FACTORS

EFFECTING THE
ARCHITECTURE

GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS
Originally from nomadic Sahara desert tribes.
Earliest dwellings were temporary.
Called Saracenic by greeks and romans.
Later on came under a common faith- the muslim
religion adopted muslim style or islamic style or
mohammedan style.
Spread over countries such as Arabia, Egypt, Persia,
Syria, Palestine, Spain, Pakisthan and India where
muslim religion spread.

GEOLOGICAL CONDITIONS
Architecture according to availability of building
materials in different countries.
Dome constructed in bricks and covered with
plaster in Persia
Dome constructed in stones in Egypt (limestone)
and India(red sandstone)
Plaster used for wall decoration in Egypt, Spain and
elsewhere.
Marble available in Rajasthan, extensively used by
Shah Jahan.
Adobe and bricks in Persia

Hot climate in most countries

Sheltering arcades.
Small windows fitted with intricate geometric
designs,lattices etc.
Mosques with wide spreading eaves to ensure
coolness.
Flat roofs for dwelling houses.
Houses were closely spaced with narrow streets
to protect from dust storms.
Thick walled to protect from cold at night and
heat during day.
Overhanging balconies for houses.
Condensed city plan.

RELIGIOUS CONDITION
Muslim religion founded by Mohammed(born 570 AD).
Holy book- Koran contains Surah-utterance of Mohammad
intended to reveal the words of God delivered to him by the angel
gabriel.
The Koran has 2 Dogmos- There is no god but Allah and Mohammad
is his Prophet
After death of mohammed at medina in 632AD the spiritual
direction was exercised by his close companions The Caliphs
From 661 AD, caliphs were hereditary dynastic rulers settled at
Damascus and later at Baghdad and Cordova.
Many religious buildings were constructed and the religion spread
far and wide
Kaaba -the holiest place
Two sects-shias and sunnis based on line of succession
Important line of descent in prophets successors- aga khan

SOCIAL CONDITION
Arab invaders adopted social habits of near eastern
countries
Womens quarters(harem)

secluded from portions accessible to male visitors.

Wooden lattices at window openings to see but no be seen.
Quarters on upper floor.

Five Pillars of Islam

Hadith- Words and deeds of Prophet Muhammed

Salat- attending prayer 5 times a day
Roza- taking fast during day in the month of
Ramzan(Sawn)
Zakat- donating 1/40th of ones wealth as charity
Haj- going to mecca- every muslims dream.

622 AD year of Hejira- mohammad depated to Medina from Mecca

Redirection of mohammads prayer from Jerusalem to KaabaIslam becomes a national arab movement.
Til 750 AD the first Caliphs started invasion in neighbouring
countries
After 750 AD seat of caliphate shifted to Damascus and then to
Baghdad
762 AD Persia was conquered
Syria and Palestine conquered in 632-639 AD
640 AD Egypt conquered by muslim sulthans
1566 AD Egypt ,Syria & Palestine fell to Turks
Turkey- muslim Seljuk and later ottoman dynasty ended 1300 AD
Architectural styles developed in these countriesUmmayad,Abbasid,Fatimid,Seljuk & Ottoman(name of the
caliphates).

HISTORY IN INDIA

Pats of Northern India conquered by Mohammad Ghori of

Ghazni(1101-1127 AD).
Qutub-ud-din Aibak - Slave dynasty(1191-1246 AD)-foundation
of muslim style in India
Followed by :

Khilji(1290-1320 AD)
Tughluq(1320-1431 AD)
Sayyid(1414-1444 AD)
Lodi(1451-1557 AD)
Mughal dynasty(1526-1707 AD)

In Deccan Bahamani Kingdom which broke into:

Berar(under Imad Shahi)

Bidar(under Barid Shahi)
Golkonda(under Qutb Shahi)
Bijapur (under Adil Shahi)
Ahmadnagar (under Nizam Shahi)

 Persian

Architecture
Moorish Architecture
Timurid architecture
Ottoman Architecture
Fatimid Architecture
Seljuk Architecture
Mamluk Architecture
Indo-Islamic Architecture
Somali-Islamic Architecture
Sino-Islamic Architecture

Minarets or towers

Originally used as torch-lit watch towers

Azaan given by Muezzin or Maula to call for prayer.
A four-iwan plan, with three subordinate halls and one
principal one that faces toward Mecca
Mihrab or prayer niche on an inside wall indicating the
direction to Mecca.
Cupolas-small dome-like structure, on top of a building.

