1.HOA3 - Islamic Architecture

Ar.
Roy John de Guzman, UAP

Lecturer
History of Architecture 3
AY16-17
REVIEW QUIZ ISLAMIC
ARCHITECTURE
QUIZ TIME!! ¼ YELLOW PAPER

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second
semester AY 2014-2015
FALSE OR TRUE
1. A Muslim Building or place of
worship is Masjid?
2. The large open square of a

city, used as a marketplace or
parade ground is Maidan?

FALSE OR TRUE
3. A Muslim theological school
arranged around the courtyard and
attached to a Mosque is Madrasa?
4. A lofty, slender tower attached

to a mosque is Minaret?

FALSE OR TRUE
5. An arcaded hall of a
mosque is Riwaq?
6. A Large vaulted portal

opening onto the central
courtyard of a mosque is
Iwan?
FALSE OR TRUE
7. A pulpit in a mosque, recalling
the three steps from which
Muhammad addressed his
followers is Mimbar?
8. A niche or decorative panel in

a mosque designating the
orientation to Mecca is Mihrab?
FALSE OR TRUE
9. The wall in a mosque in which
the Mihrab is set oriented to
Mecca is the Quibla wall?
10. SHAHADA, SALAT, SAWM,

ZAKAH & HAJJ is the 5 pillars
of architecture

Exchange papers!!

What is Islam?
ISLAM
U
The monotheistic
religious system of S
A believer
muslim ,
L or
follower
I of Islam
M
WE STUDY HISTORY
SO WILL STOP KILLING

EACH OTHER
Prof. Robert Langdon: Da Vinci Code
Islam
 In the year AD 610, a wealthy
merchant named “The Trusted
One” was traveling outside
Mecca, and later reported that
one evening the angel Gabriel
came to him and told him
he would from then on be
the messenger of God, given
the task of reciting God’s
commandments. Thus, al-Amin
(c. 570–632)became
Muhammad, the “messenger of
Allah,” and established the
religion of Islam, which means
“submission to God’s will.” Islam
officially began in 622, the year of
Muhammad’s flight from Mecca Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second
to Medina. semester AY 2014-2015
Islam
 The word Islam means
"submission",
Moslems/Muslim are those
who submit to the will of
Allah, the one and all-
powerful God, as Revealed to
Mohammed in the Koran,
the sacred scriptures of
Islam. The Koran often draws
upon the contents of the Bible
and counts the old testament
prophets
 Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses

and David, well as Jesus. Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second
Islam
 Its teaching include the concept of Last
Judgment, of Heavens and Hell, of angel
s and devils.
 The unique of quality of Islam, blending

of ethnic and universal elements. Same
as
in Christianity specifically the
Universal church, open its rank to every
one, stressing the kingship of the faithful
before God, regardless of race and culture
.
 The Islam religion Originated in the

Arab peninsula
Islam
 The 5 pillars of Islam
SHAHADA- declaration of faith and
trust that professes that there is
only one God

Islam
SALAT- consists of five daily prayers

according to the Sunna; the names are
according to the prayer
times: Fajr (dawn), Dhuhr (noon), ʿAṣr (a
fternoon), Maghrib (evening),
and ʿIshāʾ(night).

Islam
Zakah- Alms-giving is the practice

of charitable giving based on
accumulated wealth.

Islam
Sawm- Three types of FASTING
- Siyamare recognized by the Quran:
Ritual fasting
- fasting as compensation for
repentance both sura Al-Baqara
- ascetic fasting Al-Ahzab)

Islam
HAJJ- Pilgrimage to Mecca is an obligation once in a lifetime for those
who are physically and financially able to perform it.

 The Arabian
peninsula :
Bordered by
two empires:
Byzantine
and Sasanid
 The Arabs
conquered
parts of both
empires;
absorbed and
transformed The Spread of Islam
the
architectural
styles of
both.
Two Denomination of Islam
 Sunni  Shia
-also go by the name A branch of Islam which
Ahl as-Sunnah which means holds that the prophet
"people of the tradition of Muhammad’s proper
Muhammad“ successor as “Caliph”
-largest denomination

ARCHITECTURAL
SPACE THEORY
Muslim concept of Space
 Muslim Scholar Abraham Sakili maintains that
islamic architecture is entangled with Islamic space,
and understanding of the Muslim of concept and use
of such space should be probed in relation of Islamic
doctrine of TAWID
 Articulated with Islamic cosmology
 TAWID means “unity of Allah”
 It is the governing concept, considerations of
everything in unity with Allah.

Muslim concept of Space
 Geometry and denaturalization of Form to
divert one’s imagination away from human nature
and direct the thoughts towards to contemplation
of the divine.
 No material things should considered sacred
 Calligraphic inscription to shift human
consciousness from the material world to the real
spirituality

Two elements of Muslims space
 A designer, who applies  Diversity of Space
Islamic calligraphy,
vegetal reliefs and
geometric patterns. - Quibla Axis
- That will deliver the viewer - ka’aba is the most sacred

to an instinctive perception of architecture of Islam, not as an
divine transcendence. object of worship but as a
point of convergence where
the spiritual and material life
- Islamic cosmos, ranking Allah of the Muslim comes into
at the top, at the same time, contact
recognize his encompassing
presence in every dimension.

