The Formation of Islamic Art
‘Luxurious palaces decorated with coloured mosaics, fresco paintings, carved stucco and marble veneer.’
In the early 2nd / first half of the 8th century, the Umayyads dotted the Syrian steppes with luxurious, lavishly decorated palaces. It is these, rather than the urban palaces that provide us with an insight into Islamic art in its formative stages.

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Floor painting

Hegira 109 / AD 727
Umayyad
National Museum of Damascus
Damascus, Syria
The subject of the panel illustrates the influence of Roman Myths on early Islamic Art.