Islamic architecture

The principal Islamic architectural types are:

Mosque
Tomb,
Palace
Fort

Influences:
1.

DOME -are a major structural feature of

Islamic architecture. The dome first
appeared in Islamic architecture in 691 with
the construction of the Dome of the Rock.
FROM: Sassanid and Byzantine
Sassanid / Sasanian architecture refers to the Persian architectural
style that reached a peak in its
development during the Sasanian
era.
EXAMPLE:

Figure 1. the interior side view of the main dome of Selimiye

Mosque in Edirne, Turkey.

The Dome of the Rock (Qubbat alSakhrah) in Jerusalem (691) is one

of the most important buildings in
all of Islamic architecture. It is
patterned after the nearby Church
of the Holy Sepulchre[5] and
Byzantine Christian artists were
employed to create its elaborate
mosaics
against
a
gold
background.
Figure 2. Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

2.

SEMICIRCULAR ARCH (VISIGOTHS) & HORSESHOE ARCH (PERSIAN AND BYZANTINES)

FROM: Visigoths in Spain, Persian and Byzantines

The horseshoe arch, also called

the Moorish arch and the
Keyhole arch, is the emblematic
arch of Islamic architecture. They
were formerly constructed in
Visigothic
Spain.
Horseshoe
arches can take rounded, pointed
or lobed form.

Horseshoe arch appears for the

first
time
in
Umayyad
architecture, later to evolve to
its most advanced form in alAndalus.

Figure 3. Horseshoe arches inside the Mosque of Uqba, in

Kairouan, Tunisia

3.

MOSQUE
EXAMPLE:
Great Mosque of Damascus

Damascus is the capital and the

second largest city of Syria
The Great Mosque of Damascus
(completed in 715 by caliph AlWalid I), built on the site of the
basilica of John the Baptist after
the Islamic invasion of Damascus,
still bore great resemblance to 6th
and 7th century Christian basilicas.

Figure 4.The shrine of John the Baptist (or Yahya) inside the
mosque's prayer hall

Figure 6. Mosque of Ibn Tulun at Cairo

Figure 5. Minaret at the Great

Mosque of Samarra

Abbasid dynasty (750 A.D.- 1258])

The Great Mosque of Samarra (Samarra, Iraq), once the largest in the world, was built for
the new capital.
Mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo, Abu Dalaf in Iraq, the great mosque in Tunis.

Aghlabid period (9th century)

The Great Mosque of Kairouan (in Tunisia)

is considered the ancestor of all the
mosques in the western Islamic world. Its
original marble columns and sculptures
were of Roman workmanship brought in
from Carthage and
other
elements
resemble Roman form.
The Great Mosque of Kairouan is
constituted of a massive square minaret, a
large courtyard surrounded by porticos
and a huge hypostyle prayer hall covered
on its axis by two cupolas

Figure 7 Overview of the Great Mosque of Kairouan (in

Tunisia). This mosque, also called the Mosque of Uqba,
extends over an area of about 9,000 square meters.
Founded in 670 AD by the Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi, it
dates, in its present form, from the 9th centur

Ottoman Empire

The Hagia
Sophia in Istanbul also
influenced
Islamic
architecture.
When
the Ottomans captured the city from the Byzantines, they converted the basilica to
amosque (now a museum) and incorporated Byzantine architectural elements into their own

work (e.g. domes). The Hagia Sophia also served as a model for many Ottoman mosques
such as the Shehzade Mosque, the Suleiman Mosque, and the Rstem Pasha Mosque.
4.

Distinguishing motifs of Islamic architecture

ordered repetition
radiating structures and rhythmic
metric patterns

Fractal geometry - is a natural phenomenon or a mathematical set that exhibits a

repeating pattern that displays at every scale.
Other significant features employed as motifs
columns
piers and arches
Organized and interwoven with alternating sequences of niches and
colonnettes.

Early history

The Rashidun Caliphate (632661) was the first state to use Islamic Architecture

The Umayyad Caliphate (661750) combined elements of Byzantine architecture

and Sassanid architecture, but Umayyad architecture introduced new combinations of
these western and eastern styles.

Umayyad architecture is distinguished by the extent and variety of decoration,

including mosaics, wall painting, sculpture and carved reliefs with Islamic motifs.
The Umayyads introduced a transept that divided the prayer room along its
shorter axis.[They also added the mihrab to mosque design.
Example: The mosque in Medina built by al-Walid I had the
first mihrab, a niche on the qibla wall, which seems to have represented
the place where the Prophet stood when leading prayer. This almost
immediately became a standard feature of all mosques.