Four levels of Prayer
 Individual  Masjid-the structure
 Congregational  Jami-Friday community
 Total population of the worship
town  Mussalla-community place
 Entire Muslim world of prayer
 Two chief Muslim
celebeation: Eid al-Fitr &
Eid al-Adha

FILM VIEWING
Assignment:
Glossary of
Architectural Elements
#1
TIME LINE OF
MUSLIM
INFLUENCE
7th Century to the present day
Islam
• Is the third great monotheistic religion to have sprung from the Semitic
people.
• Established in the 7th century of the Christian era by the prophet Mohammed
who died at Medina in A.D. 632.
• By the end of the century the religion had spread to the Western Mediterranean
and into Central Asia.
• There after Islamic rulers and their peoples created various distinctive styles of
building with many important common characteristics.
• These styles, now generally known as ISLAMIC

CROSSROADS OF COMMERCE
▪ ARABIA - ancient trading

link between the
Mediterranean and the Far
East.
▪ 6th c. - trouble in Byzantine

and Persian empires
threatened two major trading
routes to the Persian Gulf and
the Nile/Red Sea passage.
▪ Merchants turned to the

slower land routes through
Mecca, which became
Arabia’s greatest center of
trade.
ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE
➢ It can be define as a building traditions of Muslim populations
of the Middle East and any countries where Islam has been
dominant from the 7th century on. encompasses a wide range of
both secular and religious styles from the foundation of Islam to
the present day.
➢ The Principal Islamic Architectural types:
✓Mosque
✓Tomb
✓Palace
✓Fort
Umayyad (Caliphate)Dynasty
(661–750)
 Earliest Islamic
Architecture Appears
 political center of Islam
moved from Mecca to
Damascus and new
mosques, palaces, and
government buildings
were constructed.
The Caliphate of
Umayyad

Umayyad Dynasty (661–750)
 Jerusalem was also

considered a sacred city, and
in 692, a shrine was
constructed over a sacred
rock in central Jerusalem
that Muhammad was said to
have climbed to meet God,
the same rock where, it was
said, God told Abraham to
sacrifice his son Isaac and
where the ancient Temple
of Solomon was located.
Umayyad (Caliphate)Dynasty
(661–750)
 The Umayyad Dynasty
was overthrown in
750AD, but family
members fled to Spain
and continued to rule
as local leaders from
Cordoba for the next
several hundred years.
 The Great Mosque of
Cordoba
The Caliphate of
Abbasid

Abbasid dynasty (750-1258)
 The Abbasid dynasty
descended from
Muhammad's
youngest
uncle,Abbas ibn Abd
al-Muttalib
(566–653 CE), from
whom the dynasty
takes its name.
 Characterized as a
very prosperous time
when literature and
the sciences thrived.
 The monumental
architecture during
these years recalls the
ancient Persian capital
of Persepolis to
Baghdad, and here
mosques grew larger
to include more
congregational space.
 The Great Mosque
at Samarra, begun
in 847, was the
largest ever built, and
features a wide
minaret that recalls
the ancient Sumerian
ziggurats native to
this region of
modern-day Iraq.
 Genesis 11:1-9 - The
Tower of Babel
The 3rd Caliphate of
Almohad of Iberia
to
Nasrids Emirate
Almohad dynasty (1121-1269)
 The Nasrid dynasty

rose to power after
the defeat of the
Almohad Caliphate in
1212 at the Battle of
Las Navas de Tolosa.
Emirate of Nasrid (1232-1492)
 Regional leaders also
carved out their own
architectural
traditions, as seen in
the Alhambra
palace complex, built
in Granada by the
Nasrids, who were
the last Muslim, or
Moorish
Emirate of Nasrid (1232-1492)
Alhambra palace epitomizes the melding of Islamic

aesthetics into both religious and political structures, as the
two are really inseparable in Islam.
Turn of Millennium
1000AD
 As Islamic culture became more and
more diversified with a less
centralized political structure,
architecture became increasingly
more varied.
Sultanate of
Seljuq-Turk

Seljuq/Seljuk dynasty (1037-1194)
 The Seljuqs established both

the Seljuk Empire and
Sultanate, which at their
heights stretched from
Anatolia through Iran and
were targets of the First
Crusade.
 Who ruled Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Persia from 1037

to 1194, defined an eclectic style of architecture that
combined elements from Syria in the northwest of their
domain down to Persia in the southeast.
 Who ruled Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Persia from 1037

to 1194, defined an eclectic style of architecture that
combined elements from Syria in the northwest of their
domain down to Persia in the southeast.
 They are best known for the
creation of a small round,
domed funerary
monument called a turbe,
which recalls both Armenian
chapels and Bedouin tents.
 In addition, the Seljuks built

medresas, or religious
schools, which are more
enclosed than traditional
mosque, and they also
constructed many technically
sophisticated bridges across
Anatolia, with paved roads
linking their extensive trade
routes.
Sultanate of
Ottoman-Turk

