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Shamsa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Islamic art, a shamsa (Persian: شمسه shamseh, Arabic: شمسة shums, Ottoman Turkish: شمسه [Turkish: Şemse]) is an intricately decorated rosette or medallion which is used in many contexts, including manuscripts, carpets, ornamental metalwork and architectural decoration such as the underside of domes.[1] It can take a number of overall shapes, from circles to stars.[1] The name means "little sun", as a diminutive of shams, the Arabic word meaning "sun",[2] and the work is often stylised as a sunburst. It is characterized by the recurrent motifs present in Islamic art, such as the use of geometrical floral or vegetal forms in a repetitive design known as an arabesque. The arabesque is often used to symbolize the transcendent, indivisible and infinite nature of God,[3] and as with other patterns and forms of Islamic art, the shamsa also has a religious significance, such as symbolizing the unity of God.[4]
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![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Shamsa._The_Ruzbihan_Qur%27an_%28CBL_Is_1558%2C_f.2a%29.jpg/640px-Shamsa._The_Ruzbihan_Qur%27an_%28CBL_Is_1558%2C_f.2a%29.jpg)
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Shamsa is also a female first name in Arabic, Urdu, and Somali, for example of Shamsa Al Maktoum, Shamsa bint Suhail Al Mazrouei, Shamsa Ali and Shamsa Araweelo.