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ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE Sacred Text: Quran (Koran)

Islamic Architecture can be defined as a House of Worship: Mosque

building tradition of muslim population of
Symbols: Moon and Star
the middle east or any other country where
islam has been dominant. Five pillars of Islam: Shahada, Salat,
Zakat, Swam, Hajj

GEOGRAPHY
FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM (SSZSH)
Flourished principally in the countries of
Southern Asia and Northern America. Shahada: sincerely reciting the Muslim
profession of faith.
Other important communities were
established in isolation outside the Salat: preforming ritual prayers in the
geographical block, In places such as proper way five times a day.
Zanzibar, Madagascar, and China.
Zakat: paying charity tax to benefit poor
and the needy.

SOCIAL ASPECTS Sawm: Fasting during the month of

ramadan.
The Arab groups, which were the
spearhead of the advance of Islam were Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca
essentially Tribal

Women played secondary roll, almost

BUILDING TYPES (JMMS)
inevitably assuming major share of
domestic, and sometimes of the agricultural Jami: mosque, principal place of worship
burden
Masjid: small prayer house (Persia, India)
Men performed the significant public
Madrassah: Public school
duties and controlled all public affairs &
this social structure had direct architectural Saray: palace
consequences in the layout of domestic and
public buildings

RELIGIOUS FOCUS

Year of the start of the Religion: AD 622

Place of start: In Mecca and Saudi Arabia

Founder: Mohammed (Born- BC570)
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BUILDING COMPONENTS
(MMIBSMHSKC)

Mirhab: niche oriented towards Mecca

Mimber: raised platform for ceremonial

announcements

Iwan/Ivan: open-fronted vault facing on to

a court.

Bab: gateway

Sahn: courtyard of a mosque

Minaret: tower from which call to prayer is

made.
Harem: women’s private quarters of a
palace

Selamik: men;s quarters of palace

Kibla/Kible: axis oriented towards Mecca

Chatti (India): Kiosk

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TYPES OF ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE PARTS OF MOSQUE

Mosque: centre place of worship Courtyard -is so fundamental feature of

a mosque is also in its several variations
Madrassah: public school
according to the function the courtyards
Hammam: a structural design for a hot were cloistered and arcaded and the side
bathhouse were punctuated with gateways, prayer
chambers or arched porches (Iwans)
Caravanserai: a road side inn for travellers
Minaret: a tall tower in, or continuous
Casbah: a fortress
to a mosque arch stairs leading up to one
Mausoleum: a tomb or a monument or more balconies.

Kiosk : used in isolation as a little

ornamental pavilion, emphasizing roof
or providing a focus in a pleasure
garden; it might take the form of the
massive tomb, high and domed, or it
might be repeated to form a cloister,
terrace or court

MOSQUE ARCHITECTURAL
FEATURES

Mashrabiya - projecting window

enclosed with carved wood lattice work

Mihrab - semicircular niche in the wall

of a mosque that indicates the Kibla
Sahn- a courtyard combined with
ablution area

ISLAMIC DECORATIVE
ELEMENTS
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
Water: In hot climate the water from
- Balance & Symmetry
courtyard pools and fountains cools as it
- Concept of perfect creation
decorates, water can not only reflect
- Formal Landscape
architecture but multiply the decorative
- Centered upon God
themes, it can also serve a means of
- Use of Masonry
emphasising the visual axes
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Calligraphy: calligraphy is closely Wind-scoops were added to the construction

linked to geometry the proportions of techniques in order to meet the climatic
letters are governed by mathematics conditions

- Geometric
- Arabesque

ARCHITECTURAL FEATURE
POINTED ARCH

The most important form of opening was the

pointed arch which was principally two
and four cantered and generally
constructed as a true arch through
corbelled plane (common in India)

WINDOW OPENINGS

Window openings are frequently small and

traditionally closed with wooden shutter,
iron bars, marble grilles.

GREAT MOSQUE OF DAMASCUS

(Damascus, Syria)

The interior walls of Mosque of Damascus

have stone mosaics that depict crowns,
DOME, WIND SCOOPS fantastic plants, realistic trees, and even
Domes were widely used throughout the empty towns.
Islamic world: Domes used in Persia, This is thought to represent Paradise for the
Mughal and Egyptian turned to be pointed faithful Muslim.
in contrast to the hemispherical Turkish
version of domes Both the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem
and The Great Mosque of Damascus used
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the Syrian cut-stone technique of building DOME OF THE ROCK

and popularized the use of the dome.
(Al kuds, Jerusalem)

The earliest architectural monument of Islam

that retains most of its original form is the
Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, constructed
in 691-92.

