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Buddhist and Hindu Mythology

Vibrant murals and intricate paintings illustrating sacred texts, deities, and mythical tales from Buddhist and Hindu traditions.

Priest and warrior at altar to Kulkulcan, Chichenitza, AD 900. Sun symbol. Mayan, Mexico.

Wat Buak Khrok Luang, located in Ban Buak Khrok Luang Moo 1, Chiang Mai - Sankamphaeng Road, Chiang Mai, is a small and typically northern Thai Buddhist temple. It is believed to have been founded in the 15th century during the time of the independent Lan Na Kingdom (1292-1558), and was extensively restored during the reign of Chao Kaew Naowarat (r.1911-1939), the last King of Chiang Mai. The temple is chiefly noteworthy for its main viharn, which is purely Lan Na in inspiration, with a four-tiered roof and elegant naga balustrade entrance. The most remarkable aspect of the viharn is its extensive mural paintings, dating from around 1835 during the reign of Chao Phuttawong (r.1826-1846), the fourth ruler of the Chiang Mai Thipchang Dynasty. The murals, which are northern Thai in style with clear elements of Shan State and Konbaung Dynasty Burmese influence, are among the best in northern Thailand. They feature the jataka stories, past lives of the Buddha, and are interspersed with vern

The Emperor's Approach, showing the luxury in which the emperor Xuande travelled. Elephants were kept in the imperial elephant stables until around 1900 and were often used for ceremonial occasions, such as the emperor's visits to the Temple of Heaven. Here, however, the large number of horsemen accompanying the emperor's carriage suggests that the emperor was on a much longer journey in the countryside

The Simian Generals in Procession, Scene from the Story of the Burning of Lanka, Folio from a Ramayana (Adventures of Rama). India, Maharashtra, Paithan, circa 1850. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor on paper

Malaysia, Island of Penang. Kek Lok Si Temple, largest temple in Southeast Asia. Ornate temple wall.

Offerings to the Buddhist Protective Deities Begtse Chen, Tsangpa Karpo, and Garwa Nagpo. Eastern Tibet, Kham region (), 18th-19th century. Paintings. Mineral pigments on cotton cloth

Muhammad assault by the pagan Abu-Jahl. Miniature from the Siyer-i Nebi, Turkish epic about the life of Muhammad. Miniature illustration by Ahmed Nur Ibn Mustafa, 16th century. Topkapi Sarayi Museum Library. Istanbul, Turkey.

Lord Ganesh and Skanda () sit across a sacrificial fire, with a long flame coming out of a pink pot watched by seventeen other deities. Gouache painting by an Indian artist.

Mural inside the ancient 14th Century Ura Kidane Mehret Monastery (Ethiopian Orthodox Church), Zege peninsula in Lake Tana, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Traditional style, lacquered wooden box for prayer beads, Indian 21st century

Asia, India. Krishna holds up Mount Govardhan as storm protection. 17th cent painting.

Okuni Kabuki, mid 17th century, Unknown Japanese, 21 × 76 15/16 in. (53.34 × 195.42 cm) (image)25 1/2 × 81 13/16 × 1/2 in. (64.77 × 207.8 × 1.27 cm) (mount), Ink, color, and gold leaf on paper, Japan, Nikuhitsu ukiyo-e, The screen shows a raucous street scene in the entertainment quarter of Kyoto and a performance by Izumo no Okuni, the shrine priestess credited as the founder of the Kabuki theater. Okuni, dressed as a samurai, is performing one of her most famous skits, 'Teahouse Entertainments' ('Chaya asobi'). She and her 'male' attendant (who is played by a woman) perform a dance directed toward the owner of a teahouse. This screen could be by the hand of an artist from the school of Iwasa Matabei.