Ottoman Empire (1299-1923)
 the Ottomans captured
Constantinople, named it
Istanbul, and ruled a
powerful empire until 1918
 A type of mosque developed

in Ottoman Turkey reveals a
domed centralized plan that
strongly resembles the
Byzantine church of Hagia
Sophia, built in
Constantinople (modern-day
Istanbul) in the 500s.
Ottoman Empire (1299-1923)
 In 1453, the Ottomans
captured Constantinople,
named it Istanbul, and
ruled a powerful empire
until 1918. During their
empire, Hagia Sophia
was converted into a
mosque, with Koranic
inscriptions added to the
interior decorations and
minarets built on the
outside of the building.
Sultan Mehmed II's entry into Constantinople
Mimar Sinan
 The architect
Mimar Koca Agha
Sinan, who built the
Mosque of Sultan
Selim in Edirne,
Turkey, in the 1560s,
was the best-known
architect of the
Ottoman Empire.
Mughal Empire

Mughal Empire (1526–1540
1555–1857)
Mughal Painting
Illustrates the Diversity
of Islamic Art
 Islamic Mughal court in
India commissions
artists to create book
illustrations and
individual miniatures
(illuminations). The
paintings’ vibrant
colors and delicacy of
execution exemplify
thediversity of Islamic
artistic expression.
Mughal Empire (1526–1540
1555–1857)
Mughal architecture is an architectural style developed by the

Mughals in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries throughout the ever
changing extent of their empire in Medieval India. It was an
amalgam of Islamic, Persian, Turkic and Indian architecture. Mughal
buildings have a uniform pattern of structure and character,
including large bulbous domes, slender minarets at the corners,
massive halls, large vaulted gateways and delicate ornamentation.
Summary INFLUENCES
 GEOGRAPHICAL
7th Century onwards 7th to 9th Century onwards
(Africa North of the Sahara) ➢South Russia
➢ Morocco ➢Afghanistan
➢ Algeria ➢Spanish Sahara
➢ Tunisia ➢Mauretania
➢ Libya ➢Mali
➢ Egypt ➢Northern Nigeria
(Asia and Asia Minor) ➢Niger
➢ Saudi Arabia ➢Chad
➢ Syria ➢Sudan
➢ Israel ➢Somali
➢ Jordan ➢Asiatic Turkey
➢ Lebanon 11th to 14th Century onwards
➢ Iraq ➢Pakistan
➢ Iran ➢Northern India
➢Philippines
➢Indonesia
ARCHITECTURAL
FEATURES
The Principal Islamic Architectural types:
is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any
✓Mosque structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying
sizes. An Islamic tomb, should a Muslim elect to have one instead of
✓Tomb a simple burial and headstone, usually consists of a single chamber
that contains theis place body.
a person's
dead of worship
It is common forfor an Islamic
are military
tomb constructions
to be decorated with Quranicor buildings
inscriptions. Thedesigned
most famousfor
✓Palace followers
isIslam
a grand of Islam. Many
tomb
the indefense of residence,
is Muhammad's tomb,
territories especially
inwhich a royal
is located
warfare, and alongside the
also used
Mosque of the Prophet in Medina. Abu
✓Fort residence mosques
or the homeduring ofBakr
have and Umar, the first two
a head oftime.
state or
successors to Muhammad, are buried there aspeace
to solidify rule in a region well. Some famous
Humans
tombs some other
elaborate
have
of Muhammad's high-ranking
domes,
constructed
companions dignitary.
minarets
defensive
include shrines works
to earlyfor
Muslims, such as, Abu
many thousands and Ubaydah and Jafar
ofprayer
years, abinvariety
inhalls, Abi Talib in Jordan,
in of and the
increasingly
tomb of Bilal -- who made the first call to prayer -- in Syria. For
complex designs.
non-Muslims, the most The term
varying
famous styles
Islamic istomb
derived
of from
is the Taj Mahal, which
The Al-Masjid thebuilt
was
an-Nabawi,Latin a fortis("strong")
asor tomb
Mosque wife
theofand
forarchitecture.
theof an facereruler
Islamic
Prophet, is("to
from
the make").
the Mughal
second-
The Masjid al-Haram or
Empire.
Holy Mosque in Mecca in Saudi Arabia is
holiest site
the first
The inMosque
Islam.
mosque,
Al-Aqsa andThe mosque
it isJerusalem
in isisinthe
the holiest Medina,
site Saudi Arabia,
in Islam.
third-holiest and itand
site in Islam,
itwas
sitsbuilt
nextbyto Muhammad and the first Muslim
the famous, golden-topped Domecommunity.
of the Rock.
Other Islamic Building Types
 Madrassa - A madrassa is an Islamic religious school.
 Hammam - A structural design for a hot bathhouse.
 Caravaserai - A roadside inn for travellers.
 Fwara - A ritual washing area.
 Sahn - Central covered court of the mosque.
 Maqsura - Closed by screen for prayer.
 Harrem - Women’s quarter.
 Sela mluk - Men’s quarter.
 Mihrab - a semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that
indicates the qibla.
 Iwan - A rectangular hall, vaulted, walled on three sides,
w/ one end entirely open.
Characteristics
❖Carvings in bas relief
➢ Rich in
❖Stone building
inlay and tradition
mosaic and important techniques of exploitation of natural resources
for building
❖Pattened work and trade in building materials.
brickivory
➢ Brick making
❖Carved stucco and pise walling was almost universal in the alluvial plains
❖Ceramic
➢ Marble was facing andavailable
generally mosaic as an article of trade
❖ ➢glass mosaic
Building limes for manufacture of mortars and plaster were readily procurable
❖Paintings
➢ Building stones occur in variety throughout the Islamic world.
➢ Ceramicinlay
❖Timber productin, use of gypsum plasters, glass manufacture and the various forms of
❖Calligraphy
metal work needed for building.
❖Arabesques
➢ Timber was of (Islimi)
limited type and quality.
- Biomorphic
- Floral patterns
- Flowers and trees
MAIN INFLUENCES
Islamic religion
- No idol worshipping means no pictures of people in art
- Mosque becomes main type Architecture
Pre Islamic Architecture
- Greek, Roman, Jewish, and Christian features
such as domes, arches, and mosaics
Regional Traditions
- Different building materials
- Color
- Develop new features
MASJID

