Civil Engineering Related

2. z
Group Members Name's
 Sohaib Ahmad
 Naeem Abbas
 Razi Mushtaq
 Muhammad Shahzad

3. z
Islamic culture &Architecture

4. z Introduction
 Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings
associated with Islam.
 Encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of
Islam to the present day.
 Islamic architecture was influenced by: Roman, Byzantine, Persian and
Mesopotamian and all other lands which the Muslims conquered in the
seventh and eighth centuries.
 In the east, it was also influenced by Chinese and Indian architecture as
Islam spread to Southeast Asia.

5. z
INFLUENCES
 From the eighth to the 11th century, Islamic architectural styles were influenced by two
different ancient traditions:
1. Greco-Roman tradition:
 In particular, the regions of the newly conquered Byzantine Empire (Southwestern
Anatolia, Syria, Egypt and the Maghreb) supplied architects, masons, mosaicists and other
craftsmen to the new Islamic rulers.
 These artisans were trained in Byzantine architecture and decorative arts, and continued
building and decorating in Byzantine style, which had developed out of Hellenistic and
ancient Roman architecture.
2. Eastern tradition:
 Mesopotamia and Persia, despite adopting elements of Hellenistic and Roman
representative style, retained their independent architectural traditions, which derived from
Sasanian architecture and its predecessors.

6. z
Greco-Roman
tradition Eastern tradition

7. House of worship:
Mosque
Ultimate reality:
God (Allah in Arabic); the same God revealed in the Jewish and
Christian Bibles
Type of theism:
strict monotheism
Purpose of life:
Submit to the will of Allah and attain paradise after death
How to live:
Follow the Qur'an, Hadith and Five Pillars of Islam
• The Five Pillars of Islam are
• Daily confession of faith (shahada)
• Daily ritual prayer (salat)
• Paying the alms tax (zakat)
• Fasting during the month of Ramadan
• Pilgrimages to Mecca (hajj)
Afterlife:
Resurrection of body and soul followed by eternal paradise or hell
Symbols:
• crescent moon and star

8. z
Cultural norms and practices of Islamic
civilization Influence on Living Styles
Religious Beliefs
• Influence on Architecture: Islamic architecture is deeply influenced by religious beliefs.
Mosques, the most prominent architectural feature, reflect the Islamic emphasis on prayer and
communal worship. They typically have features like minarets for the call to prayer and
mihrabs indicating the direction of Mecca.
MIHRAB MINARET

9. z
Cultural norms and practices of Islamic
civilizations Influence on Living Styles
1. Influence on Living Styles: Daily routines, including prayer times, have shaped
living spaces. Homes often have designated areas for prayer, and their layouts often
consider the direction of Mecca.

10. z
Privacy and Modesty
Influence on Architecture: Islamic architecture emphasizes
privacy. Traditional homes have inner courtyards shielded from public
view. Windows often face inward. not the street, ensuring privacy.
society

Window height in Islamic Concealed courtyard

11. Influence on Living Styles: Modesty in dress and behavior
extends to living spaces. Homes are designed to provide private
spaces for women, ensuring they can move freely within the
household without being observed from the outside.
Window designs in Cairo

12. z
Community and Hospitality
 Influence on Architecture: Islamic architecture encourages communal spaces. Mosques
act as community centers, promoting a sense of belonging. Public squares and marketplaces are
designed to facilitate social interactions.
 Influence on Living Styles: Homes often have guest rooms, reflecting the Islamic value
of hospitality. Social interactions are encouraged, and homes are designed to accommodate
guests comfortably.

13. z
Cultural Diversity
 Influence on Architecture: Islamic architecture varies greatly due to
cultural diversity within the Islamic world. Persian, Mughal, Moorish, and
Ottoman architectures, among others, showcase unique styles influenced
by regional cultures
 Influence on Living Styles: Different regions have distinct living styles,
influenced by local customs
Mughal era House of wisdom
( Baghdad )
Taj mahal
selimiye mosque
shah mosque Iran

14. z
Artistic Expression
 influence on Architecture: Islamic art, including calligraphy and
geometric patterns, is integrated into architecture. Intricate designs
adorn buildings, reflecting the cultural appreciation for artistic
expression.
 Influence on Living Styles: Decorative arts are used in homes,
from tiles to textiles, showcasing the same artistic elements seen in
architecture.