Domes

Dome symbolises the arch of heaven.

Built in brick and stone and external surface plastered
The dome placed on the surface by transition from
square plan below to circular plan above by
superimposing angles with pointed pendentives,squinch
arches and stalactites.

 Squinch-

series of arches placed at an angle

to convert the square base to octagonal.
The dome does not rest on octagonal phase.
In the next phase of transition a 16 sided
base is obtained with help of pendentives
Then converted to 32 sided base and
thusproviding a circular base for the dome
above
Beautiful ornament at corners
In later stage,super-imposed no of cellniches called mukharnas or stalactites.

Pointed Arch

architectural symbol of hands joined in prayer

pointing towards Mecca - all things meet in Allah.
arch spandrels consists of a voluted bracket holding a medallion.
Types of arches-Ogee Arch, Two-Centred ,Four Centred & multicentred Pointed Arches.

Arabesque( Tauriq)-

The use of geometric shapes and repetitive art (arabesque).

Representation of human or national form prohibited
The geometric designs are inlaid in coloured glazed
tiling,painting,mosaic and inlay arts
Use of tughras-animal figures formed by arabic letters.
Muqarnas- a unique Arabic/Islamic space-enclosing system, for

decoration of domes, minarets and portals.

Sahn

an enclosed courtyard.
Almost every mosque and traditionally all houses and buildings in
areas of the Arab World contain a courtyard

Iwans

a vaulted hall or space, walled on three sides, with one end

entirely open.

Islamic calligraphy

use of decorative Islamic calligraphy was haram (forbidden) in

mosque architecture.
in secular architecture, human and animal representation was
indeed present.
Central fountains used for ablutions

Decoration and Colour-

The use of bright color, if the style is Persian or Indian (Mughal)

paler sandstone and grey stones are preferred among Arab
building
Focus both on the interior space of a building and the exterior.

Muslim Order-

slender, 7 to 9 diameter high

square rebated columns.

minaret

Pointed arch

arabesque

dome

Islamic calligraphy

dome

Islamic architectural invention concentrates in 3 major constructions: mosques or

masjids, tombs ,palaces and forts:
Jami Masjid:
Friday prayer mosque
Large open court surrounded by arcades or colonnades(iwan)
Fountain or tank in the centre
Iwan on Mecca side extended to form sanctuary or pillared hall
Sanctuary contain elegant archshaped niche- mihrab
A portion of the sanctuary enclosed by screen- Zenana for women
Minarets provided
Madrassah
Collegiate mosque
Contain lecture hall, library, residences for students and teachers

Rauza
Large mausoleum
Includes mosque as a separate building
Contain within a spacious square enclosure forming a garden called
rauza
The tomb consists of a single compartment & covered with a dome
Dhargah
Important tombs of nobles and called dhargah in India
Khans
Inns or Serais where travelers took rest
Two storeyed building
Ground floor- stabling camels
First floor-residence for travelers

Private Islamic Houses:

inward-looking courtyard houses.
represent the desire for privacy and familial
obligations of Muslim life.
A bent corridor (for privacy) leads from the
gated entry from the public lane into a courtyard
courtyard paved with tiles, often planted with
shade trees and with a pool at the centre.
Surrounding the courtyard are the principal
rooms of the house.
Different sides of the courtyard may provide
separate accommodation for sections of the
extended family.