It has mosaics depicting scrolling vines and

flowers, jewels, and crowns in greens, blues,
and gold.

THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE

MOSQUE
The Great Mosque of Damascus has the
utmost importance in the Muslim world as
the oldest congregational mosque in
Islamic architecture. Its plan as a
congregational mosque consists of a prayer
hall, haram and a large courtyard. It is THE MOSQUE, AHMAD IBN TULIN,
rectangular in shape, the northern part CAIRO
belongs to the mosque complex, and the
southern part belongs to the prayer hall,
haram The courtyard is surrounded by four
exterior walls, cloistered arcades, called as
riwaq
The riwaq of the Great Mosque of
Damascus, also known as the Umayyad
Mosque, is a colonnaded portico that
surrounds the mosque's courtyard. The riwaq
is made up of alternating stone columns and
piers, and it supports the mosque's covered
prayer area, or haram
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ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE IN
PERSIA
ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE IN
MOROCCO

Salient feature: floor is made up of glass

and as such worshippers can kneel directly
THE GREAT MOSQUE OF CORDOBA
in to sea since it is located with aerial view
(Granada, Spain) of Atlantic ocean.
In the middle of the 8th century the last of
the Umayyad escaped to Spain and re-
THE GREAT MOSQUE OF SAMARRA
founded the dynasty there. The Great
Mosque of Cordoba was begun in 785 and is (Samarra, Iraq)
famous for its rows of double-tiered
In 750 the Abbasid Dynasty moved the
arches.
capital east to Baghdad, and from 836 to
The culture of Islamic Spain reached its 892 the Abbasid rulers resided at Samarra.
apex in Moorish art and architecture.
The great mosque of Samarra is an
important example of the Iraqi hypostyle,
noted for its massive size and spectacular
ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE IN SPAIN
minaret.
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THE BLUE MOSQUE

(Istanbul, Turkey)

This mosque is particularly notable for its MIRHAB – QIBLA

six minarets.
Certain characteristics
are present in most
mosques.
MOSQUE
The Mihrab, or niche,
The Most notable type of building is the
indicates the Qibla, the
mosque.
direction of Mecca,
Originally this was only a large open area which the faithful must
where the faithful would gather. face when praying.

The original mosque was probably the

courtyard of Mohammad's house in Medina
MADRASSA

The social obligations within the religion

ABLUTION later led to the addition of Madrassa
(schools, colleges or universities) attached.
Within the courtyard is usually an ablution
fountain where the worshipper symbolically Occasionally there were and are also
washes before prayer. hospitals.
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MINBAR creating structures that Inspire awe and

foster community.
There is also a minbar
or pulprit from which As a living tradition, it continues to adapt
sermons are delivered. and evolve, bridging the past and present,
and influencing global architectural
practices

CHAPTER 2:

INDIAN ARCHITECTURE
MINARET

A minaret or tower, from which the

Muezzin call the faithful to prayer.
Originally this call was made from the main
roof of the mosque.

Minarets developed from Christian bell

towers. Later they influenced Christian
designs.

SYMBOLISM IN ISLAMIC
INTRODUCTION
ARCHITECTURE
The architecture of India includes present
Spirituality: Reflects the oneness of God
day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri
(tawhid) through geometric and symmetrical
Lanka.
designs.
These countries later on got separated by
Paradise Imagery: Gardens, fountains, and
political boundaries but, still share a
courtyards symbolize Jannah (paradise).
common cultural heritage.
Unity and Order: Repetition and
The diversity of Indian culture is represented
symmetry in patterns signify cosmic order
in its architecture.
and divine perfection.
Indian architecture comprises a blend of
CONCLUSION
ancient and varied native traditions, with
Islamic architecture is a remarkable building types, forms and technologies from
testament to the Ingenuity and creativity west, central Asia, and Europe
of Islamic civilizations. It harmonizes
functionality, spirituality, and beauty,
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TORANA

A Torana is a free-
standing ornamental or
arched gateway for
ceremonial purposes in
Hindu, Buddhist, and
Jain architecture of the
Indian subcontinent.