Figure 8 After the death of the Prophet, the mosque was enlarged to twice its size. In 707, by Umayyad Caliph alWalid (705-715). Mamluk Sultans built the dome over the Prohets house and tomb and built and rebuilt the four
minarets. The Ottomans (1517-1917) adde

The Abbasid architecture of the Abbasid Caliphate (7501513), The Abbasid mosques
all followed the courtyard plan. The earliest was the mosque that al-Mansur built in
Baghdad since destroyed.
Abbasid architecture developed in the Abbasid Caliphate between 750 and 945,
primarily in its heartland of Mesopotamia. The Abbasids inherited Persian
architectural traditions in Mesopotamia, and were later influenced by Central
Asian styles.

Example: The Great Mosque of Samarra built by al-Mutawakkil was

256 by 139 metres (840 by 456 ft). A flat wooden roof was supported
by columns. The mosque was decorated with marble panels and glass
mosaics. The prayer hall of the Abu Dulaf mosque at Samarra had
arcades on rectangular brick piers running at right angles to the
qibla wall. Both of the Samarra mosques have spiral minarets, the only
examples in Iraq.

A mosque at Balkh in what is now Afghanistan was about 20 by 20

metres (66 by 66 ft) square, with three rows of three square bays,
supporting nine vaulted domes.

Moorish architecture in theIberian peninsula and North Africa

Moorish architecture is an architecture of western part of NorthAfrica & Iberian peninsula which began during the islamisation of those
region.
Characteristic elements include muqarnas, horseshoe arches, voussoirs,
domes, crenellated arches, lancet arches,ogee arches, courtyards, and
decorative tile work.
Example: the Great Mosque at Crdoba (now a cathedral known as
the Mezquita. The mosque is noted for its striking interior arches.
Moorish architecture reached its peak with the construction of
the Alhambra, the magnificent palace/fortress of Granada, with its
open and breezy interior spaces adorned in red, blue, and gold. The
walls are decorated with stylized foliage motifs, Arabic inscriptions,
and arabesque design work, with walls covered in glazed tile.

Figure 10 known as the Mosque of Crdoba (Spanish: Mezquita de

Crdoba),whose ecclesiastical name is the Cathedral of Our Lady
of the Assumption (Spanish: Catedral de Nuestra Seora de la
Asuncin),is the Catholic Christian cathedral of the Diocese of
Crdoba dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and
located in the Spanish region of Andalusia.

Figure 9 The building is most notable for its arcaded

hypostyle hall, with 856 columns of jasper, onyx,
marble, and granite.

Fatimid architecture in Egypt

The Fatimid architecture that developed in the Fatimid Caliphate (909
1167 CE) of North Africa combined elements of eastern and western
architecture, drawing on Abbasid architecture, Byzantine and Coptic
architecture and North Africantraditions; it bridged early Islamic styles and
the medieval architecture of the Mamluks, introducing many innovations.
Example: al-Azhar mosque ("the splendid")(969973) their first
congregational mosque in Cairo.

Figure 11 Exterior view of al-Azhar

Mosque. From left to right

the minarets of al-Ghuri,

Qaytbay, Aqbaghawiyya, and
Katkhuda

The Mosque of al-Hakim

Figure 12 Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, literally, "Ruler by God's

Command", was known to many by his eccentric
dictatorial and eccentric decrees; at one point he
declared himself a divine entity, unique among ruler
peers over Cairo's medieval ages. Al-Hakim subsequently
went off on a mysterious one way ride to al-Muqattam
hills and never returned.

(r. 9961013), an important example of Fatimid architecture and

architectural decoration, played a critical role in Fatimid ceremonial
and procession, which emphasized the religious and political role of
the Fatimid caliph.
Aqmar
Mosque (1125),
also
called Gray
mosque,
is
a mosque in Cairo, Egypt dating from the Fatimid era.

Figure 13 The Gray Mosque (El-Aqmar Mosque) was the first structure to have a ribbed
shell hood over the entrance. An inset pierced medallion adds to the impressive
decoration. Scrollwork, piercings, and carved inscriptions are absolutely stunning outside.
Inside the sanctuary is small but equally ornate with wood carvings and arabesque
ornamentation on doors and panels.

The Mamluks (12501517 AD) in Egypt, marked a breath-taking flowering of Islamic art
which is most visible in old Cairo. Religious zeal made them generous patrons
of architecture and art. Trade and agriculture flourished under Mamluk rule, and Cairo, their
capital, became one of the wealthiest cities in theNear East and the center of artistic and
intellectual activity. This made Cairo, in the words of Ibn Khaldun, "the center of the universe
and the garden of the world", with majestic domes, courtyards, and soaring minarets spread
across the city.

