Broug Ateliers for Islamic Art & Architecture-Courses

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“Geometry enlightens the intellect and sets one’s mind right. All its proofs are very clear and orderly. It is hardly possible for errors to enter into geometric reasoning, because it is well arranged and orderly. Thus the mind that constantly applies itself to geometry is unlikely to fall into error….”

Ibn Khaldūn

Geometry is a universal language and can be learned by anyone. The traditional craftsmen who made the designs that we can still see today in all parts of the Islamic world, were not mathematicians. They were practical men and made their designs with just a compass and a ruler. All geometrical designs can be understood and analyzed by retracing the design steps that these craftsmen would have made. It is not necessary to measure angles or to make calculations to get closer to understanding these designs. In fact, it contributes to the sense of amazement at the skill of these craftsmen when we realize that they made these imaginative designs with only a compass and a ruler.


Designing with regular grids	Designing with compass and ruler-1	Designing with compass and ruler-2	How to draw polygons	5-fold geometry

		All geometrical design starts with the ability to draw simple and accurate shapes with a compass and a ruler. The most basic of these is a square. By connecting intersections of lines and circles it is possible to draw a square, a hexagon, a pentagon and hundreds of Islamic patterns. The design principle used to draw a square with a compass and a ruler is the same principle that has been used for centuries by Islamic craftsmen to draw the most complex geometrical designs. In all geometrical designs, there is always more going on than initially meets the eye; there is usually more than one design or pattern to be seen. Most geometrical compositions can be broken down into constituent parts. More often than not, these parts are regular shapes such as squares, triangles or hexagons. To be able to see how a big composition can be subdivided into these parts, brings you a lot closer to understanding the overall design. The design on the left gives an example of this. There are 3three different shapes: squares, hexagons and twelve-sided polygons. The edges of these shapes are all the same length so that all the shapes can fit together.
From the Funerary Compex of Sultan Qaytbay, Cairo	Analysis of the design. The constituent elements are represented by different colours

Broug Ateliers offers:

- Geometrical design correspondence course *NEW*
Learn how to use traditional design techniques to create many different geometric designs.

- Curriculum development for schools
Introduce islamic art and design to primary and high school students. Let them learn to develop their creativity and understanding of Islamc art through a combination of learning and creating

- Corporate courses and sessions
Develop the cultural awareness of your staff by letting them partake of the beauty and diversity of Islamic art, as well as getting them active and creative through practical Islamic geometrical design

Contact me for more information. info@broug.com or call on (UK)07814 984805.