SHIKHARA
INDIAN ARCHITECTURE A tower, spire, or
Indian architecture has influenced the superstructure that sits
surrounding regions of the world, especially on top of a North
eastern Asia, due to the spread of ideas with Indian Hindu temple.
Buddhism. It’s the most distinctive
feature of Hindu Temples in the north of
A number of Indian architectural features india.
such as the stupa (temple mound), sikhara
(temple spire), pagoda (temple tower),
torana (and temple gate), have become STUPA
famous symbols of Hindu-Buddhist culture,
used extensively in East Asia and South-East An Indian Stupa is
Asia. a hemispherical
Buddhist
Early Indian architecture is the story of how monument that
I powerful and popular religions celebrated originated in India
their beliefs through monumental design. and is used to
house sacred relics. The word “Stupa”
comes from the Sanskrit and means help.
PAGODA

Its shape symbolized by

holy mountains. It served
as the resting place for the
relics and remains of saint
and kings.
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FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT According to him the goal is 'Nirvana' or a

state of pure rest without rebirth but no
GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITON
destruction
- The rivers Indus and Ganges
The religion teaches avoidance of injury to
- The Himalayas
life, to observe truth, honesty, abstinence
- The Everest mountain
from worldly desire, gentleness, holiness,
- Surrounded by seas and Indian
self-punishment, and restraint of mind
ocean
tongue and body.
- Many cities were founded on the
banks of rivers 1. Buddhist; Siddhartha (Gautama),
the first Buddha
GEOLOGICAL CONDITON
The religion teaches against animal
- Timber was available in plenty in sacrifice, to observe oneness,
Indus and Ganges valleys humanity, the deliverance from
- Stone was rare sorrow and all trouble and from
- In some part of india white marble ignorance through enlightenment to
is available the ultimate 'Nirvana'
- In some parts of india rock-cut
ELEMENTS OF INDIAN
temples were also available
ARCHITECTURE
CLIMATIC CONDITON
SIKHARAS
- More than half the country lies in
These are the peaks of the
Tropic
towers rising from the
- The climate therefore varies widely
core of Hindu temples
- Wet in winter and dry in summer
- Buildings built to adapt the climate These towers are always
- In north flat roofs were common, extravagantly decorated
but steep pitched roofs were used
They vary in shape
in West coast due to heavy rain
throughout the country
RELIGIOUS CONDITION

- HINDU
STUPAS
- BUDDHISM
- JAINISM The stupa is a shrine
that represents the
Jain; founded by Mahaveer or Vadhaman
sacred Mount Meru, as
who was himself a Brahman, he was born
well as providing a
around 599B.C.
sanctuary for relics of the
Buddha.
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They have four ceremonial gates to the CAVE TEMPLES

shrine

It was mostly a
INFLUENCES
Buddhist art,
though Jains also - Religion: Buddhism, Hinduism,
seemed to have Jainism, Islam
built stupas. - Type of raw materials
- Royal Patronage
- Architectural influence from
SYMBOLIC LAYERS Persia, Greece…

The towers of Hindu temples Buddhism gained prominence during the

tell stories as they rise reign of the emperor Ashoka around the
skywards 3rd c. bc.

Each has its own distinctive It is primarily represented by three important

"handwriting and depicts the building types- the Chaitya Hall (place of
concerns of local cults as worship), the Vihara (monastery) and the
well as universal themes. Stupa (hemispherical mound for
worship/memory)-

ANIMAL STATUARY
INDIAN CHAITYA
To Hindus, all life
is sacred and An Indian chaitya is a sacred
deserving of hall or place of worship for
representation. Buddhist monks and
devotees. Chaltyss were
Most of the
carved out of rock or built
temples show fine sculptures and carvings of
from brick, and were often
animals
located near rivers or canals.

VIHARA
FIGURATIVE DECORATIONS
Vihara or vihara hall has
carving of sacred a more specific meaning
images and In the architecture of
figurines was an India, especially ancient
art form in itself, Indian rock-cut
requiring years of disciplined training architecture. Here it
means a central hall,
with small cells
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connected to it, sometimes with beds carved sculptures that depicted Buddhist, Hindu,
from the stone. and Jain deities

BUDDHIST TEMPLES GANDHARA SCHOOL OF ART

STUPAS Is an ancient style of

art that originated
in the northwest
regionof india, In
the Taxila Valley.
The school
flourished from the
st th
1 to the 5 century CE and was heavily
influenced by the classical art of Greece
and rome.

