Islamic Architecture

Islamic Architecture Architectural History ACT 322 Doris Kemp

Topics • Islamic Origins • Islamic Characteristics • Islamic Public Buildings • Mosques • Madresahs • Mausoleums

Islamic Architecture:Origins • Islamic architecture gains its origins when the Muslims began to build in conquered lands • Byzantium • Greece • Egypt • Middle East

Islamic Architecture:Characteristics • Islamic architecture shares many forms and structural concerns with Byzantine, Medieval, and Renaissance architecture • Islamic architectural characteristics • Large interior spaces • Domes and ceilings • Arches and columns • Walls and vaults • Wall-like facades

Islamic Architecture:Characteristics • A particular characteristic is the architectural decoration • Independent of structure • Intricate patterns completely cover exteriors and interiors • Domes of various shapes • Arch forms in the shape of a horseshoe are uniquely Islamic

Islamic Architecture:Public Buildings • The most common types of Islamic public buildings • Mosques • Madresahs • Mausoleums

Islamic Architecture:Public Buildings • Mosques • Considered the most important building • Serve as a gathering place for prayer, teaching, and a town hall • Its form has been very consistent through time and place

Islamic Architecture:Public Buildings • Mosques • The earliest mosques were built to represent the prophet Mohamed’s house • A courtyard and covered area for prayer • All mosques were axial and oriented towards Mecca • Mecca is Islam’s most holy site

Islamic Architecture:Public Buildings • Mosques • Dome of the Rock • Located in Jerusalem • c. 684 A.D. • Built on the spot where Muslims believe the prophet Mohamed was carried to heaven Photo: Sullivan

Islamic Architecture:Public Buildings • Mosques • Dome of the Rock • Features • Octagonal format • Vaulting • Columns • Piers • Rich mosaic decoration • Dome of gilded wood, considered a symbol of the power of Islam

Islamic Architecture:Public Buildings Photo: Sullivan

Islamic Architecture:Public Buildings • Mosques • Great Mosque • Cordoba, Spain • A culminating monument of the early Islamic period • Features • Double-tiered arches • Possibly derived from the Roman aqueducts in Spain • Dome featuring cross-bracings, interlacing arches, rich stucco, and mosaic decorative overlays • Led to a unique Islamic style

Islamic Architecture:Public Buildings • Madresahs • Theological colleges and schools of religion • Usually attached directly to mosques • Typical structure • Four vaulted halls surrounding a center courtyard • The largest side hall is known as the qibla

Islamic Architecture:Public Buildings • Madresahs • The four halls are usually surrounded • Apartments • Schoolrooms • Exterior decoration usually only surrounds openings and marks the roofline • Unlike other public buildings where decoration starts at the foundation and ends at the roof

Islamic Architecture:Public Buildings • Mausoleums • Memorials to holy men and rulers • Usually centrally planed and domed • The most famous Islamic mausoleum is the Taj Mahal

Islamic Architecture:Public Buildings • Mausoleums • Mausoleum of the Taj Mahal • c. 1631 – 1648 • Located in Agra, India • Built as a memorial by a Muslim Indian ruler to his wife Photo: Sullivan

Islamic Architecture:Public Buildings • Mausoleums • Mausoleum of the Taj Mahal • Features • Assortment of motifs from Persian and Turkish sources • Many gardens and water pools • Inlaid stone patterns and Koranic inscriptions • Lacy marble walls • Large portals • Extravagant domes

Islamic Architecture:Public Buildings • Other Features • Materials • Brick • Local stone • Marble • Stucco

Islamic Architecture:Public Buildings • Other Features • Domes • Used to cover prayer halls and other spaces • Unique to Islam was the many shapes of the domes • Round • Octagonal • Multilobed • Star-shaped

References • Sullivan, Mary; http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/ • http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/Cities/wld/wdpt1.html • Trachtenburg/Hyman; Architecture: From Prehistory to Postmodernity • Wodehouse/Moffett; A History of Western Architecture

Islamic Architecture Architectural History ACT 322 Doris Kemp

Islamic Architecture