ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

Describe how the spread of Islam helped shaping the Islamic Architecture
worldwide?

Islamic architecture
Islamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the
foundation of Islam to the present day. What today is known as Islamic architecture was influenced by
Roman, Byzantine and all other lands which the Muslims conquered in the 7th and 8th centuries.
Further east, it was also influenced by Chinese and Indian architecture as Islam spread to Southeast
Asia. The principal Islamic architectural types are: the Mosque, the Tomb, the Palace and the Fort.
From these four types, the vocabulary of Islamic architecture is derived and used for other buildings
such as public baths, fountains and domestic architecture.

Monotheism

 Islam emerged in a polytheistic environment, although there were notable Jewish and
Christian communities, most people living on the Arabian Peninsula believed in multiple
gods.
 In contrast, the fundamental tenet of Islam was monotheism—the belief in one god alone.
What began as a religious movement soon took on a political dimension and Islam spread
quickly throughout the middle and near east.

Missionaries and Pilgrimage

 With the purpose of preaching to the non-Muslim populations after the death of the prophet
and spread Islam, these missionary movements also preached outside the borders of the
Islamic empire taking advantage of the expansion of foreign trade routes, primarily into
the Indo-Pacific and as far south as the isle of Zanzibar and the south-eastern shores of Africa.
  In areas like Afghanistan, Morocco, Spain, Persia and central Asia Islam was spread due
to Umayyad missionary and majorly by the Sufis. They adopted the teachings of Islam
according to the local tradition.

Grand Mosque of Djenne, Mali. Cheramaan Juma Mosque, Kerala Great mosque of Xian, china

 In areas like North Africa, Kashmir Islam was spread by Sufis and in the course of
their journey they built various structures like community centres which functioned as
hostels, lodges, monasteries mosque where they took the shape of local culture and
flavour and created a permanent presence along these routes.

Zawiya Shah-e-Hamdan mosque

Seven Principles of Islamic Architecture
It is an exhibition that aims to illustrate the intrinsic relationship between Muslims, their beliefs and
how these manifest themselves in everyday architecture.

1. Architecture as Tawhid: Unity & Uniquity of Allah 

2. Architecture of Ihtiram: Respect 
3. Architecture with Ikhlas: Sincerity 
4. Architecture as Pursuit of Ilm: Knowledge 
5. Architecture for Iqtisad: Balance 
6. Architecture of Haya’: Modesty 
7. Architecture as Dikr: Remembrance 

Design principles of Muslim city (planning)

 Natural law: architectural form and planning according to the weather conditions and
topography. Concept such as courtyard, terrace and garden.
 Religious and cultural beliefs: the religious beliefs and practices formed the centre of cultural
life for these populations, thus giving the mosque the central position in spatial and
institutional hierarchies. The cultural beliefs separate the public and private spaces. Public
presence was separate from residential use.

The town plan consisted of narrow streets

separating the public and private domain.
According to the Privacy principle there
were high walls.

 Design principles from sharia law: the rules of sharia are in terms of physical and social
relationship. The privacy principle was made into law.
  Social principles: The social organisation of the urban society was based on social groups
sharing the same blood, ethnic origin and cultural perspectives.

Early elements of Islamic architecture

Paradise garden

 The most traditional form is a rectangular garden split into four

quarters with a pond in the center, a four-fold design called chahar
bagh (“four gardens”). With ponds, canals, rills, and fountains.

Courtyard (sehan)

 Within a residence it is used for the aesthetics of plants, water, and

natural light; for cooler space with fountains and shade, and source
of the courtyards are often a shaded semi-open arcade. A mosque
courtyard is used for performing ablutions, and a patio for rest or
gathering.

Hypostyle hall

 An open hall supported by columns combined with a reception hall

set at right angle to the main hall, is considered to be derived from
architectural traditions of Persian assembly halls (apadana).

Domes

 Based on pre-existing byzantine domes: wide central domes with

huge diameters were erected on top of a centre-plan building.
Philosophy: the panic of emptiness- it is a flat form that is later extruded

Muqarnas

 The ornament is created by the geometric subdivision of a vaulting

structure into miniature, superimposed pointed-arch substructures,
also known as "honeycomb", or "stalactite" vaults.
Ornaments
 Including mathematically complicated, elaborate geometric and interlace
patterns, floral motifs like the arabesque, and elaborate calligraphic
inscriptions

Qibla
 The qiblah is the direction in which mecca is from any given location, and
within Islamic architecture it is a major component of both the features and
the orientation of the building itself.