Islamic Art

The O’Donnell Institute partners with the Dallas Museum of Art for research and education in Islamic art.

Left: Lantern, 14th century, Morocco or Spain, Brass; Right: Fatimid Tiraz Textile, 996 – 1021, Linen, Silk, and Gold Left: Lantern, 14th century, Morocco or Spain, Brass; Right: Fatimid Tiraz Textile, 996 – 1021, Linen, Silk, and Gold The Keir Collection of Islamic Art on loan to the Dallas Museum of Art

Visual and Material Study of the Islamic World

The art, architecture, and civilizations of the historic Islamic world have played a powerful role in the formation of visual and material cultures across the globe, from India to Spain. The O’Donnell Institute advances research in Islamic art and architecture of the premodern world, and offers related courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Ongoing research at the institute includes various topics in medieval Islamic art and architecture, the study of the Fatimids, globalization and cosmopolitanism, and trans-regional and cross-cultural exchange. Geographic areas include the Islamic Maghrib, comprising North Africa, Sicily, and the Iberian peninsula; West Africa, Egypt; and Pakistan and India.

Another important resource for the study of Islamic art at the O’Donnell Institute is the The Keir Collection of Islamic Art housed at the Dallas Museum of Art. Consisting of works of the highest quality in a broad range of mediums, periods, and geographies, the Keir collection offers a myriad of opportunities for object-led teaching and research.

Faculty Areas of Expertise

Medieval Islamic Art and Architecture; The Mediterranean World; The Fatimids; Medieval North Africa; West Africa; Spain; Sicily; and South Asia; Trans-regional and Cross-Cultural Exchange; Islamic port cities; and globalization and cosmopolitanism.

Courses Offered

AHST 6321.001 Topics in Global Art Histories - Islamic & Mediterranean Worlds (3 Semester Credit Hours)

AHST 6321.001 Topics in Global Art Histories - The World of the Fatimids

AHST 6321.001 Topics in Global Art Histories - Medieval Africa and the Islamic and Byzantine Worlds

AHST 6321.001 Topics in Global Art Histories - The Art, Architecture, and Legacy of Medieval Islamic Spain


Fatimid Aqueduct, 10th c. Haffouz, Tunisia



Ali Asgar H. Alibhai, Assistant Professor of Islamic Art History and Material Culture, The Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History, The University of Texas at Dallas