Muslims have always gone for abstract geometric patterns to decorate buildings, especially mosques and tombs. I got this colourful example from the ceiling of the main mosque in Rajah Bazaar, the old part of Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

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Islamic art: Golra, Pakistan

Detail of Islamic art from Golra Sharif in the Punjab of Pakistan (near the
capital Islamabad). This is classic Islamic abstract work.

This Mughal era building (1634) is one of the most highly decorated mosques in Pakistan. It’s in the capital of the Punjab: Lahore. I love the Islamic tilework and the classic Islamic patterns which cover the mosque. You can even spot a variety of eight point stars here:-) We have all the elements of Islamic art here: calligraphy (Persian style), vegetal patterns, and geometric patterns. This is from the entrance gate of the mosque and the complete calligraphy reads: “The best form of remembrance (dhikr) is ‘There is no god except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’ “. This is the Islamic
declaration of faith, the shahadah or the kalima.

Looks like a colourful plate, but this is actually the ceiling underneath one of the domes of the mosque in Wah, Pakistan (a short distance to the west of the capital Islamabad). Classic Islamic geometric work here. And colourful, too. The pattern is based around the Islamic eight point star from which everything emanates outwards. My special thanks to old buddy Kamran Shafi of Wah, a fellow columnist, who introduced me to this historic place with which his family has connections (the famous Nawab Hyat Khan of Wah and Sir Sikander Hyat Khan).

Best viewed large. Classic Islamic design at the renovated part of the Wazir
Khan mosque in Lahore, Pakistan. It was built in 1634 during the rule of
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, a period acknowledged as the golden age of Mughal
architecture in the subcontinent. It was during this period Shah Jahan built
the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz.

Detail from the renovated mausoleum of the 13 century Islamic mystic Sheikh
Abdul Qadir Jilani of Turkestan. This is in Kallar Kahar in the Salt Range of
Pakistan. Medium: marble.

Muslims have always gone for abstract geometric patterns to decorate
buildings, especially mosques and tombs. This example is from the new tomb of
the great Punjabi poet Bulleh Shah (died 1757) in Kasur, Pakistan. Bulleh
Shah’s works have left a very deep impression on the people of the Land of
Five Rivers (Panj Ab) whether in Pakistan or in India. Notice the common
Islamic design shape, the eight-point stars.

Typical Islamic artwork from the Mughal period. This is from the beautifully
decorated mosque of Wazir Khan in Lahore, Pakistan. It was built in 1634
during the rule of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, a period acknowledged as the
golden age of Mughal architecture in the subcontinent. It was during this
period Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz.

Pakistan is known for its artistically painted and decorated traffic
vehicles, whether they are small autorickshaws, goods-hauling trucks, or buses
used for public transportation. The magnficent art, couple with faces peering
from windows, always provides a wonderful frame for photos begging to be taken.

Typical Islamic design on a pillar from the beautifully decorated mosque of
Wazir Khan in Lahore, Pakistan. It was built in 1634 during the rule of Mughal
emperor Shah Jahan, a period acknowledged as the golden age of Mughal
architecture in the subcontinent. It was during this period Shah Jahan built
the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife Mumtaz.

Islamic patterns from the Mughal era fort in Lahore, Pakistan. These are
marble floor tiles near the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of the Mirrors).

From Flickr.com