History and Philosophy of Architecture-III

Islamic Architecture

PRESENTED BY: Ar. Sumbal Kashif, Ar. Fatima Sher

Islamic Architecture
History of
Evolution
SCHOOL O F ARC HITECTURE, U N IVERSITY O F L AHORE
Ayyubid Dynasty 1174-1260
--- Ayubid dynasty ruled much of the Middle East during the 12th and
13th centuries CE. Saladin had been the vizier of Fatimid Egypt before he
brought an end to Fatimid rule in 1171. In 1174, he proclaimed himself
Sultan.
---He took back most of the territory that had been lost to the First
Crusade. Saladin won back Jerusalem in 1187 AD, and built the great
wall that surrounds the Old City today. The territories under their control
included Egypt, Syria, northern Mesopotamia, Hejaz, Yemen, and
the North African coast up to the borders of modern-day Tunisia.
--- After the fifth crusade Ayyubid brought snslaved Turkish Mamluks to
strengthen their army. With time they got more power and taken over
most of the Ayubid kingdom.
Architectural Contributions:
---Restoration of Sunni Islam by constructing Sunni Madrassahs.
---Military architecture was the supreme expression of the Ayyubid
period as fortresses, citadels and defensive walls were rebuilt from time
to time.
---Revived certain techniques of construction with free stones.
---The enclosure of Cairo and al-Fustat within one city wall. Some of the
techniques of fortification were learned from the Crusaders, such as
curtain walls following the natural topography. Many were also inherited
from the Fatimid like machicolations and round towers.

*** Machicolation: an opening between the supporting corbels of a

projecting parapet or the vault of a gate, through which stones or burning
objects could be dropped on attackers.
Qal’a Halab, Aleppo, Syria.
Mamluk Dynasty 1250-1517
AD
---Mamluks are of mostly Turkic origin that ruled the Egyptian Mamluk
Sultanate from 1250 to 1517. After the fifth crusade Ayyubid brought
snslaved Turkish Mamluks to strengthen their army. With time they got
more power and taken over most of the Ayubid kingdom.
---Trade and Agriculture flourished under Mamluk rule and Cairo, their
capital became one of the wealthiest cities in the near east. This made
Cairo, in the words of Ibne Khaldun, “the centre of the universe and the
garden of the world,” with majestic domes, courtyards and soaring
minerats spread across the city.
 Architectural Contributions:
--- Mamluk architecture became powerful art that was produced by various
influences. From Ayubids they inherited building techniques in free stone and
decorative style like polychromy, axial symmetry of Persian mosque was adopted,
the constant use of the ogee arch inherited from the crusaders.
--- Each Mamluk building reflected the sultan’s individual tastes and choices.
---The funerary dome and soaring minarets were constant theme. They were
respected as a symbol of commemoration and worship. Patrons used these visual
attributes to express their individuality by decorating each dome and minaret with
distinct patterns.
---Patrons used architecture to strengthen their social and religious
Role in Architecture.

**** Ogee Arch: An arch with a pointed apex, formed by the

intersection of two S curves usually confined to decoration and not
used in arcade arches.
Sultan Qalawun Complex
Complex of Sultan Al Nasir
Muhammad
Architecture: Funerary Complex of Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri (1503-1505)
IL-KHANIDS 1256–1353
---A Mongol dynasty founded by Hulegu, a grandson of Genghis Khan, that
ended the Abassid Caliphate and ruled over present-day Iran, most of Iraq,
Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and
western Pakistan.
---The Il-khans were enthusiastic patrons: during their rule there was a
proliferation of arts and architecture.
---Architecture Notable for its mammoth size as representation of power,
soaring height, sparkling colors.
---East Asian elements absorbed into Persio-Islamic, created new artistic
vocabulary, i.e Incorporated new Chinese motifs in Islamic art.
---Architecture inspired by Seljuk design, they wanted to do experiment new
construction techniques, but no major technical advancement except increase
in height.