Islamic City
a highly organic entity.
The basic cellular unit is the courtyard house
The houses are grouped into quarters, often of a tribal or ethnic
character.
Each quarter has its own mosques and facilities.
At the centre of the city stands the focus of the community, the
congregational mosque, the masjid al-jum'a.
The arteries of this intricate organism are the vaulted streets of
the souk, or bazaar, which thread outwards from the masjid aljum'a towards the great gates of the enclosing fortified walls.
The key monuments and facilities of the city are found along the
souk the religious colleges, baths, hospitals, and fountains.
Examples of these are found in Fs, Morocco; Aleppo, Syria; and
Esfahan,

Built in 16th century AD

In modern day Saudi Arabia
Slightly oblong Arcade encloses an open area with
kaaba in its centre
Kaaba-cube shaped chamber 13m x 11m- 16m high
Covered with black silk
In the north-east corner is the black stone- an
object of reverence
Tomb of Abraham and the zamzam well are sacred
sites within the compound
The mihrab of every mosque is aligned towards
kaaba

PLAN

 In

modern day Palestine

Earliest surviving architectural masterpiece
Construction started in 688-689 AD and
completed 691-692 AD by Caliph Abd-alMalik
Stands in the haram as a great rectangular
enclosure
Once occupied as a jewish temple
The

diameter of the dome of the shrine is

20m 20 cm and its height 20m 48 cm

City known as Gate of Islam,City of a

thousand Minarets.
Laid by fatimid conquerors of Tunisia
Had trade links with Asia and Europe
2 main gates- Bab-al-Futuh and Bab-al-Masr
Splendid palaces,inns,bazaars, mosques,fountains
public baths etc
Crowded bazaars
Water supplied by sakkas(water carriers) from
Nile
Sabils- public drinking water fountains built by
princes and rich merchants,sulthans and princes
Important buildingsMausoleum of Mameluk Sulthan le Mansur Qalaun13th century
The mosque of Al-Azhar- Fatimid Dynasty. Madrassah
attached to it-one of the worlds oldest universities

GREAT
MOSQUE,CORDOBA,
SPAIN

GREAT MOSQUE AT
KUFA,
PERSIA

built on a high
terrace over a
complex of vaulted
shops
Narrow, twisting
interior flights of

INDO-ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

A monumental tower
situated in the Qutb
Construction commenced
By Qutb -ud -din Aibak.
World's tallest brick min

Known as Pivot of Justice and Faith.

Built in red sand-stone.
Top two stories are of white marble, made by Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
It is 72.5m high with 379 steps.
The base measures 14.3 m& top floor measures 2.75 meters in
diameter.
Consists of four stories in changing textures:1st :- Has stellate of wedge shaped flanges with round flutes.
2nd:- Has circular projections .
3rd:- Is star shaped.
4th:- Circular; composed of circular kiosks with domical roof.
An additional storey is built later.
Each storey consists of projecting balconies, supported by stalactite
bracket.
Balustrade in the form of merlons:- Kanjuras.
An iron-pillar(8m , 480AD) is standing in the centre of west wing.
It has an amalaka& crowning figure of Garuda.

Qutb -ud -din Aibak, the first Muslim ruler of Delhi,

commenced construction of the Qutb Minar in 1193,
but could only complete its base. His successor,
Iltutmish, added three more stories and, in 1386,
Firuz Shah Tughluq constructed the fifth and the
last storey. The minaret is made of fluted red sand
stone covered with intricate carvings and verses
from the Quran.

Layout of Taj Mahal.

Built in red sand stone.

It has the same archway design as the tomb.
On its walls floral designs present called pietra dura.
On top are small,onion-shaped domes lined in two rows.
The Taj Mahal is at the end of the garden.
A mosque on west.
Mehman Khan on east.

Herringbone

Plant motifs

Spandrel detail

Exterior decoration

Incised painting

The approach channel has an elevated poolHaus-i-Kausar.