Wood carvings in side temples of Shwezigon Pagoda, Bagan, Myanmar, Asia

18th century Murals frescos paintings in Adinath Jain temple at Vidur village near Tindivanam, Tamil Nadu, South India, India, Asia

17th century murals fresco paintings of Ramayana epic in Kokarneswarar temple ceiling at Thirukokarnam, Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu, South India, India, Asia

Celestial Buddhas and Deities of the Northern, Western, and Central Dipper Constellations. China, Chinese, Ming dynasty, about 1450-1550. Paintings. Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk

Coptic tapestry of a royal couple with Christ, 10th century. Artist: Unknown

Myanmar,Bagan,Sulamani Temple,Ancient Interior Wall Painting

Muhammad assault by the pagan Abu-Jahl. Miniature from the Siyer-i Nebi, Turkish epic about the life of Muhammad. Miniature illustration by Ahmed Nur Ibn Mustafa, 16th century. Topkapi Sarayi Museum Library. Istanbul, Turkey.

Baluchari silk handloom saree at bishnupur bankura, West Bengal, India Copyright: xRxMakharia/DinodiaxPhotox

paintings ajanta caves, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India, Asia Copyright: xAnilxDave/DinodiaxPhotox

Traditional Kamasan painting, Kertha Gosa pavilion, former Hall of Justice, in Puri Semarapura Palace, Klungkung, Bali, Indonesia, Asia

Mural of shivaji II in maratha darbar hall at thanjavur palace Tanjore Tamil Nadu India Copyright: xMxAmirtham/DinodiaxPhotox

Japan Heian Period. 794-1185. Rice Sowing with The Dengaku. Ritual Shintoist Dance

Wat May Souvannapoumaram temple. Golden frescoes depict episodes from the Ramayana, a major epic of Buddhist and Hindu tradition. Luang Prabang. Laos.

The Dura Europos synagogue is an ancient synagogue uncovered at Dura-Europos, Syria, in 1932. The last phase of construction was dated by an Aramaic inscription to 244 CE, making it one of the oldest synagogues in the world. It is unique among the many ancient synagogues that have emerged from archaeological digs as it was preserved virtually intact, and it has extensive figurative wall-paintings. These frescoes are now displayed in the National Museum of Damascus.

A scene from the Ramakien on a wooden screen in the Buddhaisawan Chapel, Bangkok, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

fine arts, religious art, Jesus Christ, passion, way from Pilate to Golgotha, painting, Dalecarlian rustic painting, 1807, Dalarnas museum, Falun, Europe, Sweden, Dalarna, 19th century, religion, christianity, popular art,

Buddhism in Mongolia derives much of its recent characteristics from Tibetan Buddhism of the Gelugpa school. Traditionally, Mongols worshiped heaven (the 'clear blue sky') and their ancestors, and they followed ancient northern Asian practices of shamanism, in which human intermediaries went into trance and spoke to and for some of the numberless infinities of spirits responsible for human luck or misfortune. Although the emperors of the Yuan Dynasty in the 14th and 15th century had already converted to Tibetan Buddhism, the Mongols returned to their old shamanist ways after the collapse of their empire. In 1578 Altan Khan, a Mongol military leader with ambitions to unite the Mongols and to emulate the career of Chinggis, invited the head of the rising Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism to a summit. They formed an alliance that gave Altan Khan legitimacy and religious sanction for his imperial pretensions and that provided the Buddhist school with protection and patronage.

The Monkey King Vali's Funeral Pyre. Culture: India (Himachal Pradesh, Kangra). Dimensions: 9 3/4 x 13 3/8 in. (24.8 x 34 cm). Date: ca. 1780.Smoke rises from the funerary pyre of the monkey king Vali, who was murdered by his brother and rival, Sugriva, with the help of Rama. At the upper left, Sugriva approaches Rama, seated in a cave, who affirms his standing as king of the monkeys. Emphasizing Rama's wilderness existence are the sages in front of the thatched huts in the center background. A small scene set within the mountains to the right shows Sugriva, Hanuman, Lakshmana, and the monkey army (but not Rama) returning to their vast and impenetrable golden capital to crown Sugriva as the new king. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Ancient Buddhist temple mural painting of the life of Buddha in Ayutthaya, Thailand

RETABLO DE GUIMERA - PASO DEL MAR ROJO - SIGLO XV. Author: RAMON DE MUR (1380-1435). Location: MUSEO EPISCOPAL. VIC. Barcelona. SPAIN. MOSES.

