Interlacing Islamic Art with the Teaching of Symmetry in Portuguese Schools

Abstract

After five centuries of Muslim presence in Portugal, it would be unthinkable to assume that, apart from the naming of regions, towns, and villages (Algarve, Ourém, Alcabideche), Islamic culture has not left its mark on Portuguese society. It is not possible to ignore the impact of Islamic art on Portuguese art and architecture, especially in decorative arts such as tiles or crockery. That rich and long cultural heritage can be used to promote the teaching of Mathematics in schools. Ge- ometry can be explored through the analysis of decorative art found in Portuguese historical build- ings, in particular through the analysis of ceramic tile panels and facades used extensively throughout several centuries. Through the analysis of decorative art found using ceramic tiles in two Portuguese monuments, we propose several didactical activities to explore the topics of isome- try and symmetry in schools. We give some examples of rosettes, friezes and wallpapers found in the monuments, classified according to their symmetry groups. We also give some examples of ap- plied activities using GeoGebra and exploring Islamic motives/patterns.