ARCH 250 Lecture 3: lecture 3
24 Jan 2019
School
Department
Course
Professor
Architecture Notes
ARCH 250
Lecture 3: Islamic Architecture
1/22/19
Islamic Architectural Types
• The Mosque
o Muslim house of prayer
o Islam requires no physical structure for valid prayer, which may be
performed anywhere, and a minimal masjid (place of prostration)
may consist only of lines marked on the ground, but a building
constructed especially for the purpose is preferred, in particular for
congregational prayer at Friday noon, the principal weekly service
• The Tomb/Mausoleum
• The Madrasa
o Educational institution/school
• The Hammam
o Public baths
• The Caravanserai
• The Bazaar
Vocabulary
• Mihrab
o An arched niche pointing toward Mecca
• Iwan
o Vaulted hall or space, walled on three sides with one end entirely
open
• Pendentive
o Triangular segments of a sphere that allows a transition from
rectangle to sphere
• Muqarnas vaults
o A three dimensional architectural decoration composed of niche-like
elements arranged in tiers
• Dome
• Minaret
o Tower for muezzin to call the faithful to prayer
• Calligraphy
o Associated with geometric Islamic art
• Sahn
o Courtyard
• Haram
o Prayer hall
• Qibla
o Prayer wall
Mecca and Ka’ba
• Built as a holy sanctuary of Ka’ba in Mecca and rededicated to the Islamic
world
• Ka’ba: “cloth-draped cubical shrine that contains the Black Stone, believed to
have been given to Abraham by the angel Gabriel
• The goal of Islamic Pilgrims
• Prayer five times daily, facing in the direction of Mecca
Terms to note
• Caliph
o Chief civil and religious ruler in line of succession from Muhammad
• Sultan
o Sovereign or chief ruler of a Muslim country
• Shaykh
o Chief of an Arab family or tribe
o Also used to denote a holy man in Mughal India
• Each of the cultures that converted to Islam contributed existing aesthetic
forms to Islamic sacred architecture
o Thus, one can distinguish Persian from Ottoman mosques and other
cultures
Conception of the Mosque
• It is believed that the design of the mosque evolved from…
o The house of the Prophet at Medina
o Christian churches
o The audience halls of Persian kings
Great Mosque
• Damascus, Syria 706-715
• Development of the Mosque…
o Interior
▪ All mosques are built on an axis with Mecca at the center
▪ The wall indicating the direction of Mecca is the qibla
▪ The mihrab is an arched niche pointing toward mecca
• It serves as a visual and acoustic focus
o Exterior
▪ Minaret (tower) for muezzin to call the faithful to prayer
▪ Fountain in courtyard for ritual cleansing
• The site is an ancient one, a Roman temple stood there
• In the 4th century, a Christian church was developed
• In 635, both Christians and Muslims worshiped in the same site
• In 706, the great mosque was constructed
• The minarets were based on fortification towers or lighthouses
Document Summary
Vocabulary: mihrab, an arched niche pointing toward mecca. Conception of the mosque: the house of the prophet at medina, christian churches, the audience halls of persian kings. In the 4th century, a christian church was developed. In 635, both christians and muslims worshiped in the same site. Mosques" types: columned hall or hypostyle mosques, great mosque of mutawakkil, samarra, or the great mosque in. Iwan mosque in iran and far east: including court with surrounding columns, expanded on two sides with vaulted or domical porches, multi-domed, central-plan mosques in turkey. Hypostyle mosques: the great mosque of al-mutawakkil, samarra 9th century. Multi-domed mosques: 1453 conquest of constantinople by sultan mehmet ii (ottomans), end of. In memory of son, shehzade mehmet: double-square plan with sahn (courtyard), haram (covered prayer hall), attached minaret, emphasis on central plan and proportional relationship of parts, especially the domes, multi-domed mosque/congregational mosque, mausoleum of shehzade mehmet.
