Broug Ateliers for Islamic Art & Architecture-Regular Grids

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Regular Grids

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Grids are important in Islamic geometrical design. They give order to compositions even though they are not directly visible. Grids serve as the building blocks for a geometrical design. There is a great deal of variety in grids but some are more common than others. After an Islamic craftsman has chosen a grid he will then choose which design he will put inside the shapes that make up the grid. In most cases he will choose a design and then repeat it in the whole grid.


A grid of squares	A grid of hexagons	A grid of hexagons and triangles

This is a design from the Alhambra. The image on the right has red lines that indicate where the grid is placed.
The design inside the hexagon is simply repeated as many times as is necessary, All the lines and shapes in the design join up and fit together

Every Islamic geometrical design has an underlying grid. It is a good and enlightening exercise to discover what the underlying grid is when looking at an Islamic goemtrical design.



Grids can be more complex than the ones shown above, they can consist of different shapes/ polygons that are combined in innovative ways. By combining the three shapes seen below(square, hexagon, 12-sided polygon) it is possible to make this grid:

With the specific designs inside these shapes, it is possible to make a beautiful geometrical design. The edges of three shapes are all the same length otherwise they woudn't be able to join up. This pattern can be repeated infinitely.


How the three different shapes combine	When all the shapes are joined up, the lines within the shapes that make up the individual design, all work together to create a much larger overall design.