What is Masjid or Mosque?
 A Muslim Building or
place of worship.-A visual
dictionary of architecture FDKChing
 A place to worship, the

congregation of the
faithful becomes one
with God in sublime
state of humility and
reverence.

• Building associated with
the presence of Islam
• Churches, temples or
synagogues in other
religion
• Masjid – Arabic word

for mosque
 Place of prostration - believers bow their heads to

the ground in veneration to God and as part of a
well-defined ritual of prayer as an expression of their
faith.
SANCTUARIES are holy places divinely endowed
with special sanctity
1. Al-Haram (Enclosure) Mecca, associated with

Abraham, venerated as a holy man (hanaf) and the first
Muslim believed to have first built the Kaaba
2. Al–Munuwwara, (The Illuminated One) Medina, the

city of the Prophet located in western Arabia, north of
Mecca
3. Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) Jerusalem, also

known as the Mosque of the City
Al- Haram (Enclosure) Mecca
Kaaba in Mecca, holiest

spot in Islam is the
direction (qibla) towards
which all Muslim pray and
the goal of the pilgrimage.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2458325/posts
Each numbered item in the following list corresponds to features noted in the
diagram image.
Abraham Station
Each numbered item in the following
list corresponds to features noted in
the diagram image.
1. Al-Ħajaru al-Aswad, "the Black

Stone", is located on the Kaaba's
eastern corner.
- Its northern corner is known as
the Ruknu l-ˤĪrāqī, "the Iraqi
corner", its western as the Ruknu
sh-Shāmī,
- "the Levantine corner", and its
southern as Ruknu l-Yamanī, "the
Yemeni corner".
- The four corners of the Kaaba

roughly point toward the four
cardinal directions of the compass.
Its major (long) axis is aligned with
the rising of the star Canopus
toward which its southern wall is
directed, while its minor axis (its
east-west facades) roughly align
with the sunrise of summer
solstice and the sunset of winter
the diagram image.
- The four corners of the Kaaba

roughly point toward the four
cardinal directions of the compass.
Its major (long) axis is aligned with
the rising of the star Canopus
toward which its southern wall is
directed, while its minor axis (its
east-west facades) roughly align
with the sunrise of summer
solstice and the sunset of winter
solstice.
the diagram image.
3. Meezab-i Rahmat, rainwater spout

made of gold. Added in the rebuilding
of 1627 after the previous year's rain
caused three of the four walls to
collapse.
4. Gutter, added in 1627 to protect

the foundation from groundwater.
the diagram image.
5. Hatim (also romanized as hateem), a

low wall originally part of the Kaaba.
It is a semi-circular wall opposite, but
not connected to, the north-west wall
of the Kaaba known as thehatīm. This
is 90 cm (35 in) in height and 1.5 m
(4.9 ft) in width, and is composed of
white marble. At one time the space
lying between the hatīm and the
Kaaba belonged to the Kaaba itself,
and for this reason it is not entered
during the tawaf. According to
western scholars the space contains
the remains of Hagar and Ishmael as it
is called hidjr Ismail
Each numbered item in the following list
corresponds to features noted in the
diagram image.
6. Al-Multazam, the roughly 2 meter

space along the wall between the
Black Stone and the entry door. It is
sometimes considered pious or
desirable for a hajji to touch this area
of the Kaaba, or perform dua here.
7. The Station of Abraham (Maqam

Ibrahim), a glass and metal enclosure
with what is said to be an imprint of
Abraham's feet. Abraham is said to
have stood on this stone during the
construction of the upper parts of the
Kaaba, raising Ismail on his shoulders
for the uppermost parts.
diagram image.
8. Corner of the Black Stone (East).
9. Corner of Yemen (South-West).

Pilgrims traditionally acknowledge a large
vertical stone that forms this corner.
10. Corner of Syria (North-West).
11. Corner of Iraq (North-East). This

inside corner, behind a curtain, contains
the Babut Taubah, Door of Repentance,
which leads to a staircase to the roof.
diagram image.
12. Kiswah, the embroidered covering.

