The orientalists' paintings varied in depicting and recording the Islamic atmosphere in which Muslims lived while awaiting the Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha holidays, from the crowded markets in preparation for the Eid to buying clothes and going out to pray. The Middle East represented a source of inspiration and temptation for several painters until the mid-twentieth century.

The reason for this flood of artworks is that the East was a target of the colonialists who - as described by the late Palestinian thinker Edward Said - dealt with Orientalism as "a literary and artistic continuation of imperialism," while others, such as John MacKenzie, see the obsession with recording the lives of Arabs and Muslims. It was not just about imperialism, the artistic craftsmanship of Muslim and Arab workers in hand and engineering engraving and an interest in architecture and music was exciting for the artists who came from Europe.

Video recordings of the holiday atmosphere

“A crowded market in Jaffa” is one of the paintings that record people taking turns buying the Eid needs of fabrics, clothes and so on.

The painting dates back to the late nineteenth century, in 1887, and is by the German painter Gustav Bauernfind (1848 - 1904), who was a painter, photographer and engineer, and is considered one of the most prominent German orientalist painters who had a fondness for the East.

He also moved to live in Jerusalem later, until he died there.

In a letter to his mother dated December 1885, Bornfeind says, "A city like Jaffa, with its many orange groves everywhere, makes it distinctive, especially when the fruit is harvested in the winter when the market turns yellow with the fruit. Then it comes." The season of other fruits to make their impression in the market is also ... What makes this ancient place more interesting than others is the atmosphere and the fashion of the people. "

The painting depicts a number of vendors and people taking turns buying their needs in a popular market in Jaffa.

Like most of Bauernfind's paintings, the market painting consists of clear and precise elements of the nature of life in Palestine before the occupation.

The painting depicts a number of vendors and people taking turns buying their needs in a popular market in Jaffa (Wikimedia)

Eid prayers

The painting "Prayer in the Sultan Hassan Mosque", 1876, by the English artist Frederick Goodall (1822-1904), is one of the most famous paintings dealing with Eid prayer.

Goodall himself was adept at conveying architectural landscapes with great craftsmanship.

It has been documented that he visited Egypt several times due to his interest in historical architectural monuments there.

Like many orientalists in the nineteenth century, Goodall drew many details of the life of Arabs and Muslims.

His painting also conveyed the most characteristic of the famous Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo, which is its large size and innovative architectural concepts.

It is one of the most inspiring mosques and one of the most famous and visited historical monuments in Cairo.

We see in the painting the different positions of the worshipers in addition to many subtle details such as the huge lines applied legibly to the ablution fountain.

Ayat al-Kursi appears in thuluth script as well.

The huge Kufic inscriptions on the walls of the Four Great Iwans are subtly reflected on the cloth.

According to art historian Bora Keskener, "Goodall's account of his visit to Egypt leaves no doubt that the visual excitement he lived in Cairo was what motivated him to paint these scenes. He was fascinated by the grace of Egyptians and the grandeur of landscapes, which made them a central focus of his many Orientalist art and scenes." ".

Get out in the streets and have fun

The Austrian painter, Rudolf Ernst (1854-1932), recorded in his many Orientalist paintings many aspects of joy and joy experienced by Muslims during the holidays. Or several people chatting and singing the flute on holidays.

In his painting "Musicians", which he drew in 1886, we see two men, one of them lying on a bench covered with carpets, and the other spreading on the floor, sitting in a place decorated with flowers and Islamic inscriptions on the walls, playing two musical instruments in a magical atmosphere.

The colors are cheerful, and the details of the clothes and carpets are clear and pleasant to the eye of the beholder.

The painting "Musicians", drawn by Austrian painter Rudolf Ernst in 1886 (social networking sites)

Ernst was known to be so captivated by the magic of the East that he devoted himself exclusively to painting paintings with Islamic motifs, especially architectural scenes such as mosques from the inside.

He also painted several scenes of Haramlek depicting daily life in North Africa, depending on his numerous trips to these regions.

In general, these paintings are considered the tip of the iceberg. Foreign orientalists presented thousands of paintings dealing with the Middle East and the Islamic world as a whole in the pre-colonial or accompanying periods.

The daily life of Arabs and Muslims was in contrast to their lives and the regions from which they came. The snow of Europe was matched by the warmth of the East.

And the Byzantine and Gothic arts were met by different Islamic architecture in form and subject so that the people themselves were more sympathetic and benevolent.