Style
1. Persian architecture
The Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century availed the Muslims with the vast
wealth of architectural innovation developed over the centuries, from the great
roads, aqueducts and arches of the Roman Empire, to the Byzantine basilicas
and Persian horseshoe and pointed arches, and the Sassanian and Byzantine mosaics.
The Islamic architects first utilized these native architects to build mosques, and
eventually developed their own adaptations. Islamic architecture thus is directly related
to Persian and Byzantine architecture.
2. Ottoman architecture
The standard plan of Ottoman architecture was inspired in part by the example of Hagia
Sophia in Constantinople/Istanbul,Ilkhanid works like Oljeitu Tomb and earlier Seljuk and
Anatolian Beylik monumental buildings and their own original innovations.
3. Turkistan (Timurid) architecture
Timurid architecture is the pinnacle of Islamic art in Central Asia. Spectacular and stately
edifices erected by Timur and his successors in Samarkand and Herat helped to
disseminate the influence of the Ilkhanid school of art in India, thus giving rise to the
celebrated Mughal school of architecture.
4. Indo-Islamic architecture
Another distinctive sub-style is Indo-Islamic architecture in South Asia, a fusion of Arab,
Central Asian and Persian elements with the local Hindu architecture. The most famous
examples of Mughal architecture are the series of imperial mausolea, which started with
the pivotal Tomb of Humayun, but is best known for the Taj Mahal, completed in 1648
by emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died while giving
birth to their 14th child.

5. Sino-Islamic architecture
The first Chinese mosque was established in the 7th century during the Tang
Dynasty inXi'an. The Great Mosque of Xi'an, whose current buildings date from

the Ming Dynasty, does not replicate many of the

features often associated with traditional mosques
Instead, it follows traditional Chinese architecture.
Some Chinese mosques in parts of western China
were more likely to incorporate minarets and
domes while eastern Chinese mosques were more
likely to look like pagodas.
6. Indonesian-Malaysian architecture
South East Asia was slow to adopt Middle Eastern
architectural styles. For centuries, most Indonesian
mosques lacked a dome or even a minaret.
Instead, they had large pagoda-like roofs (of local
Indonesian, Chinese and Indian influence), inspired
by the shape of volcanoes. The architecture of
Javanese Indonesian mosques had a strong
influence on the design of other mosques
in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei,
and
the Philippines.

Figure 14 The Great Mosque of Xi'an, China

7. Sahelian-Islamic architecture
In West Africa, Islamic merchants played a vital role in the Western Sahel region since
the Kingdom of Ghana. At Kumbi Saleh, locals lived in domed-shaped dwellings in the
king's section of the city, surrounded by a great enclosure. Sahelian architecture initially
grew from the two cities of Djenn and Timbuktu. The Sankore Mosque in Timbuktu,
constructed from mud on timber, was similar in style to the Great Mosque of Djenn.
8. Somali-Islamic architecture
The peaceful introduction of Islam in the early medieval era of history brought Islamic
architectural influences from Arabia and Persia, which stimulated a shift
from drystone and other related materials in construction to stone, sundried, and the
widespread use of limestone in Somali architecture. For centuries, Arba Rukun (1269),
the Friday mosque of Merca (1609) and Fakr ad-Din (1269) were, in fact, the only
mosques in East Africa to have minarets.

Interpretation
Common interpretations of Islamic architecture include the following:
The concept of God or Allah's infinite power is evoked by designs with repeating themes
which suggest infinity.
Human and animal forms are rarely depicted in decorative art as God's work is
considered to be matchless.
Foliage is a frequent motif but typically stylized or simplified for the same reason.
Arabic is used to enhance the interior of a building by providing quotations from
the Qur'an.
Islamic architecture has been called the "architecture of the veil" because the beauty
lies in the inner spaces (courtyards and rooms) which are not visible from the outside
(street view).
Furthermore, the use of grandiose forms such as large domes, towering minarets, and
large courtyards are intended to convey power.

Architecture Forms and Styles of mosques and buildings in

Muslim countries
Forms

Notable Islamic architectural types include the early Abbasid buildings, T-Type mosques, and the
central-dome mosques of Anatolia.