Kiswa is a black silk and gold curtain
which is replaced annually during the Hajj
pilgrimage. Two-thirds of the way up is a
band of gold-embroidered Quranic text,
including the Shahada, the Islamic
declaration of faith.
13. Marble stripe marking the beginning

and end of each circumambulation.
14. The station of Gabriel

Multiple
parts of the
hajj require
pilgrims to
make tawaf,
the
circumambula
tion seven
times
around the
Kaaba in a
http://islamandislam.net/islamandislam/theKaaba.html
counter-
clockwise
direction.
http://aashraff.tripod.com/Satelite_Images.htm
Al–Munuwwara, (The Illuminated One)

Medina
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/8d22f/1b9531/
The Prophet's Mosque with surrounding Plaza

Medina is the city of the Prophet, and also his burial places. It was the first
Islamic city to support the Prophet.
established and originally built by the Islamic prophet Muhammad

Al-Masjid an-Nabawi during the Ottoman Era,
19th Century
The Haram al-Sharif (The Noble Sanctuary)
Old City of Jerusalem
http://www.unc.edu/courses/2007fall/reli/180/001/9-7.htm
• Associated with the mystical night journey and

ascension of the Prophet Mohammad.
 Dome of the Rock Mosque Built in Jerusalem
 The Dome of the Rock mosque is built in Jerusalem on
the site where Muslims believe Muhammad ascended
to heaven. It is the earliest surviving example of Islamic
architecture and a site of Muslim pilgrimage.
http://www.noblesanctuary.com/
http://israelipalestinian.procon.org/view.background-resource.php?resourceID=949
 Space reserved
for the
community of
believers in
which they can
gather to pray
and to deal with
community
affairs.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2010/0814/1224276813647.html
– Could be anywhere, private house (house of the Prophet in Medina).
– Open space where most rudimentary elements like stones serve as symbolic more
than real boundaries as in musallas (places of prayer) found in the edges of many
traditional cities.
MASJID BUILDING
ANATOMY
ISLAMIC MOSQUES
Parts of a Mosque
• Ablution Fountain
• Musalla
• Minaret
• Mihrab
• Minbar
• Qibla Wall,

What is Masjid?
 Imam, as the
leader of the
prayers
 Muezzin, a
mosque official,
summons Muslims
to prayer from a
minaret

What is Masjid?
 The dome is the
cosmic symbol and
represents the vault of
heaven
 The ablution area is the

WUDU/ FAWARA,
similar to Christianity,
water is a symbol of
purification as
sacramental

OTHER ISLAMIC
ARCHITECTURAL
ELEMENTS
Architectural Design of the Prayer Hall in three Main Forms:
1. Hypostyle hall where the roof was supported

by parallel rows of uniform columns spaced
closely together. Common throughout Islam
for the first 500 years and maintained its pre-
eminence in the Arab-speaking world.
2. Iwan, developed in Iran, a high vaulted hall

open on one side, situated in the middle of the
courtyard wall.
3. 15th c., the Ottoman Turks evolved a variety

of mosque types where the dominant feature
was a large central dome surrounded by
smaller domes and semi-domes.
Minaret
Fountain
Sahn(courtyard)
Riwaq (arcade in
the courtyard) Prayer Hall
Qibla wall
Minbar and
reading
podium
Prayer Niche
(mihrab)
Prototype of Islamic Mosque
IWAN
• Vaulted hall or space,

walled on three sides,
with one end entirely
open.
• Trademark of the
Sassanid architecture of
Persia, later adopted in
Islamic architecture.
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/arc/ind/1_primer/indoislam/indis_eng.htm
IWAN
• Open on to a central
courtyard, and have
been used in both public
and residential
architecture.
• Two-storey passageway
• Acts as a connection between the various parts of the
building or as an entrance.
Maydan-i-Shah, Isfahan, Iran Qibla Iwan Section
• It has the symbolic
effect of separating
what is below from
what is above
through its roof and
defining a point on
earth through its
sides.
IWAN
Isfahan Mosque, Iran
RIWAQ
• An arcade in the
courtyard of the
mosque.
Prototype of Islamic
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
Riwaq
Great Friday Mosque of

picasaweb.google.com/.../4lTElfmTX-unJdUP2lMKlw Ibn Tulun (879 CE)
Great Mosque, Rome
SAHN
• A courtyard surrounded by
riwaqs, (colonnaded or
arcaded porticos) with wells
or foundations
 Water is identified with
everyday worship
◦ Regarded curative for ills

of both body and spirit
◦ Mosques have fountains

for ritual abolitions that
proceeded prayer
◦ Also the town’s main

water supply
Elaborate filter in the center of the marble courtyard. It

channels rain water into an underground cistern .
Great Mosque , Qayrawan, Tunisia

Fountain
Sehzade Complex, Instanbul
Requirement for ablution

before prayer led to the
installation of fountains
either in the courtyard of
the mosque or at the side

Prayer Hall
Great Mosque in Kairouan

Prayer Hall
Mohammed Ali Mosque, Cairo
Great Mosque of
Kairouan
Late 9th c.
▪ Prayer hall is divided into arcades with round arches resting on columns of Roman
and Byzantine origin.
▪ Impost of carved wood or stone were fitted to the columns to compensate for
the differences in their heights.
▪ Ceilings were plastered or painted.
Prayer Hall
Ulu Cami in Bursa, 1396
▪ Massive pillars divide the spacious hall

▪ Name of Allah appears with various decorative symbols in
the large-scale calligraphy on the walls and pillars.
Minbar and reading podium
Great Mosque in Mandu
The imam (prayer leader)

gives the Friday sermon
(Khutba)
MINBAR
• Pulpit entered by a flight of
stairs and stands next to mihrab
which dates back to the
Prophet.
• Originally a high three-stepped

stool, was used for sermons,
proclamations and readings.
MIHRAB
• One of the symbolic features of the mosque
Prayer niche (mihrab) in the
• Most decorated part of the building, most Great Mosque in Cordova
often with lamps symbolizing the divine
presence and the universality of the Muslim
message.

