about the art and architecture of the Ilkhanid and Timurid dynasties, two of the most innovative and dynamic artistic traditions of the Islamic world, and heirs to the traditions of Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire. We will explore the use of art and architecture in the promotion of ideology and empire formation, cultural exchange across the Asian continent, the interaction between nomadic and sedentary populations and the merging of Turko-Mongolian and Persian cultural identities.