INDONESIA, BALI, COLORFUL TRADITIONAL PAINTING

Ajanta Caves Maharashtra India Copyright: xRajeshxVora/DinodiaxPhotox

At the Well (Casket), Shishakov, Nikolay Ivanovich (1925-1999)

Ascension of Elijah / Russian Icon

In 1592, Nanda Bayin ordered his son Minchit Sra to attack Ayutthaya. The Siamese army, under King Naresuan, met the Burmese army at Nong Sarai on Monday 18 January, 1593. The personal battle between Naresuan and Minchit Sra is now a highly-romanticised historical scene known as Yuddhahatthi, the Elephant battle. After narrowly missing Naresuan and cutting his head, Minchit Sra was slashed to death on the back of his elephant. This was on Monday, the 2nd waning day of the 2nd month of the Buddhist calendar Chulasakarat Era year 954. Calculated to correspond to Monday, 18 January, AD 1593 of the Gregorian calendar, this date is now observed as Royal Thai Armed Forces day.

King Sigurds journey to Jerusalem- a Norwegian tapestry- by Frida Hansen (1855 - 1931). Dated 1900

The Gopis Plead with Krishna to Return Their Clothing, Page from a Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu) series ca. 1610 India (Rajasthan, Bikaner) Krishna sits high in a tree with the clothing he has playfully stolen from the bathing gopis (cow maids). They look on with love, praying for union with the god in a passionate expression of bhakti (devotional worship). The artist has employed a limited Rajput color scheme in conjunction with elements of Mughal derivation, such as the foliage and naturalistic treatment of the water.. The Gopis Plead with Krishna to Return Their Clothing, Page from a Bhagavata Purana (Ancient Stories of Lord Vishnu) series. India (Rajasthan, Bikaner). ca. 1610. Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. Paintings

The Coronation of the Virgin, 15th century Flemish tapestry.

Thailand, Bangkok, Chinatown, Thian Fa Chinese Medicine Hospital, Wall Mural Depicting Chinese Mythology in the Kuan Yim Temple

Tetova, Polog, North Macedonia. September 7, 2024. Interior view of the Colorful Mosque in Tetova.

Krishna and Radha Celebrating the Holi Festival with Companions. India, Rajasthan, Marwar, circa 1750. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Bangkok, Thailand, Ancient fresco depicting warriors and demons going to battle with a golden chariot, Ramakien Gallery, Wat Phra Kaew, Grand Palace, Temple of the Emerald Buddha

Life of Buddha. The birth of infant Siddhartha as a prince who pointing to the North, walked seven steps on lotuses. Wat Maniratanaram monastery. Wall fresco. Phnom Penh. Cambodia.

Three angels; Mehoffer, Józef (1869-1946); 1901 (1901-00-00-1901-00-00);Arts and Crafts (Styl), Kraków (Lesser Poland Voivodeship), Wawel (Kraków), Angels, Dar (provenance), painting decoration, ornaments, treasury (Wawel)

Jagannatha, Balabhadra, and Subhadra in the Jagannatha Temple. India, Odisha (Orissa), Puri, circa 1875-1900. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor on cloth

Shahab-ud-din Muhammad Khurram Shah Jahan I (1592 -1666), or Shah Jahan, from the Persian meaning 'king of the world', was the fifth Mughal ruler in India and a favourite of his legendary grandfather Akbar the Great. He is best known for commissioning the 'Phadshahnamah' as a chronicle of his reign, and for the building of the Taj Mahal in Agra as a tomb for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Under Shah Jahan, the Mughal Empire attained its highest union of strength and magnificence. The opulence of Shah Jahan's court and his famous Peacock Throne was the wonder of all the European travelers and ambassadors. His political efforts encouraged the emergence of large centers of commerce and crafts such as Lahore, Delhi, Agra and Ahmedabad linked by roads and waterways to distant places and ports. He moved the capital from Agra to Delhi. Under Shah Jahan's rule, the Red Fort and Jama Masjid in Delhi were built, the Shalimar Gardens of Lahore, sections of the Lahore Fort and his father's mausoleum.

