Spiritual Aesthetics of Islamic Ornamentation and the Aesthetic Value in Islamic Architecture

Abstract

Islamic architecture, a form of Islamic art, contributes significantly to portraying God Almighty's supremacy. In Islamic art, there are numerous ways to place emphasis on this architecture; one of which is through high aesthetic value. In Islamic art and architecture, the greatest extent of ornamentation and motifs probably describe aesthetic values. Islamic ornamentation serves as a platform for delivering information about Islam's culture including Islamic values and identity. Additionally, the most distinguishing characteristic of Islamic ornamentation is the richness of meaning behind it, that might influence a person's perception of spiritual aesthetics. Therefore, this article explore what spiritual aesthetic means and how it relates to Islamic ornamentation. Furthermore, Islamic ornamentation should be considered a part of the interior of the Islamic architecture rather than just decorations added after the fact or to cover in gaps. Through the interplay of the people and interior space, these ornaments have the potential to engage with human aesthetics. Therefore, this research also focuses on the aesthetics and beauty of ornaments, which satisfy one of human psychological needs: to be in a beautiful environment. Because emphasis of the research is to explore how people perceive the aesthetics of Islamic ornamentation, a semiotics method was chosen because of its capacity to transcend literal meanings. The identification and evaluation of the aesthetic and religious qualities of the Islamic ornamentation brought out in this paper can be very helpful for the artists as well as scholars in understanding the Islamic art.  Keywords: Islamic Ornaments, Islamic Architecture, Aesthetic Value, Spiritual Aesthetics, Islamic Art, Architectural Ornaments