15. z
What is Islamic Architecture
 This architectural tradition is predominantly found in two types of places: Muslim-
majority countries and lands conquered by Muslims during the Middle Ages. In
addition to Arab states—like Algeria, Egypt, and Iraq—Islamic architecture is also
prevalent in European regions with Moorish roots, including parts of Spain,
Portugal, Italy, and Malta.
 Though often associated with the Islamic mosque—Muslims' place of worship—this
approach to architecture is also apparent in other edifices, from palaces and public
buildings to tombs and forts. Whether religious or secular, however, the splendid
style is defined by several common characteristics

16. z
Distinctive Elements
 Minarets
 Domes
 Muqarnas Vaulting
 Mihrab
 Arches
 Decorative Details
MINARETS
 A minaret is a spire or tower-like structure featuring small windows and an enclosed
staircase. It is one of the oldest elements of Islamic architecture and is found next to
most mosques. The primary function of the minaret is to allow the muezzin to call
worshippers to prayer from an elevated point. This occurs five times a day: at dawn,
noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night.

17. z
Architectural Drawing of Minarets

18. z
 DOMES
 Like many pioneering architectural movements—including Byzantine and Italian Renaissance
building traditions—Islamic architects also incorporate domes into their designs.

19. z
 Pendentives are tapered structures that allow a circular base for a round or
elliptical dome to be placed on a square or rectangular room. In Islamic
architecture, pendentives are often decorated with tiles or muqarnas, a type of
sculptural decoration.
Muqarnas

20. z
 MIHRAB
 Mihrabs are architectural elements found in mosques. They can be identified as niches
in the walls which mark the direction of the Qibla, denoting the direction of prayer. Many
mihrabs feature Islamic decoration in the form of colorful tiles and mosaics.

21. z
 ARCHES
 Another fixture of Islamic architecture is the arch. Evident in both entrances and
interiors, Islamic arches are categorized into four main styles: pointed, ogee,
horseshoe, and multifoil.
 The pointed arch features a rounded design with a tapered apex. This type of
arch would eventually become an important element of Gothic architecture.
 The ogee arch is similar to the pointed arch. However, its point is composed of
two s-shaped lines, culminating in a more sinuous silhouette.

22. z
 The horseshoe arch (also known as a keyhole arch) is associated with Moorish architecture.
As its crown can be either rounded or pointed, this type of structure is defined by the
dramatic widening and narrowing of its sides.
 Like the horseshoe arch, the multifoil arch is characteristic of Moorish architecture. This arch
feature multiple foils, or “leaves,” resulting in a scalloped shape
Horseshoe arch Multifoil arch

23. z
 DECORATIVE DETAILS
 A final element of Islamic architecture is attention to ornamental detail. Often reserved
for interiors, this lavish approach to decoration includes mosaic tiling, patterned
brickwork and kaleidoscopic stones, exquisite calligraphic adornments, and other
ornate components.
 Along with monumental domes, mesmerizing muqarnas vaulting, and distinctive
arches, these eye-catching embellishments exhibit the transcendent nature of the
Islamic building practice

24. z
The Round City of Baghdad
 The first nucleus of the city of Baghdad was the “Round City” (Madinat al-Salam)
founded by the Abbasid caliph al- Mansur in 762 AD and completed in 766 AD on
the west bank of the Tigris in a strategic location in the middle of Mesopotamia.
The original plan, of almost 1km in diameter, followed a defensive scheme with
four axial gates while the caliph’s domed residence and a congregational mosque
were located at the center together with two other administrative buildings, the
“police” and the commander of the guards.

25. z
 Streets would lead from the four gates to the central areas while the living
quarters and commerce's were concentrated in a ring between the exterior wall
of the city which was surrounded by a deep moat and a second fortified round
wall. The four gates would each one point towards a different city — Basra, Kufa,
Khurasan and Damascus — and named after that. The Kufah Gate was on the
major road which connected the city to Mecca while the Anbar gate reached the
bridges over the Euphrates River to the city.
 The gates would open onto an arcaded street running all around the exterior
inhabited ring, the four streets coming from the gates would divide the city into
four districts all crossed by the arched road.
 Many hypotheses have been formulated to explain the choice of the circle as the
geometrical form of the city, most of them relate the urban scheme with
symbolical levels connected to the Islamic culture.
 At first, the city was designed as an administrative center and later became a
dynamic urban center with markets and growing residential areas.