Flanked by marble path.
Four portioned garden plan:-Charbagh.
It has an inclination for the constant flow of
water from Jamuna.

57m2 area with canted angle.

Eight sided structure.
Total height is 33m.
Plat form known as Chabutara-6.7m high&95m2area.
Onion dome -25m height&18m diameter.
Dome is placed on a drum of 64m height.
Golden proportion is used.
Minarets contain cupolas&pinnacles.
Around the dome two storeyed aisles present.
Height of the four small domes is 39m.

At each corner of the platform, 42m high minaret in three

storeys are present.
The tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife are ornamented &
enclosed in central hall.
The marble varies in tint&tone according to the chage in light.
It displays :Soft milky at dawn
Shining white at mid-day
Pale and rosy during sunset.
The reflections of Taj in pool create a marvelous view.

At Hyderabad.
Was built by
Sultan Mohammad
Quli Qutb Shah in
1591.
To commemorate
the elimination of
a plague.
Built in Tajaya
style.
Charminar means
four minarets.

Square plan
Each side measures 20 m.
Each of the corners has a tall, pointed minaret.
Each minars is of height 57m.
There are four arch ways of 11m span.
Now, each arches have a clock,-installed in 1889.
Each minaret has three stories, marked by a delicately carved
ring around the minaret.
First contains arcaded triforium.
Second has small arches.
Top one has perforated balstrads.

Inside is decorated with intricate designs.

Inside the minarets 149 winding steps present
to the top floor.
Each side of the structure opens into a plaza
through giant arches.
A vault that appears like a dome, supports two
galleries.
The terrace bordered with a stone balcony.
The main gallery has 45 covered prayer spaces with
a large open space for Friday prayers.

Famous Islamic gardens include the grounds of

Taj Mahal in India and the Generalife gardens in
Spain.
The general theme of a traditional Islamic
garden is water and shade.
Four water canals typically carry water into a
central pool or fountain, the four streams
symbolizing the four main elements of life. The
four streams may also be interpreted as the four
rivers in paradise, filled with milk, honey, wine
and water. Such a four-fold garden is also called a
chahar-bagh

Mughal gardens are a

group of gardens built by the
Mughals in the Islamic style
of architecture. This style
was influenced by Persian
gardens and Timurid gardens.
Significant use of rectilinear
layouts are made within the
walled enclosures. Some of
the typical features include
pools, fountains and canals
inside the gardens.
Kabul Bagh (Panipat) : Babar.
Shalimar Bagh& Nishat
Bagh(Kashmir):-Shah Jahan.

At Bijapur
Built by Mohammad Adil Shah in 1627 AD
The second-largest tomb in the world.
The most gigantic hemispherical dome(Gumbaz) .
Designer- Malik Sandal
Took 30 years to complete
Consists of 1 chamber of size 42m x 42m & height 55 m.
Walls are of 3m thickness
They are buttressed by octagonal towers of 7.5 diameter
Dome is supported on a gallery formed by intersecting arches
The arches are arranged within the side of a square plan
The point of intersection produced an octagonal cornice
which support the base of the dome
The projecting gallery 3.35 m wide hanging in the interior of
the dome at 3.35m height Wispering Gallery.

Built in 1435.
A tower of victory
Built by Alaudin
Bahamani.
Circular in plan.
Rises to a height of
30m in four storeys.
Each containing a
balcony. Each storey
is circular in
section, but one is
fluted.

At Delhi.
Built by emperor Shah jahan.
Rectangular in plan.
Standing on high plinth :-Chabutara.
Three gate ways present.
Eastern-for royal family.
North7 south-for public.
Has a central courtyard of 99m side with a tank in the middle.
The courtyard is enclosed by pillared cloisters.
Over the sanctuary three bulbous domes present.

Situated at Agra.
Has three domes
Built in marble.
It consists of a courtyard,
colonnades& an arch
entrance to the nave.
At the central dome
appears hanging among the
stars like a pearl.
Known as pearl mosque.

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