2. Masji Al-Nabawi, Medina -- the second holiest mosque in Islam, it marks the final
resting place of the prophet Muhammad
A mosque (masjid in Arabic) is a place where Muslims can gather for prayer
17. The pointed arch was a variant on the Roman arch, and is a distinctive element of
Islamic architecture
18. The decoration of the niche is made with ceramic tiles, a common material in Islamic
decoration
19. The decorative motifs include geometric patterns, stylized plant forms, and calligraphy
– all of which were common in Islamic ornamentation
20. The Mihrab is similar to the apse of a Christian church, in that it provides a focal point
for prayer
21. But a major difference is that in Islamic religious architecture, figural imagery is strictly
forbidden
22. Great Mosque, Damascus, Syria, 706-715
One of the oldest surviving Islamic mosques is the Great Mosque of Damascus, built
by the Umayyad Caliphs in the 8th century
23. Just as Early Christians re-purposed the Roman basilica for the Early Christian church,
Islamic architects also appropriated Roman models for their mosques
24. Great Mosque, Damascus, Syria, 706-715
The Great Mosque at Damascus is preceded by a Sahn, with an ablutions fountain
25.
26. The piers with arches surrounding the courtyard resemble Roman aqueducts
29. Great Mosque, Kairouan, Tunisia, c, 836-875
The Great Mosque at Kairouan, Tunisia is an example of a hypostyle mosque
30. The mosque is preceded by a courtyard, with a minaret tower, and the prayer hall itself
is a broad rectangular building
31. It is called a “hypostyle” mosque, because inside the prayer hall the roof is held up be
a forest of columns
32. Inside the mosque we see Corinthian columns, and a variation on the standard Roman
round arch
33. Islamic architects introduced the Horseshoe arch – a variation on the Roman arch, and
distinctive of Islamic architecture
34. Mihrab from the Madrasa Imami, Isfahan, Iran, c. 1354
Glazed tilework
Metropolitan Museum
The Pointed, or “ogival” arch, was another distinctively Islamic variation
35. Great Mosque, Córdoba, Spain, 8thc
A spectacular hypostyle mosque was built by the Umayyad Caliphs of Spain
40. Great Mosque, Isfahan, Iran; begun 1073
In the 11th century the four-iwan mosque replaced the hypostyle mosque
41. Great Mosque, Isfahan, Iran; begun 1073
The “iwans” refer to the monumental entrances off the central courtyard
42. The Four Iwan Mosque
The building is organized around a
central courtyard with vaulted
entrances or iwans
The largest vault is the entrance to
the prayer hall
Plan of a Four Iwan Mosque
Image source: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/arc/ind/2_meisaku/50_zavareh/zav_eng.htm
43. The entrances and the onion-shaped dome are decorated with intricately patterned
ceramic tiles
44. Here we see the three major elements of Islamic ornamentation: geometric patterns,
vegetal patterns, and calligraphy
45. This is a view of one of the domes from the interior
50. Sinan the Great,
Mosque of Selim II,
Edirne, Turkey, 1568-
1575
One of the greatest Islamic architects was Sinan the Great, who built the Mosque of
Selim II, in Turkey
51. Based on the Hagia Sophia (which it rivals in size), the building is an example of a
central plan mosque