BUDDHIST AND JAIN

ARCHITECTURE HINAYANA

The Greek influence led the Indian Is a term used to describe the conservative
Architectue of the time, especially the rock- schools of Buddhism that originated in
cut art, to fall under one of the two ancient India. The term was originally used
categories: the Mathura school of art and by followers of the Mahayana tradition to
the Gandharva school of art describe schools that did not accept
Mahayana teachings.
The Divisionof Buddhism into Hinayana
and Mahayana phases also influenced the
nature of rock-cut art, the former being MAHAYANA
represented by artifacts used by the Buddha,
and the latter by images of the Buddha. Is a term for a broad group of Buddhist
traditions, texts, philosophies, and
practices developed in ancient India (c. 1st
MATHURA SCHOOL OF ART century BCE onwards)

a school of Indian Art that

flourished in the city of HINDU TEMPLES
Mathura from the 1st to
3rd centuries CE. It was a The reference to temples in literature go
major center of religious back early to(520 BC460 BC)
art in India, producing Early temples were rock-cut, later structural
temples evolved.
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The temple is a representation of the Decoration was fundamental to this type of

macrocosm (the universe) as well as the architecture
microcosm (the inner space).

A garbhagriha is a shrine room in a Hindu

HINDU TEMPLES (POETRY IN temple that is also known as the sanctum
STONE) sanctorum or womb house. It is located in
the center of the temple, above the navel,
Indian temple architecture has often been
and contains an Image of a deity.
called sculpture on a mass scale rather than
true architecture.

They are designed as sculpture and are best HINDU TEMPLES

experienced and understood from the
There were three major styles of
outside.
temple architecture: the
Interiors are very small and dark spaces northern or Nagara style, the
which are not as impressive as the exterior southern or Dravida and the
Vesara or hybrid style but the
most common are the Nagara and the
Dravida.

They are distinguishable by the shape and

decoration of their shikharas or
superstructures.

North Indian Temples (Nagara)

HINDU TEMPLES The Nagara style which

developed around the fifth
A basic Hindu temple consists of an inner century is characterized
sanctum, the garba griha or womb- by a beehive shaped tower
chamber, in which the image is housed, a called a shikhara
congregation hall, and possibly an
antechamber (entrance hall) and porch. The plan is based on a square but the walls
are sometimes so broken up that the tower
The sanctum is crowned by a tower-like often gives the impression of being circular
shikara

The structural system of temples was

essentially post and beam and with massive
blocks of stone being the basic raw material
for the local craftsman
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South Indian Temples (Dravida) It was erected by Shah Jahan to the

memory of his beloved queen, Arjumand
From the seventh century the
Banu Begum, called Mumtaz Mahal
Dravida or southern style has a
pyramid shaped tower A year after her death in 1631 he began the
consisting of progressively Taj & it took twenty-two years to complete
smaller storeys of small with over 20,000 workers participating.
pavilions, a narrow throat, and a dome on
The Taj Mahal stands in a walled enclosure
the top
measuring around 580x305m.
The repeated storeys give a horizontal visual
Its beauty lies in its calm solemnity, and the
thrust to the southern style,
marble's subtle colors as it reflects the
changing sky above.

INDO ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE The dome was derived from both Hindu
temple design and Persian Timur
architecture. s

CONCLUSION

Indian architecture is not just about the

The fundamental difference lay in the fact
aesthetic beauty of buildings; it is a
that Islam prohibited idol worship and
reflection of the country's cultural,
therefore a concentrated point of focus
spiritual, and philosophical values. It
such as the garba-griha was unnecessary.
represents an ongoing conversation
The most famous Islamic buildings in India between the past and the present,
emerged during the Mughal period. adapting to new ideas while preserving
ancient traditions.

TAJ MAHAL

The Taj Mahal was

built with a special
Mughal (Mogul)
type of architecture
which is a
combination of many different types of
architecture including Persian, Central,
Asian, and Islamic