*** Proliferation of arts may be a commonplace phenomena, with old arts changing
and new arts arising with every novel turn in technology.
ILKHANIDS: Gunbad-i Uljaytu, Sultaniya, Azerbaijan.
Timurids Dynasty: 1370-1449 AD
 Timurids Dynasty: 1370-1507 AD
---The Timurid dynasty was founded by the inlaws of Genghis Khan and they
were descendants of the warlord Timur (also known as Tamerlane).
--- Members of the Timurid dynasty had established two well-
known empires in history, namely the Timurid Empire (1370-1507)
in Persia and Central Asia and the Mughal Empire (1526-1857) in the Indian
Sub Continent.
---In the realm of architecture, the Timurids drew on and developed
many Seljuq traditions.
---Axial symmetry is characteristics of all major Timurid structures.
---Trade mark were use of bulbous domes decorated with brilliant colors,
monumental scale, multiple minerats.
---Turquoise and blue tiles forming intricate linear and geometric patterns
decorated the facades of buildings.
Timurids: Masjid-i Bibi Khanum
Sultanate of India: Slave Dynasty
---In 1206 after the death of Mehmood Ghanzi, his empire split into
minor Sultanates led by his formal Mamluk generals.
---Qutbuddin Aibak became the Sultan of Delhi and that was the
beginning of slave dynasty in India.
---After Aibak, the Sultanate under Iltutmish established cordial
diplomatic contact with the Abbasid Caliphate between 1228–29 and had
managed to keep India unaffected by the invasions of Genghis
Khan and his successor.
--- Following the death of a series of weak rulers remained in power and
Khilji dynasty came into being as a result.
Following the invasion of the subcontinent by the Ghurid dynasty, five
dynasties ruled over the Delhi Sultanate sequentially: the Mamluk
dynasty (1206–1290), the Khalji dynasty (1290–1320), the Tughlaq
dynasty (1320–1414), the Sayyid dynasty (1414–1451), and the Lodi
dynasty (1451–1526).
 Architectural Contributions:
---Art and Architecture took a new direction in Delhi Sultanate period.
--- The genius of both Hindu and Muslim craftsmen blended to achieve a
unique genre of art and architecture during this time.
--- Hindu motifs such as lotus, swastika, bells and flowers buds were
extensively used by Turks in palace decoration.
---Hindu artists built structures in such a way that characteristics of hindu
styles are also visible in it. But rich carving and calligraphic inscriptions
gave it Islamic character.
Sultanate of India: Slave Dynasty
Sultanate of India: Quwat al Islam Mosque 1192-1316 AD>
Ottomans Empire 1299- 1922 AD
---The Ottoman Empire: ‫عث َمانيّه‬ َ ِ‫ َد ْولَت‬, also known as the Turkish
ُ ‫علي ِّه‬
Empire, was an empire founded in 1299 by Oghuz Turks under Osman
I in northwestern Anatolia.
---After Conquests in the Balkans by Murad I between 1362 and 1389, the
Ottoman sultanate was transformed into a transcontinental empire and
claimant to the caliphate.
---The Ottomans ended the Byzantine Empire with the 1453 conquest of
Constantinople by Mehmed the Conqueror.
---During the 16th and 17th centuries, in particular at the height of its
power under the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the Ottoman Empire
was a multinational, multilingual empire controlling much of Southeast
Europe, Western Asia , the Caucasus, North Africa, and the Horn of
Africa.
Balkan territory
 Architectural Contribution:
---The architecture of the empire developed from the earlier Seljuk
architecture and from 16th c onward was influenced by the Byzantine
architecture, Iranian as well as Islamic Mamluk traditions after the conquest of
Constantinople.
---Byzantine architectural artifacts such as the church of Hagia Sophia served as
models for many of the Ottoman mosques.
---Horizontal scheme abandoned in favor of vertical structures rising into the sky,
into the infinity. This was achieved by giving the pillars greater height and
adoption of the doomed roof. Thus perfect centralized space with one dome was
to be perceived as a one unit and confirmed as symbol of one God.
---Later these central domes were supported by two or four semi domes on its
two or all sides. These seemingly weightless but massive domes changed the
architectural quality of simple but extensively decorated religious structures.
Church of Hagia Sophia
Ottomans: Şehzade Külliyesi, Istanbul 1544-1548
Salimiye Mosque, Topkapi palace.
Lecture Finished
Thanks