Research Article

A Structural Analysis of Eight-Pointed Star Systems and the Reassessment of the Seljuk Star

Number: 25 June 30, 2026
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A Structural Analysis of Eight-Pointed Star Systems and the Reassessment of the Seljuk Star

Abstract

This study establishes an analytical framework for understanding the structure of eight-pointed star patterns in Islamic art and moves beyond the 45-degree angular scheme that prevails in the existing literature by demonstrating that these systems can also be generated through alternative angular arrangements. The classification introduced for the first time in this study shows, through an analysis based on the minimum number of compass-and-straightedge construction operations, that various angular configurations emerge from a single structural system and remain systematically interconnected. In line with these findings, the study proposes the “Breath Method” as an analytical model that grounds the logic of expansion and contraction inherent in star systems at the level of structural principles. Within this model, the polygonal technique is shown to constitute the final stage of this expansion–contraction process. The model makes explicit the relationship between technical construction and intellectual continuity, thereby providing geometric pattern analysis with a distinct epistemological depth. The study also reveals the integrative and structurally coherent geometric tradition of the Timurid style, which offers a broader interpretive ground for the examination of multi-layered star systems.

Keywords

References

  1. Arslan, Meçin B. “Varlığın Kaynağı: İlahî Soluk (Nefes-i Rahmânî)”. Iğdır Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi 12/24 (2021), 157–171. https://doi.org/10.34085/buifd.1265189.
  2. Artut, Selçuk. Generating a Basic Geometric Pattern Coding for the Arts. New York: Apress, 2023.
  3. Astho, Rajen. Geometric Improvisations With 8-Fold Vocabulary of Timurid Era. 2024.
  4. Bonner, Jay. Islamic Geometric Patterns: Their Historical Development and Traditional Methods of Construction. New York: Springer, 2017.
  5. Castera, Jean-Marc. Arabesques: Decorative Art in Morocco. Paris: ACR Édition, 1999.
  6. Chittick, William C. “The Central Point: Qūnawī’s Role in the School of Ibn ʿArabī”. Journal of the Muhyiddin Ibn ʿArabi Society 37 (2005), 25–47.
  7. Cromwell, Peter. “A Modular Design System Based on the Star and Cross Pattern”. Journal of Mathematics and the Arts 6/1 (2012), 29–42.
  8. Cromwell, Peter. “From Circle Packings to Constellation Patterns”. Journal of Mathematics and the Arts (2023), 213–232.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Art History

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 30, 2026

Submission Date

February 24, 2026

Acceptance Date

June 10, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 25

APA
Ekizler Sönmez, S. (2026). A Structural Analysis of Eight-Pointed Star Systems and the Reassessment of the Seljuk Star. Selçuk Üniversitesi Selçuklu Araştırmaları Dergisi, 25, 1-28. https://doi.org/10.23897/usad.1896507
AMA
1.Ekizler Sönmez S. A Structural Analysis of Eight-Pointed Star Systems and the Reassessment of the Seljuk Star. Selçuk Üniversitesi Selçuklu Araştırmaları Dergisi. 2026;(25):1-28. doi:10.23897/usad.1896507
Chicago
Ekizler Sönmez, Serap. 2026. “A Structural Analysis of Eight-Pointed Star Systems and the Reassessment of the Seljuk Star”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Selçuklu Araştırmaları Dergisi, nos. 25: 1-28. https://doi.org/10.23897/usad.1896507.
EndNote
Ekizler Sönmez S (June 1, 2026) A Structural Analysis of Eight-Pointed Star Systems and the Reassessment of the Seljuk Star. Selçuk Üniversitesi Selçuklu Araştırmaları Dergisi 25 1–28.
IEEE
[1]S. Ekizler Sönmez, “A Structural Analysis of Eight-Pointed Star Systems and the Reassessment of the Seljuk Star”, Selçuk Üniversitesi Selçuklu Araştırmaları Dergisi, no. 25, pp. 1–28, June 2026, doi: 10.23897/usad.1896507.
ISNAD
Ekizler Sönmez, Serap. “A Structural Analysis of Eight-Pointed Star Systems and the Reassessment of the Seljuk Star”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Selçuklu Araştırmaları Dergisi. 25 (June 1, 2026): 1-28. https://doi.org/10.23897/usad.1896507.
JAMA
1.Ekizler Sönmez S. A Structural Analysis of Eight-Pointed Star Systems and the Reassessment of the Seljuk Star. Selçuk Üniversitesi Selçuklu Araştırmaları Dergisi. 2026;:1–28.
MLA
Ekizler Sönmez, Serap. “A Structural Analysis of Eight-Pointed Star Systems and the Reassessment of the Seljuk Star”. Selçuk Üniversitesi Selçuklu Araştırmaları Dergisi, no. 25, June 2026, pp. 1-28, doi:10.23897/usad.1896507.
Vancouver
1.Serap Ekizler Sönmez. A Structural Analysis of Eight-Pointed Star Systems and the Reassessment of the Seljuk Star. Selçuk Üniversitesi Selçuklu Araştırmaları Dergisi. 2026 Jun. 1;(25):1-28. doi:10.23897/usad.1896507

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