Mandala - Auf der Suche nach Erleuchtung

Hailing from the cultural realm of India, the mandala signifies in its original sense a sacred circle. It serves as a meditation aid and at the same time reflects an ancient symbolism of strictly geometric basic forms accompanied by an interpretation of its sacred content. As an expression of the awareness of higher affinities, the symmetrically arranged geometry can be found in a variety of pictorial works and the architecture of various epochs and cultural realms, for example in medieval book illumination, the floor plan of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, in Kazimir Malevich's Black Square, or in various objects of the indigenous peoples of Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Based on these and other masterpieces from renowned museums and private collections and illustrated in fascinating photographs of unique buildings and rituals, this publication offers an impressive first analysis of the phenomenon of sacred geometry in art and architecture and their underlying ideologies.

Peter van Ham, SPIEGEL bestselling author, photographer and curator, is known for his numerous publications, exhibitions, and TV appearances on India, Tibet, and the Himalayas. He is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic and Royal Geographical Societies in London and the Explorer Club in New York. He has been tracing the world's spiritual traditions for the last thirty-five years.