COMMON INTERPRETATIONS OF ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE D OME OF ROCK , JERUSALAM • G REAT MOSQUE OF SAMARA AND CORODB DB A • UMMAYAD MOSQUE (GRAND MOSQUE OF DAMASCUS) • MADRASSA • MADRASSA OF SULTAN

1. ISLAMIC
ARCHITECTURE

2. COMMON INTERPRETATIONS
OF ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE
• The concept of Allah's infinite power is evoked by
designs with repeating themes.
• Human and animal forms are rarely depicted in
decorative art as Allah's work is matchless.
• Calligraphy is used to enhance the interior of a
building by providing quotations from the Qur'an.
• Islamic architecture focuses on the beauty of the
interior rather than exterior spaces.

3. • USE OF IMPRESSIVE FORMS SUCH AS LARGE DOMES, TOWERING
MINARETS, AND LARGE COURTYARDS ARE INTENDED TO CONVEY
POWER.

4. TOPICS
• DOME OF ROCK , JERUSALAM
• GREAT MOSQUE OF SAMARA AND CORODBA
• UMMAYAD MOSQUE (GRAND MOSQUE OF
DAMASCUS)
• MADRASSA
• MADRASSA OF SULTAN

5. DOMES
• Dome—a circular roof, usually hemispherical in
form, placed over a circular, square, oblong, or
polygonal space.
• Under Byzantine influence the Muslims adopted the
use of the dome; one of their first important
monuments is the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem

6. DOME OF ROCK , JERUSALAM
• This is one of the Islamic’s earliest mosques.
• 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.

8. • , the remarkable thing about this structure is not
just the influence of Byzantine architecture but
also the emergence of an Islamic style.
• A style of surface decoration rich with geometric
patterns and devoid of human and animal
representation.
• . The use of a circular dome sitting on a high drum
also became the hall mark of later Islamic
buildings.
• The blue glazed tiles and the band of calligraphic
inscriptions on the upper portion of the facade were
added 800 years later by the Ottoman Turks.

9. • The Dome of the Rock has an octagonal plan based on the
principal of rotating two squares at 45 degree angles
toward one another, thus creating eight corners.
• The building’s octagonal base is 177 feet in diameter.
• Inside there are two concentric porticoes lined with pillars
and columns encircling the rock.
• The inner most portico is circular in shape, above which
rises a circular drum supporting a double dome of wood,
rising to a height of 118 feet.
• . The octagonal facade of the building has four entrances
at four cardinal points.
• The southern entrance is the largest among four, it is
covered by a porch supported by eight columns.

10. • It is situated in the center of the temple mount
• It’s high timber dome was carried on a stone arcade of
pointed arches on
1. Corinthian columns
alternating with.
2. Marble faced piers.

12. • The dome was double shelled timber
structure apparently very similar
to that on or intended for the church
of S.simeon stylite in northern Syria
• The dome was survived until 1967
when it was replaced by a light
weight construction sheathed in
anodized aluminum
• The structure is basically
octagonal. It comprises a wooden
dome, approximately 60 feet (20 m) in
diameter, which is mounted on an
elevated drum consisting of a circle
of 16 piers and columns.

13. • Surrounding arcaded aisles are
set out on an octagonal plan
• From the out set the interior
was richly finished in glass
mosaic and quartered marble
• Pierced marble and ceramic
lunettes fill the window
openings which one had iron
tracery.

14. GREAT MOSQUE OF SAMARA
• The great mosque or
malwiya,samarra It was
the largest mosque ever
built
• The malwiya consisted of
an immense walled
courtyard planned on a
ratio of 3 to 2 ,155m x
238m surrounded by four
aisles

15. • The Great Mosque of
Samarra is an important
example of the Iraqi
hypostyle, noted for its
massive size and
spectacular minaret.

16. • The internal structure of mud brick piers and
timber pole joisted roofs has long seens disappear
but the massive brick outer wall remains,
buttressed at intervals of 16m by half round
towers
• The dramatic and evocative features of this
building is the enormous helicoidal minaret at the
northern end , isolated from the mosque but on the
main axis

17. GREAT MOSQUE OF CORODBA
• In the middle of the 8th century
the last of the Umayyad's
escaped to Spain and re-
founded the dynasty there. The
Great Mosque of Cordoba was
begun in 785 and is famous for
its rows of double-tiered
arches.
• The culture of Islamic Spain
reached its apex in Moorish art
and architecture.

18. • A massive buttress stone wall
forms compound of which a half at
the kiblah end forms a covered
prayer hall which has arcades
parallel to the main axis
• The incorrect southward
orientation as at quairouan is
evidence that architect was
Syrian
• The lower arches in the arcades
are of horseshoe form with
voussoirs of alternating colors
out lining the lower profile of the
stilted voids of the upper arches

19. UMMAYAD MOSQUE
(GRAND MOSQUE OF DAMASCUS)
• The Ummayad Mosque, also known
as the Grand Mosque of Damascus
is one of the largest and oldest
mosques in the world it is of great
architectural importance.
• The prayer hall consists of three
aisles, supported by columns in
the Corinthian order. It was one
of the first mosques to have such
a shape and this way, the visitors
could see the mihrab, the alcove
indicating the direction of Mecca
and each other more easily

20. • The interior of the mosque is mainly
plain white although it contains some
fragmentary mosaics and other
geometric patterns. It is thought that
the mosque used to have the largest
golden mosaic in the world, at over
4.000 m².
• This is thought to represent Paradise
for the faithful Muslim.
• Both the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem
and The Great Mosque of Damascus
used the Syrian cut-stone technique of
building and popularized the use of
the dome.

21. • Two main materials were used for
cladding: fusayfusa‘s mosaic and
marble.
• The fusayfusa‘s fragments were mixed
with colored glass particles and others
of gold and silver leaf covered glass in
addition bits of stone and marble
between to create a unique reflective
material that sparkled its geometric
and floral patterns.
• The fusayfusa‘s was originally used to
cover the top parts of the walls on both
the interior and exterior sides in the
haram, riwaqs, the arches and
undersides of the vaults. The painterly
constructed patterns formed scenic
panels that symbolized the magnificent
natural landscapes of Damascus
Window of Umayyad

22. •Heavily veined marble was used to clad the lower parts of
the walls, as it is a stronger, more enduring material than
the mother of pearl mosaics.
•The veins of the marble were used to create patterns
because of the way that the panels were joined and
attached to the wall about 4 meters above the ground.
• Textual inscriptions filled the gaps between these
materials and ornaments, and added another layer of
detail to the artful walls

23. MADRASSA
• Madrassa of qaitbay , cairo it
survived completely and fully
restored
• A slender minaret reduces from the
square to the octagon and than to
the circle an open colonnade on which
stands the high shouldered dome
• The external surface of the dome is
deeply carved with vars intertwined
with floral arabesques and interior
of the tomb is clam , with simple
ashlar surfaces

24. MADRASSA OF SULTAN
•The prayer place was
substantially enlarge by
the creation of a centeral
nave with site aisles so that
virtually a mosque in it self
•The plan of tomb chamber is
square An octagonal set
with in it carries a dome
originally constructed of
wood

25. • The whole interior is lavishly and brilliantly detailed with
geometric inlays , rich stucco work and ornamentation and
gilded friezes surmounted by inlay within the dome

26. ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE TODAY

27. • THANK – YOU
FROM :-
HIMANI SHEKHAWAT
KRUTIKA PATEL
JAYDEEP ODEDRA