Islamic Architecture

Islamic Architecture Architectural History ACT 322 Doris Kemp

Topics • Private Structures • Site Orientation • Floor Plans • Facades • Selected Structures

Islamic Architecture: Private Structures • Palaces and townhouses were common among rulers and the wealthy in Islam • Very often fortified • Provided for seclusion and protection • Interior courtyards were very common among both palaces and townhouses • Represented the splendorous, luxurious lives of the wealthy

Islamic Architecture: Private Structures Photo: Sullivan

Islamic Architecture: Private Structures • Site Orientation • Palaces were normally sited on high points, such as hills, and defensible positions • In cities, public townhouses were situated in private areas away from public structures • Both were built around exteriors depicting the Muslim paradise • Lush gardens • Fountains and water channels

Islamic Architecture: Private Structures • Floor Plans • Palaces and houses both consisted of groups of rectangular rooms interconnected around courtyards and gardens • In palaces, entrance doorways usually opened into large public meeting places, such as the modern living room • Materials • Most Islamic domestic structures were constructed of wood on stone or brick foundations

Islamic Architecture: Private Structures • Facades • Palaces normally consisted of a plain exterior • Little architectural detailing except at entranceways and rooflines • Interior courtyards usually featured intricate decoration and architectural detail • Town houses were normally multi-storied structures that project over each other • Carved beams were normally featured on the floor supports

Islamic Architecture: Private Structures • Windows • Typically varied in size and placement • Dependent on the purpose of the room or structure • Most windows featured shutters for privacy • Roofs • Most Islamic private dwellings consisted of clay-tile roofs

Islamic Architecture: Private Structures • The Alhambra • Built by Ibn al-Ahmar • Famous Islamic palace in Granada, Spain • Features a mosque, court complexes, a bath, and royal residential quarters Photo: Sullivan

Islamic Architecture: Private Structures • The Alhambra • Lion Court • Greek derived peristyle court • Three-dimensional architectural decoration formed by stucco/wood into a network of open cell • Resembles a cross-section of a honeycomb

Islamic Architecture: Selected Architecture • Mosque of Suleyman • Located in Constantinople • Huge, domed structure • Appears to float above a ring of light formed by closely spaced windows at the base • Features a Minaret tower • Religious symbol where the faithful are called to prayer

Islamic Architecture: Selected Architecture Photo: Sullivan

Islamic Architecture: Selected Architecture • Umayyad Great Mosque • Built within the ruins of the walls of a Roman temple precinct in Damascus, Syria • Developed to function as a large assembly place Photo: Sullivan

Islamic Architecture: Selected Architecture • Mausoleum Complex of Sultan Hasan al-Nasir • Located in Cairo, Egypt • c. 1356 - 1362. Photo: Sullivan

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