HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE - V

ISLAMIC
ARCHITECTURE: Early Phase I – Delhi Sultanate – HOA V– By:
Ar. Waqar Abid A Z
 Sanctuary- holy Minarets
A dome over a square base reflected place From the top of this
the geometric symbolism of those tower the prayer call is
shapes. The circle represented sounded
Pishtaq
perfection, eternity, and the heavens.
rectangular frame
The square represented the earth.
around an arched Courtyard/ sahn
opening courtyard is used for performing
ablutions
Mihrab Arcade
The prayer niche is the focal covered walkway around
point in the interior of a mosque. the sahn

It is located in the Qibla wall

which is oriented toward Mecca, Mihrab
the holy city of Islam. Muslims
face the qibla wall during prayer.

Minbar (inside)
where the imam (prayer leader)
stands to deliver sermons Liwan/ cloister

West direction in India

Ablution tank (wudu)

Each mosque has an area with water
Main or east entrance
accessibility where obligatory ritual washing
takes place before prayers

Early Phase I – ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE- HOA V 2

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS AR. WAQAR ABID
 Slave Dynasty Sayyid & Lodi Dynasty

Slave Dynasty – 1206 – 1290 - 84 years • 320 years of The Delhi

Sultanate.
• After the death of Mohammed
Khilji Dynasty – 1290 – 1320 – 30 years
Ghori.
• 1526 AD Babur defeated
Tughlaq Dynasty – 1320 – 1414 – 94 years Ibrahim Lodhi in the 1st Battle
of Panipat and laid the
foundations of the Mughal
Sayyid Dynasty – 1414 – 1451 – 37 years Empire.

Lodhi Dynasty – 1451 – 1526 -75 years

Early Phase I – ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE- HOA V 3

11
TH
CENTURY – INDIA - Invasions AR. WAQAR ABID
 Lalkot- (Tomar ruler)
• Fortified city
• Built by Qutub-ud-din Aibak. • First red fort in Delhi
• Built on the foundation of the Temple Mound in
Qila Rai Pithora 235
• 1. Aladdin's tomb
Initial works done with the dismantled columns & madrassa
and elements of the temples. 2. Tomb of Iltutmish
• Extensions done by Itutmish, Alla-ud-din Khilji, 3. Iron pillar
4. Qutub Minar
Firoz shah Tughlaq, British.

155
5. Alai Gate
6. Tomb of Imanzam
7. Gateway
Qutub complex 8. Alai Minar
9. Gateway
10. Major Smith Cupola
Mehrauli 11. Chaumukha gate
12. Canteen
13. Rest house
14. Cycle stand
15. Car parking
16. Garhraj
17. Office
18. Lawn
19. Car parking
20. Main Gate
21. Mosque

Qila rai Pithora

(Prithvi Raj Chauhan)
• Extension of Lalkot
Early Phase I – ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE- HOA V 4
Qutub Complex AR. WAQAR ABID
 • Cloisters:
• Composed of pillars from Hindu Temples, placed
one above the other to achieve the desired height.
• Sanctuary:
• The western part of the cloister
• The arrangement of pillars was more spacious
and resolved into series of bays with shallow
doomed roofs,
• Maqsura:
• A maqsura, or screen wall, before the western
iwan. Made of yellow and red sandstone.
• This wall is 2.43 meters thick, 45.72 meters long
(running along the qibla wall) and 15.2 meters in
height.
• This five-arched screen wall contains one grand
central high arch with two smaller ones on either
side. All are pointed (ogee) arches.
• This maqsura was later adorned with Quranic
verses in Nakshi letters by Muslim calligraphers.
• Central Arch – 45’ High, 22’ in span and the two
smaller ones on each side with the height of 25’.

Early Phase I – ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE- HOA V 5

Quwwat – ul - Islam AR. WAQAR ABID
 Early Phase I – ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE- HOA V 6
Quwwat – ul - Islam AR. WAQAR ABID
 • Started by Qutub-ud-din Aibak.
• Built 1 storey
• Iltutmish added 3 storeys
• Firoz shah Tuglaq added 2 storeys

Outer veneer • Total height- 73 M

• Base diameter 14.3 m narrowing
Inner Rubble filling
down to 2.7 m
Inner veneer
• First three storey- pale red
sandstone
Inner shaft (rubble • Forth storey- pure white marble
Filling)
• Fifth storey- sandstone n marble

Early Phase I – ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE- HOA V 7

Qutub Minar AR. WAQAR ABID
 Qutub
minar

Projecting
balcony
Intricated
supports

Early Phase I – ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE- HOA V 8

Qutub Minar AR. WAQAR ABID
 Tomb of illtutmish/alatamsh (Qutub complex)

• First dynasty- Slave/mamluk

dynasty
• First ruler- Qutub-ud- din aibak
• Second ruler-
lltutmish/altamsh

• Square plan- 9 m all sides

• Use of squinches for
supporting dome
• Height- 8.41 m (till the base
of the dome)
• Burial chamber in the center.
• Material used- quartzite (type
of sandstone)

Early Phase I – ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE- HOA V 9

Tomb of illtutmish AR. WAQAR ABID
 Alai Darwaza
• Square plan- 17.22m all sides
• 3.3 m thick wall
• Height- 14.3 m (till dome ceiling)
• Use of squinches for supporting dome
• Material used- red sandstone, white marble
• Special features:- carved bands of red sandstone and
white marble, calligraphy and geometric patterns,
windows with lattice work (jalis)
• 3 facades are same with the horse shoe arch and one
façade with semi-circular.

Early Phase I – ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE- HOA V 10

Alai Minar AR. WAQAR ABID
• First dynasty- Slave/mamluk dynasty • Incomplete monument – started by Ala-ud-din khilji
• First ruler- Qutub-ud- din aibak • Height- 24.38 m
• Second ruler- lltutmish/altamsh • Circumference- 77.72 m
• Second dynasty- Khilji Dynasty • Outer wall thickness- 5.8 m
• First ruler- Ala-ud-din khilji • Central column dai - 8 m
• Passage width- 3 m
• Main doorway- east side Early Phase I – ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE- HOA V 11
Alai Minar AR. WAQAR ABID
 Early Phase I – ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE- HOA V 12
Qutub Complex AR. WAQAR ABID
T h a n k y o u
EARLY PHASE - I – ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE – HOA V - BY:
Contoso Ltd.
AR. WAQAR ABID A Z