Maharana Jawan Singh of Mewar Receiving the Governor General of India, Lord William Cavendish Bentinck, February 8th, 1832 Attributed to Ghasi. Maharana Jawan Singh of Mewar Receiving the Governor General of India, Lord William Cavendish Bentinck, February 8th, 1832, ca. 1832. Opaque watercolor, gold and silver on cloth, 74 7/16 × 50 3/8 in., 88 lb. (189 × 128 cm, 39.92kg). This large painting depicts an important meeting that took place at the 1832 Ajmer darbar, the first major gathering of India's Rajput rulers with the British governor general. A darbar is an official audience between rulers that includes a series of strictly regulated ceremonial meetings heralded by gun salutes and punctuated by an exchange of nazar (gifts). Maharana Jawan Singh of Mewar (ruled 1828-38), identified here by his gold nimbus and gold patka (sash), receives Lord Bentinck, who is formally attired in an orange coat. They share a throne made specially for the occasion. Jawan Singh's gifts to the British

Paintings of Lord Buddha Surrounded With Naga s, Cave Temple, Dambulla, Sri Lanka. UNESCO world heritage site. Cave 2 Maha Raja Viharaya The Cave of Great Kings Paintings of Lord Buddha Surrounded With Naga s, Cave Temple, Dambulla, Sri Lanka. UNESCO world heritage site. Cave 2 Maha Raja Viharaya The Cave of Great Kings Copyright: xZoonar.com/RealityImagesx 21646276

Hereke carpet, carpet, Hereke, silk carpet, carpet motif, Cappadocia, Central Anatolia, Turkey, Asia

The bridal blessing given to their majesties Napoleon and Marie Louise (IT)

Genealogical scroll of the rulers of Mewar., 1730 - 1740., Udaipur, Rajasthan State, India., Colors on cotton

Mural in Voronets Monastery, Sistine Chapel of Eastern Europe, Moldavian Monasteries, Mural, Romania, Europe

Drawing from the book Phra Malaya with the title The Kingdom of Indra, the King of Gods, Temple Wat Sen Soukharam, Luang Prabang, Laos, Asia

Ramakian mural, Phra Rabiang, gallery, Wat Phra Kaeo, Wat Phra Kaew, Grand Palace, Bangkok, Central Thailand, Thailand, Asia

The Five Hundred Lohans, 1736-1795, L.350 x W. 16-3/4 in., K'ossu (silk brocade) with traces of pigment, China, 18th century, This extremely fine silk weaving illustrates the five hundred Buddhist deities known as lohans. The handscroll can be divided into nine pictorial segments, each reflecting one of nine poems which deal with Buddhist subjects such as the Buddha descending from Western Paradise, the proclaiming of the Law and the enlightenment of the universe. In spite of the Buddhist theme, however there is a great deal of Taoist mythology incorporated into the activities of the numerous lohans who populate the paradise setting. This remarkable work originally belonged to the Ch'ien-lung emperor and the beginning of the scroll displays three of his nine imperial seals.

Ema (Votive Painting) of Chinese Lion Led by Utenō dated 1627 Japan This ema depicts the Chinese lion mount of the bodhisattva Monju (Sanskrit: Manjushri) and its handler, the deity Utenō. Written on either side of the image is a text, now partly abraded, which once read:This ema is respectfully presented to the deity on the twenty-fifth day of the third month of the year 1627.Squeezed beneath the lions back legs are the (partially illegible) names of four donors. The two names which can be read in their entirety are Gorōsuke and Sanzō. The location of their residence, Nabeyachō, an area only a short distance from the Kōfukuji Temple, appears between the lions front legs. The back of the ema has another inscription, now also difficult to make out, which refers to Monju and his wisdom.. Ema (Votive Painting) of Chinese Lion Led by Utenō 36107