Figure 16 T-Type mosques

Figure 15 Arab-plan or hypostyle mosques

Arab-plan or hypostyle mosques are the earliest type of mosques, pioneered under
the Umayyad Dynasty. These mosques are square or rectangular in plan with an enclosed
courtyard and a covered prayer hall.
Courtyard served to accommodate the large number of worshippers during Friday
prayers.
One of the most notable hypostyle mosques is the Mezquita in Crdoba, Spain, as the building is
supported by over 850 columns.
Hypostyle mosques have outer arcades so that visitors can enjoy some shade.
The Ottomans introduced central dome mosques in the 15th century and have a large dome
centered over the prayer hall.

Sehan
The traditional Islamic courtyard, a sehan in Arabic (ar: ), is found in secular and religious structures.
1. When within a residence or other
secular building is a private courtyard and
walled garden. It is used for: the aesthetics
of plants, water, architectural elements,
and natural light; for cooler space with
fountains and shade, and source of breezes
into the structure, during summer heat;
and a protected and proscribed place
where the women of the house need not
be
covered
in
the hijab clothing
traditionally necessary in public.
2. A sehancourtyard is in within
almost
every
mosque
in
Islamic
architecture. The courtyards are open to
the sky and surrounded on all sides by
Figure 17 The Great Mosque of Kairouan, with a large courtyardsehan
surrounded by arcades, located in Kairouan, Tunisia.

structures with halls and rooms, and often a shaded semi-open arcade. Sehans usually feature a
centrally positioned ritual cleansing pool under an open domed pavilion called a howz . A
mosque courtyard is used for performing ablutions, and a 'patio' for rest or gathering.

Gardens
The Qur'an uses the garden as an analogy for
paradise and Islam came to have a significant
influence on garden design. The concept
of paradise garden was commonly used
the Persian gardens, Ottoman gardens as well
as Charbagh garden ofMughal architecture.

Figure 18 The tomb of Hafez is a primary example of a Persian

garden, with the typical, enclosed space, water channels and
large trees that provide cooling shades.

Arabesque

An element of Islamic art usually found

decorating the walls and window screens of
mosques and Muslim homes and buildings,
the arabesque is an elaborate application of
repeating geometric forms that often echo the
forms of plants, shapes and sometimes
animals (specifically birds).

Figure 19 Complex Mosaic patterns also known as Girih are

popular forms of architectural art in many Muslim cultures.

Calligraphy
Arabic calligraphy is associated with geometric
Islamic art (the Arabesque) on the walls and
ceilings of mosques as well as on the page.
Contemporary artists in the Islamic world draw
on the heritage of calligraphy to use
calligraphic inscriptions or abstractions in their
work.

Figure 20 Islamic calligraphy on large pishtaq of the Taj Mahal

Elements of Islamic style

Islamic architecture may be identified with the following design elements, which were inherited from the
first mosque built byr hall (originally a feature of the Masjid al-Nabawi).

Minarets or towers (these were originally used as torch-lit watchtowers, as seen in the Great
Mosque of Damascus; hence the derivation of the word from the Arabic nur, meaning "light"). The

minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan inTunisia is considered as the oldest surviving minaret in
the world.[54] It has the shape of a square massive tower of three superimposed sections.[54]
A four-iwan plan, with three subordinate halls and one principal one that faces toward Mecca

Figure 21 four-iwan plan

Mihrab or prayer niche on an inside wall indicating the direction to Mecca.

Figure 22 Mihrab or prayer niche

Domes and Cupolas. In South East Asia (Indonesia and Malaysia), these are very recent additions.

Figure 23 Domes and Cupolas

Pishtaq is the formal gateway to the iwan, usually the main prayer hall of a mosque, a vaulted hall or
space, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open; a Persian term for a portal projecting from
the facade of a building, usually decorated with calligraphy bands, glazed tilework, and geometric
designs.

Figure 24 Pishtaq

Iwans to intermediate between different pavilions.

The use of Islamic geometric patterns and foliage based arabesques.
The use of mocrabe and muqarnas, a unique Arabic/Islamic space-enclosing system, for the
decoration of domes, minarets and portals, as used at the Alhambra.

Figure 25 mocrabe and muqarnas

The use of decorative Islamic calligraphy instead of pictures which were haram (forbidden) in
mosque architecture. Note that in secular architecture, human and animal representation was
indeed present.
Central fountains used for ablutions (once used as a wudu area for Muslims).
The use of bright color, if the style is Persian or Indian (Mughal); paler sandstone and grey stones
are preferred among Arab buildings. Compare the Registan complex of Uzbekistan to the Al-Azhar
University of Cairo. In Indonesia and Malaysia, modern mosques are often painted in bright green
(symbolic colour of Islam) and yellow (royal colour of South East Asia).