Mihrab
The Great Mosque of Kairouan
Late 9th c.
• Interior prayer niche adorned with

perforated wall panels and vaulting
is painted with beautiful tendril
ornamentation.
• Side walls and front arch are faced

with shimmering metalic luster
tiles.
Marble mihrab in the Hagia
Sophia, which indicates the
direction of Mecca.
:www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/hagia-soph.
QIBLA Qibla wall
Bayazid II’s Complex in Edirne
• Direction of the prayer which
commemorates the presence of
the Prophet.

http://t771unit3.pbworks.com/Chapter+9-+The+Early+Middle+Ages
Qibla Wall
Sultan Hassan Mosque, Cairo
Quibla Wall
DIKKA
• Raised platform form which the

respondents (qadi) repeat the ritual
postures of the iman and speak the
responses so that the stages of prayer
may be transmitted to larger
congregations.
Dikka
Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo
MINARET
• 1st c. - was primarily a visual beacon
indicating Muslim community or as in the
Arabian sanctuaries of Mecca and Medina as
possible location of a holy place.
Double minaret
Shah Mosque, Isfahan, Iran
MINARET
• Considered the place from which the

faithful are called to prayer by a
muezzin.
http://worldviewu.org/islam.html
www.planetware.com/map/tunisia-types-of-minar.
Other parts of the Mosque
Domes and Cupolas

• Feature of all Islamic architecture
both from Sassanian and Early
Christian architectural traditions.
• Symbol of Heaven with God at

the center.
• Locus of the Divine Throne,

passive to the intellect, maternal
in gender and sublimely times in
form.
Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem
www.archsociety.com/.../content.php?content.15
dome Hagia Sophia-Istanbul
Domed side chamber
Bibi Khanum Friday Mosque Samarkand 1399-1404
Sheikh Lutfallah Mosque Isfahan,
Iran 1603 -1619
Mausoleum of Mehmed I,
Bursa after 1421
▪ Built on octagonal ground plan and

vaulted over with a dome of flat
bricks.
▪ Walls are subdivided by a series of
marble ogives and decorated in
between tiles that replaced the
original tile cladding after an
earthquake.
CUPOLA
• Roof having a rounded
form, hemispherical or
nearly so; also, a ceiling
having the same form.
• When on a large scale it is

usually called dome.
Taj Mahal, India

CUPOLA
• A light structure on a
dome or roof, serving as a
belfry, lantern, or belvedere
CUPOLA or LANTERN
• Consists of a dome-shaped or
quadrilateral-shaped ornamental
structure located on top of a larger
roof or dome, often used as a lookout
or to admit light and provide
ventilation.
Jumeira Mosque
Hilal
 The Quran says: "And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the
sun and the moon. Prostrate not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate to
Allah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him." (sura 41 (Fussilat) 37). In
another verse, “They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the new moons. Say, ‘They
are measurements of time for the people and for Hajj.’” (sura 2 (al-Baqara) 189)
Court of the Palace of Lions
Court of Lions’ arcades, Alhambra,
Granada
2nd half of the 14th century
Built by Mohammad V
▪ Lavish ornamentation on the arcades.

▪ Foilage and geometric decoration
created using minute mosaic tiles
includes calligraphic bands and
medallions containing dedications,
quotes from Koran and prayer to
Allah.
▪ Application of decoration to buildings
that are simple - typical feature of
Islamic architecture.
ARCH
Puerta de Sol Mezquita, interior, Cordoba, Spain
http://islamic-arch.com/
Interlacing arches
Taj Majal, India Fale, Cordova Kutubiya Mosque
Koubba el Baadiyin, Morocco

The Blue Mosque, Istanbul
• http://islamic-arch.com/
Influence from Byzantine, Persian and Syrian-Arab designs.
• Implemented their own style of cupola domes
OTTOMAN TURKISH ARCHITECTURE

Shah Mosque, Iran

PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE
Al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo
FATIMID & MAMLUK ARCHITECTURE

Aswan Mosque, Egypt Hassan Mosque, Egypt
FATIMID & MAMLUK ARCHITECTURE

King Hassan II Mosque, Morocco
• Decorated with stylized foliage motifs, Arabic inscriptions, and
arabesque design work, with walls covered in glazed tile.
MOORISH ARCHITECTURE
Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Smarkand, Uzbekistan
TURKISTAN (TIMURID) ARCHITECTURE

Badashi Mosque, Lahore, Pakistan

• Fusion of Arabic and Persian elements
MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE
http://oursurprisingworld.com/mali-2/
Mud made Grand Mosque of Djenne, Mali

Mosque In Xinjiang, China
• Emphasis on symmetry -
important feature in Chinese
architecture.
• Reflects the local architecture,

however in western China the
mosques resemble those of
the Arab World.
SINO ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