Binglingsi Shiku (Thousand Buddha Caves) is a collection of caves and grottoes set in an inaccessible canyon by the Yellow River about 80km upstream from Lanzhou. The site's very isolation has protected and preserved Binglingsi, not least from marauding Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution (1966 - 76). The first Buddhist grottoes at Binglingsi date from the Eastern Jin Dynasty (c. 317 - 420 CE), and construction continued for well over a thousand years throughout the Tang, Song, Ming and Qing eras. The Bingling caves were often sponsored by wealthy patrons investing some of their Silk Road profits in accruing merit for this life and the next. A total of 183 caves, together with nearly 700 carved stone statues and 82 terracotta sculptures survive, many showing very clear evidence of South Asian Buddhist artistic influences - indeed, art experts agree that Binglingsi is a stylistic midpoint between the former monumental Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan, and grotto complexes further

King Ahasuerus seeks a new queen for Ardasir Book, Isfahan, 1680.

The Eight Celestial Emperors in the East, from the Daoist pantheon.

Kasuga Deer Mandala 1399-1499 Japan. Ink, colors, and gold on silk . Mandara Shika

Four Buddhist deities are stenciled on the wall of Wat Si Bun Heuang in the former French Provincial town of LUANG PROBANG - LAOS

Embroidered picture, Medium: silk, metallic Technique: embroidery on plain weave foundation, Rectangular embroidered picture showing Christ praying in the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of his crucifixion. Three apostles asleep in foreground, an angel hovers above kneeling Christ in middle ground. Trees and buildings in background. Multi color silk and metallic yarns on cream silk plain weave foundation fabric. Note attached: 'Mercur sale: From old English embroidered picture - Christ in background.' Not in Fraser photo album. Very poor condition. Foundation fabric practically gone. Glued to a wooden board as received., Europe, 18th century, embroidery & stitching, Embroidered picture

Maharana Fateh Singh (reigned 1884-1930) and His Entourage. Attributable to Liladhar (India, active circa 1894-1905). India, Rajasthan, Mewar, Udaipur, circa 1900. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Maharana Jawan Singh of Mewar Receiving the Governor General of India, Lord William Cavendish Bentinck, February 8th, 1832 Attributed to Ghasi. Maharana Jawan Singh of Mewar Receiving the Governor General of India, Lord William Cavendish Bentinck, February 8th, 1832, ca. 1832. Opaque watercolor, gold and silver on cloth, 74 7/16 × 50 3/8 in., 88 lb. (189 × 128 cm, 39.92kg). This large painting depicts an important meeting that took place at the 1832 Ajmer darbar, the first major gathering of India's Rajput rulers with the British governor general. A darbar is an official audience between rulers that includes a series of strictly regulated ceremonial meetings heralded by gun salutes and punctuated by an exchange of nazar (gifts). Maharana Jawan Singh of Mewar (ruled 1828-38), identified here by his gold nimbus and gold patka (sash), receives Lord Bentinck, who is formally attired in an orange coat. They share a throne made specially for the occasion. Jawan Singh's gifts to the British

Detail from a 19th century enamel and glazed picture depicting the Hindu legend of the Ramayana. The Ramayana is one of the two epic Hindu poems, the other being the Mahabharata. The Ramayana describes a love story between Rama, an ancient King, and Sita, who is captured by Ravan, the King of Ceylon. Rama lays siege to Ceylon and wins back Sita

Thai painting of Loi Krathong festival

Mural depicting scenes from the Khmer version or Reamker version of the classic Indian Ramayana epos in the covered gallery of the Silver Pagoda, Royal Palace, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Southeast Asia, Asia

Dancing Villagers. Attributed to Pandit Seu (India, Himachal Pradesh, Guler, circa 1680-1740). India, Himachal Pradesh, Guler, circa 1730. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor on paper

Restored wall paintings Ramakia in Wat Phra Kaeo restored wall paintings Ramakia in Wat Phra Kaeo, Grosser Palast, Bangkok, Thailand, Asia

