Pattern Archive
12,000+ high-resolution scans of girih tilework, muqarnas, and zellij — measured, georeferenced, and searchable from the Darb-i Imam shrine to the Alhambra.
8th century — today
The Geometry of Heritage, Open to Everyone
A digitized archive and academy of Islamic geometric art — 12,000+ measured scans of girih tilework and star-and-polygon tessellations, from the Darb-i Imam shrine to the Alhambra, ready to study, trace, and share.
The Platform
One Archive, One Studio, Many Teachers
Everything on GIRIH is measured, sourced, and explained — built with historians of Islamic art.
Tessellation Studio
Trace constructions step by step — compass-and-straightedge logic, polygon subdivisions, and symmetry grids rendered live in your browser.
Scholar-Led Courses
Historians of Islamic art guide you from Abbasid knotwork to Seljuk star polygons — every lesson citing its monuments and manuscripts.
How It Works
From Looking to Drawing in Three Steps
The Studio teaches the method behind the motif — the same one master builders used for a thousand years.
Create a free profile
Sign up in under a minute — your Studio keeps every trace you ever make.
Explore and trace patterns
Open any record and rebuild its tessellation in the Studio with guided, step-by-step construction.
Save, export, and share
Export SVG, PDF, or PNG, cite the source monument, and share studies with students or colleagues.
Community
What Our Scholars and Makers Say
Curators, architects, and designers who measure before they draw.
“Museum-grade scans with provenance notes better than most printed catalogues I have worked with.”
“I reconstructed a Seljuk portal for a competition in the Studio. Every line was defensible — and every line was mine.”
“One Friday email taught me more about five-fold girih than a whole semester of tutorials.”
Pricing
Access for Every Level of Curiosity
Start free. Go deeper when the patterns pull you in.
Visitor
$0 / forever
- Browse the open archive
- Low-resolution previews
- Three saved Studio studies
- Community forum
Most Chosen
Scholar
$9 / month
- Full-resolution downloads
- Unlimited Studio traces
- All scholar-led courses
- SVG, PDF & PNG export
- Certificates of completion
Institution
$49 / month
- Everything in Scholar, 25 seats
- Museum-grade photo requests
- Archive API access
- Licensing desk & priority support
FAQ
Questions, Answered Plainly
What is girih?
Girih — Persian for “knot” — is the repertoire of star-and-polygon patterns composed from a small set of tiles, used across the Islamic world from the 9th century onward to ornament mosques, shrines, and manuscripts with mathematically precise symmetry.
Are the scans public domain?
The medieval works themselves are in the public domain. Our photography of the open collection is released CC0, and every record states its rights, photographer, and source monument — so you always know exactly what you may reuse.
Can I use the patterns commercially?
Yes. Anything marked CC0 needs no license or attribution. Scholar and Institution plans add a commercial license covering GIRIH’s contemporary photography, 3D scans, and Studio reconstructions.
Do you offer student discounts?
Yes — students and teachers receive 40% off any paid plan. Write to us from a valid academic address and we will send a code within a day.
How is the Studio different from other design tools?
Most tools draw shapes; the Studio reconstructs method. Every pattern carries its compass-and-straightedge construction, its symmetry group, and its historical source — so you learn how the masters composed it, not just what it looks like.
How does institutional licensing work?
Museums, universities, and practices can license the full archive for teaching, exhibitions, and research under a single annual agreement, with dedicated seats, invoicing, and priority support. Email our licensing desk for terms.
One pattern, carefully explained, every Friday.
A single motif from the archive — its history, its construction, and a printable worksheet. No noise, unsubscribe anytime.