Shah Alam Mosque, Malaysia
CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE
Putrajaya Mosque, Malaysia CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE
Al Fateh Mosque, Bahrin
Al Faisal Mosque, Islamabad
Gui-i-Amir, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
TURKISTAN ARCHITECTURE
Registan Square (Sand Place) Samarkhand

• Pinnacle of Islamic art in Central Asia.
• Spectacular and stately edifices erected by Timur and his successors.
TURKISTAN ARCHITECTURE
Ismael Samani Mausoleum,
Bukhara, Uzbekistan
http://www.gardenvisit.com/garden/ismael_samani_mausoleum
Ismael Samani Mausoleum, Bukhara, Uzbekistan
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/konya-mevlana-museum.htm
Green Mausoleum or Green Dome,Turkey

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lWf5OVEnrT0qjqRNfohl1Q
Muslim tombs of the Shahi kings, India

Architecture of towers and tombs. A design of The Seljuki era. Qazvin
Taj Mahal, India

MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sarfrazh/2537556700 /
Shrine of Bibi Jawindi at Uch Sharif, Pakistan, 2008

Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey
1459 and later
Topkapi Palace, Istanbul
1459 and later
Topkapi Palace in Istanbul
Saloon of Sultan Murad III

Late 16th century
Throne Room
Mid 17th century ▪ Golden dome painting and the
surrounding tile cladding – which is
▪ Throne sofa with its wooden canopy broken up by glass windows.
under a tiled Koranic inscription.
Palacio de los Leones (Palace of the Lions)
http://www.planetware.com/picture/granada-alhambra-palace-court-of-lions-e-e1400.htm
▪ Only palace in Alhambra to have survived from the 14th c.

▪ Made of a system of separate private residential areas grouped around a patio
▪ Whole courtyard area is intersected by four water channels in the shape of a cross, with
a fountain at the center of the courtyard.
Fountain in the Court of Lions
Capital of the columns in the
Court of Lions
▪ Slender marble columns

▪ Symmetrical cube-shaped capitals with their
mouldings decorated with inscriptions praising
the architect, Sultan Mohammad V
Portal Pavillion
▪ Distinctive columns and arches are purely decorative and have no supporting
function, made of soft stone and plaster.
▪ Masterly arrangement of projections and recesses, the modulation of exterior
surfaces and the gradation of richly decorated muqarnas arches help to create the
particular aesthetics effects of the Alhambra with the play of light and shadow
Hall of Two Sisters (sala de dos Hermanas)
▪ Separate residential area
▪ Muqarnas domes that rises over the entire central part
of the room. Palace of the Lions
▪ Made of plaster and is based on a central star motif,
developed by overlaying individual multi-colored prisms
at different levels
SQUINCH
• A structure, such as a section of

vaulting or corbeling, set
diagonally across the interior
angle between two walls to
provide a transition from a
square to a polygonal or more
nearly circular base on which to
construct a dome.
Kyz-Bibi Mausoleum, Merv
11-12th centuries
▪ Squinch in clay bricks
▪ Stepped arched design previously
widespread throughout Central Asia
▪ Last example of pre-Islamic architecture
Daya Khatun Caravanserai

11-12th centuries
▪ Stepped console spandrel
▪ Precursors of the weight bearing as well
as decorative muqarnas structures that
were to become widely used in Islamic
architecture in the following century.
Mihrab of the Esrefoglu Cami, Karatay Madrasa in Konya 1251
Beysehir 1298/99
▪ Rich tiled decorative work inside as well as

▪ Completely covered in mosaic tiles on the entrance portal with marble inlays in
achieved by using a technique developed the Syrian tradition.
by the Seljuks in Anatolia which allowed ▪ Dome and surfaces that lead up from the
even rounded surfaces – interior courtyard into the drum of the cupola, the
muqarnas surfaces to be coated. “Turkish triangles” are decorated with
mosaic tiles forming geometric and floral
patterns as well as calligraphic friezes.
Bab al-Mansur in Meknes
▪ Gate leads to the Mausoleum of Mulai Ismail, the great sultan of the Alawite
dynasty
▪ Façade is covered with lavish stucco work and articulated by three deep recesses.
The massive central gateway is constructed as a horseshoe arch.
Details of a dome side chamber
Bibi Khanum Friday Mosque, Samarkand , 1399-1404
▪ Polychrome tile covering which displays ornamental features and

inscriptive bands
MUQUARNAS
• Type of corbel used as a decorative
device in traditional Arabic and Persian
architecture.
• Refers to designs with formations

resembling stalactites, by the use of
elements known as alveole.
• Takes the form of small pointed niches,

stacked in tiers projecting beyond
those below and can be constructed in
brick, stone, stucco or wood.
• Often applied to domes, pendentives,

cornices, squinches and the undersides
of arches and vaults.
Mihrab of the Esrefoglu Cami, Karatay Madrasa in Konya 1251
Beysehir 1298/99 ▪ Contains rich tiled decorative work
▪ Completely covered in mosaic tiles inside as well as on the entrance portal
achieved by using a technique with marble inlays in the Syrian
developed by the Seljuks in Anatolia tradition.
which allowed even rounded surfaces ▪ The dome and surfaces that lead up
– interior muqarnas surfaces to be from the courtyard into the drum of
coated. the cupola, the “Turkish triangles” are
decorated with mosaic tiles forming
geometric and floral patterns as well as
calligraphic friezes.
Selimiye Mosque (Minar
Sinan), Edirne
:atlasdecoration.com/decoration_consultancy.php
MUQUARNAS ("honeycomb vault" or "stalactites") is one of the most