Mantle ("The Paracas Textile") Nasca. Mantle ("The Paracas Textile"), 100-300 C.E. Cotton, camelid fiber, 24 5/8 × 58 11/16 in. (62.5 × 149 cm). This extraordinarily complex mantle, or cloak, is one of the most renowned Andean textiles in the world. It was most likely used as a ceremonial object. The ninety figures decorating the border, created by needle knitting, have been interpreted as a microcosm of life on Perus South Coast two thousand years ago, with a particular focus on agriculture. Many of the images illustrate native flora and fauna as well as cultivated plants. Costumed figures may represent humans impersonating gods and acting as intermediaries between the real and supernatural worlds. Severed human trophy heads are shown as germinating seeds, suggesting the practice of ritual sacrifice and the interconnected cycles of birth and death. Este extraordinariamente complejo manto, o capa, es uno de los textiles andinos más conocidos en el mundo. Fue usado probablemente como

Manjushri (left); Monk and Donors (right); Folio from a Ashtasarika Prajnaparamita (The Perfection of Wisdom) Manuscript. Central Tibet, 15th century. Manuscripts. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Tantric Temple Banner of a Dancing Goddess Flanked by Dakinis. Nepal. Date: 1601-1700. Dimensions: 124.5 x 231.1 cm (49 x 91 in.). Pigment and black ink on cloth. Origin: Nepal. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Asia, Laos, Luang Phrabang. Mural inside Wat Mai

Muhammad and his followers arrive outside Medina and are greeted by the inhabitants, many of whom ask the Prophet to stay with them., 1594 - 1595 (Inferred), Istanbul, Manuscripts Turkish, 28.5 x 19 cm

Buddhist wall paintings for religious instruction, Wewurukannala Vihara Temple, Dikwella, Sri Lanka, Asia, PublicGround, Asia

18th century Murals frescos paintings in Adinath Jain temple at Vidur village near Tindivanam, Tamil Nadu, South India, India, Asia

India, Tamil Nadu, Konerirajapuram, murals in Siva temple, 12th century

Italy, Trentino Region, San Zeno di Trento, Basilica of SS. Sisinio, Martirio and Alessandro, altar frontal with the stories of the Martyrs of Anaunia, polychrome marble intarsia

Konmara (Pya) Zat, 1850

Wall painting, pilgrims in Aksum, the old cathedral, Aksum, Ethiopia, Africa

Bô-Sôn, Tonkin, Indochina Buddhist statues (Arhats) On the aisles of an altar, inside the temple , Léon Busy in Indochina (French - Bô-sôn , Tonkin , Indochine Des statues bouddhiques ( arhats ) sur les bas-côtés d' un autel , à l' intérieur du temple). Statue, Buddhism, temple, interior view, painting, Religion , Habitat , Architecture , Art, Indochina, Tonkin, Bac-Ninh, from Hanoi to the Porte de China, the interior of the said pagoda, Buddha on the stockings

Theotokos Life-giving Spring by Russian icon / National Art Museum of Belorussian Republik, Minsk / Russian icon painting / End of 17th cen. / Russia / Tempera on panel / Bible /

Scenes from the Kama Sutra in a cupboard in the Juna Mahal fort, Dungarpur, Rajasthan state, India, Asia

Wood carvings in side temples of Shwezigon Pagoda, Bagan, Myanmar, Bagan, Myanmar, Asia

The Liao Dynasty, also known as the Khitan Empire, was a state that ruled over the regions of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China proper. It was founded by the Yelü clan of the Khitan people in the same year as the Tang Dynasty collapsed (907), even though its first ruler, Yelü Abaoji (Yaruud Ambagai Khan), did not declare an era name until 916. Although it was originally known as the Empire of the Khitan, the Emperor Yelü Ruan officially adopted the name 'Liao' (formally Great Liao’) in 947. Another name for China in English, Cathay, is derived from the name Khitan. This is also the origin of the Russian word for China, Китай or Kitay, and that of several other East European languages. The Liao Empire was destroyed by the Jurchen of the Jin Dynasty in 1125. However, remnants of its people led by Yelü Dashi established the Xi (Western) Liao Dynasty 1125-1220, also known as Kara-Khitan Khanate, which extended its influence over Central Asia into Persia and survived until t