essential elements of all classical Moorish architecture.
Ceiling of the Hall of
the Abencerrajes
▪ Impressive dome based on a central star motif made of muqarnas prisms and
merges into the square-shaped ground plan of the room with the help of
hanging muqarnas spandrels
1. Geometric Patterns
2. Caligraphy - inscriptions from the
ARABESQUE Quran
• Artistic motif by
application of repetiion of
...
• Mosaic, carved, glazed
terracotta
3. Flowing nature of plant forms

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atauriques.jpg
Dado frieze Archway at the Alhambra Palace

Hall of the Ambassadors,
Alhambra, Granada, 14th century
Khalvat-i Karim-khani, in the gardens of the Golestan Palace.
Flowing nature of plant
forms.
:www.historywiz.com/galleries/arabesquetiles.htm
Details of façade covering in the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis near Samarkand
Turkan-aka Mausoleum Usto Ali Nesefi Mausoleum Tilla Kari Madrasa

1372 1380s 1660
Portal arch decorated with continuous, rope-like twisted ribbons of painted tile resting
on a sort of column base
Islamic Calligraphy
Detail from the façade of the mausoleum of Ahmad Yasawi, Kazakhstan 1391-1399
Brick mosaic with a Kufic inscription
Interior of the Selimiye Mosque (Minar Sinan), Edirne
ISLAMIC
GARDEN
• Cool place of rest and reflection,
• Qur'an has many references to gardens, and is used as an earthly

analogue for the life in PARADISE which is promised to believers
ELEMENTS OF A GARDEN:
1. Water – fountains, pools, and flowing watercourses and the

greenery .
2. Walls or screens which make the garden an enclosed rectangle,

mysterious and private.
3. A lay-out in harmonious symmetry, using beautiful geometric shapes

for pools, paths, pavilions or flowerbeds.
Generalife, Alhambra, Spain
http://famouswonders.com/shalimar-gardens/
Shalimar Garden, Lahore, Pakistan http://www.bowkera.com/shalimar_gardens.htm

(gate)
CHARBAGH
• Persian-style garden layout.
• Quadrilateral garden divided by walkways or flowing water into four
smaller parts.
References
1.REQUIRED READING Banister, Fletcher (2000). History of Architecture, 20th

edition. London Routledge
2.Ching, Francis (2011). A global history of architecture 2ND Edition. New Jersey
John Wiley & Sons,Inc.
3.Ching, Francis (2012). A visual dictionary of architecture, 2nd edition. New Jersey
John Wiley & Sons,Inc.
4.Ching, Francis: Eckler, James (2013). Introducion to Architecture. New Jersey John
Wiley & Sons,Inc.
5.Pile, John: Gura, Judith (2014). A History of Interior design. New Jersey John Wiley
& Sons,Inc.
Other References
1. Kahlil, Nasser(2005). The Timeline history of Islamic art and architecture.
Worth press.LTD
2. Hattstien,M & Delius,P(2011). Islam, Art and Architecture. Potsdam,Germany,
h.f.Ullmann
3. Cole(2002) Architectural details: A visual guide to 5000 years of building styles
4. National Geographic Channel(2012) Great Empires: An Illustrated Atlas–
Deluxe Edition, New York
5. Reader’s Digest(2013) The Ancient World, Reader’s Digest Publication, New
York

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Ar.

Roy John de Guzman, UAP

QUIZ TIME!! ¼ YELLOW PAPER

2. The large open square of a

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

4. A lofty, slender tower attached

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

6. A Large vaulted portal

8. A niche or decorative panel in

10. SHAHADA, SALAT, SAWM,

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

SO WILL STOP KILLING

 Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses

 The unique of quality of Islam, blending

 The Islam religion Originated in the

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

SALAT- consists of five daily prayers

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

Zakah- Alms-giving is the practice

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

- That will deliver the viewer - ka’aba is the most sacred

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

• These styles, now generally known as ISLAMIC

▪ ARABIA - ancient trading

▪ 6th c. - trouble in Byzantine

▪ Merchants turned to the

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

 Jerusalem was also

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

 The Nasrid dynasty

Alhambra palace epitomizes the melding of Islamic

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

 The Seljuqs established both

 Who ruled Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Persia from 1037

 Who ruled Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Persia from 1037

 In addition, the Seljuks built

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

 A type of mosque developed

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

Mughal architecture is an architectural style developed by the

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

 A place to worship, the

Prepared by RJ De Guzman,UAP Second

• Masjid – Arabic word

 Place of prostration - believers bow their heads to

1. Al-Haram (Enclosure) Mecca, associated with

2. Al–Munuwwara, (The Illuminated One) Medina, the

3. Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) Jerusalem, also

Kaaba in Mecca, holiest

1. Al-Ħajaru al-Aswad, "the Black

- The four corners of the Kaaba