A Demon Brings a Message to a Lone Woman, Folio from a Markandeya Purana (The Ancient Story of Markandeya). India, Himachal Pradesh, Kangra, South Asia, circa 1820-1830. Drawings; watercolors. Opaque watercolor and gold on paper

Burma: musicians and dancers perform while courtiers pay homage to a king. Gouache painting.

Detail of the mural paintings in Wat Chompoowek, Nonthaburi, showing celestial deities. Late Ayudhaya school. Thailand

Indonesia, BaliPainting - I Nyoman Londo

Bāburnāma (Chagatai/Persian: بابر نامہ;´, literally: 'Book of Babur' or 'Letters of Babur'; alternatively known as Tuzk-e Babri) is the name given to the memoirs of ahīr ud-Dīn Muḥammad Bābur (1483-1530), founder of the Mughal Empire and a great-great-great-grandson of Timur. It is an autobiographical work, originally written in the Chagatai language, known to Babur as 'Turki' (meaning Turkic), the spoken language of the Andijan-Timurids. Because of Babur's cultural origin, his prose is highly Persianized in its sentence structure, morphology, and vocabulary, and also contains many phrases and smaller poems in Persian. During Emperor Akbar's reign, the work was completely translated to Persian by a Mughal courtier, Abdul Rahīm, in AH 998 (1589-90 CE).

The Isra and Mi'raj, are the two parts of a Night Journey that, according to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad took during a single night around the year 621. It considered as both a physical and spiritual journey. A brief outline of the story is related in surah 17 'Al-Isra' of the Qur'an, and other details come from the Hadith, supplemental accounts of the life ofthe Prophet Muhammad recorded by his companions. In the journey, the Prophet Muhammad travels on the celestial mount Al-Buraq to 'the farthest temple' (Holy Temple of Al-Quds or Jerusalem) where he leads other prophets in prayer. He then ascends through the seven heavens where he speaks to God, who gives Muhammad instructions to take back to the faithful on Earth about the number of times to offer prayers each day. According to traditions, the Journey is associated with the Lailat al Miraj, as one of the most significant events in the Islamic calendar. Representations of the Prophet Muhammad are controversial, and gene

An ink and brush drawing by Josef von Führich depicting the Last Supper, emphasizing the arrangement of figures, gestures, and table composition on paper mounted on glass plate.

People Dancing Unidentified early 17th century Men in boldly patterned kimono, many holding golden fans with a rising sun motif, dance in time to the music, performing fury-odori, fashionable, modern dances popular at festivals in the early to mid-seventeenth century, and also enjoyed at private gatherings, as depicted here. In the garden of a grand samurai residence, male guests dance to the music of small hand drums (tsutsumi), a larger shime-daiko drum held by a boy and played by an older samurai, a bamboo transverse flute (shinobue), and three-stringed shamisen played by two minstrels in the center. A blind shamisen minstrel is arriving to accompany them.Many of the established forms of entertainment of the Edo period had their roots in ancient forms of court and agricultural rituals in which performers donned colorful kimono or elaborate costumes, fancifully decorated hats, and sometimes even masks representing sacred animals or supernatural beings. Such performances had both a re

'Visu on Mount Fuji-yama', 1912. A woodsman named Visu witnessed the eruption of Mount Fuji and named it "Fuji-yama", the Never-Dying Mountain. From "Myths & Legends of Japan", by F. Harland Davis. George G. Harrap & Company, London, 1912

The Galleries, Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand, Asia

Coronation of Hungarian King Janos by Suleyman, detail, 16th century ms H1517 p 309A, Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul, Turkey

Buddhist religious picture on the wall of temple, China

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