ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

ISLAMIC
ARCHITECTURE
Culture & Built Form

● Comparative analysis of Mosque constructed
in Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties.
● Prepare the comparative analysis of the listed
buildings constructed in Umayyad and
Abbasid time.
Contents of This
Assignment

Table of Contents
Umayyad
Mosque in
Damascus
01
Great
Mosque
of Samara
Great
Mosque of
Cordoba
03 04 05
Great
Mosque of
Isfahan
Palace of
Alhambra
02 06
Dome Of
Rock
Jerusalem

TITLE DESCRIPTION
‫ﮎ‬ Timeline 715 AD
‫ﮎ‬ Developed under Dynasty Umayyad Dynasty
‫ﮎ‬ City of Development Old city of Damascus
‫ﮎ‬ Typology of Building Rectangular in shape
‫ﮎ‬ Construction Style Umayyad architecture
‫ﮎ‬ Identifying the feature
The mosque was built on the site of a
Christian basilica dedicated to John the
Baptist, honored as a prophet by
Christians and Muslims.
A legend dating to the sixth century
holds that the building contains the
head of John the Baptist.
‫ﮎ‬ Material used Stone, marble, tile, mosaic

• Unsurprisingly, once Christianity was widely adopted in the eastern part of
the Roman Empire, the temple to Jupiter was once again converted, this
time into a cathedral dedicated to John the Baptist.
• This church is attributed to the Emperor Theodosius in 391 C.E.
• The exact location of the church is unknown, but it is thought to have been
in the western part of the temenos.
• It was probably one of the largest churches in the Christian world and
served as a major center of Christianity until 636 C.E. when the city was
once again conquered, this time by Muslim Arabs.
• Damascus was a key city, as it provided access to the sea and to the desert.
• When it was clear that the city was going to fall, the defeated Christians and
conquering Muslims negotiated the city’s surrender.
• The Muslims agreed to respect the lives, property and churches of the
Christians.
• Christians retained control of their cathedral, although Muslim worshippers
reportedly used the southern wall of the compound when they prayed
towards Mecca.
Brief

TITLE DESCRIPTION
‫ﮎ‬ Developed under Dynasty Abbasid dynasty
‫ﮎ‬ City of Development Samarra Archaeological City ,Iraq
‫ﮎ‬ Construction Style Abbasid architecture
‫ﮎ‬ Typology of Building A spiralling cone wide with a spiral ramp.
The Malwiya Tower, is a spiraling cone 52
meters (171 ft) high and 33 meters (108 ft)
wide with a spiral ramp.
‫ﮎ‬ Material used
Baked bricks & Clay walls were paneled
with mosaics of dark blue glass.

• The Great Mosque of Samarra was, for a time, the largest mosque in the world; its minaret,
the Malwiya Tower, is a spiraling cone 52 meters (171 ft) high and 33 meters (108 ft) wide
with a spiral ramp. The reign of al-Mutawakkil had a great effect on the appearance of the
city, for he seemed to have been a lover of architecture, and the one responsible for
building the great Mosque of Samarra.
• In a list of his building projects which appears in several different versions, the new
Congregational Mosque and up to twenty palaces are mentioned, totaling between 258 and
294 million dirhams.
• The new Congregational Mosque, with its spiral minaret, built between 849 (235 AH) and
851 (235 AH), formed part of an extension of the city to the east, extending into the old
hunting park.
• The mosque itself was destroyed in 1278 (656 AH) after Hulagu Khan’s invasion of Iraq.
• Only the outer wall and its minaret remain.
• "The Twisted Minaret" or "The Snail Shell Minaret" was originally connected to the mosque
by a bridge. The height of the Malwiyyah made it practical to be used for the adhan (call to
prayer).
• It is visible from a considerable distance in the area around Samarra and therefore may have
been designed as a strong visual statement of the presence of Islam in the Tigris Valley.
• The minaret's unique spiral design is said by some to be derived from the architecture of
the Mesopotamian ziggurats.
Brief

Plan of Great Mosque of Samara

View of Great Mosque of Samara

Sketch of Great Mosque of Samara

TITLE DESCRIPTION
‫ﮎ‬ Timeline 16th century AD
‫ﮎ‬ Developed under
Dynasty
European Moors [Umayyad]
‫ﮎ‬ City of Development Andalusia, Spain
‫ﮎ‬ Typology of Building
The horseshoe-style arch was common in
the architecture of the Visigoths
‫ﮎ‬ Construction Style Moorish, Renaissance
The building is most notable for its
arcaded hypostyle hall, with 856 columns
Jasper, Onyx, Marble, Granite &
Porphyry

• In planning the mosque, the architects incorporated several Roman columns with choice
capitals. Some of the columns were already in the Gothic structure; others were sent
from various regions of Iberia as presents from the governors of provinces.
• Ivory, jasper, porphyry, gold, silver, copper, and brass were used in the decorations.
• Marvelous mosaics and azulejos were designed.
• Panels of scented woods were fastened with nails of pure gold, and the red marble
columns were said to be the work of God.
• The primitive part of the building, erected under the direction of Abd al-Rahman I., was
that which borders the Court of Oranges. Later, the immense temple embodied all the
styles of Morisco architecture into one composition. The Great Mosque of Córdoba held
a place of importance amongst the Islamic community of Al-Andalus for three centuries. In
Córdoba, the capital, the Mosque was the heart and central focus of the city.
• Muhammad Iqbal described its hypostyle as having "countless pillars like rows of palm
trees in the oases of Syria".
• To the people of Al-Andalus "the beauty of the mosque was so dazzling that it defied any
description. “It served as a central prayer hall for personal devotion, the five daily Muslim
prayers and the special Friday prayers.
• The Great Mosque of Córdoba exhibited features and an architectural appearance like the
Umayyad Mosque of Damascus, which may have been used as a model.
Brief

Plan of Great Mosque of Cordoba

Detailed plan of Great Mosque of
Cordoba

Sketch of
Great Mosque
of Cordoba

TITLE DESCRIPTION
‫ﮎ‬ Timeline 685 AD and 691 AD
Dynasty
Abbasid dynasty
‫ﮎ‬ City of Development Jerusalem, Israel
martyria—typically circular or polygonal shrines
erected to mark the graves of saints or to
commemorate events.
‫ﮎ‬ Construction Style
an early stage in the emergence of a distinct Islamic
visual style as a shrine.
The outer walls repeat this octagon, each of the
eight sides being approximately 60 feet (18 m) wide
and 36 feet (11 m) high.
Both the dome and the exterior walls contain many
windows.
brass plates, gilt, while its floors and its walls and
the drum are ornament-ted with marble and
mosaics".

Brief
• Among the world's most splendid monuments the Dome of the Rock, in the center
of the Temple area, Jerusalem, ranks high. Its beauty is etched deeply in the memory
of all who have seen it: the dome, soaring into Palestine's blue sky, the colonnades,
rich in marble and mosaics, the colors, the grace, the whole wonderful shrine that
for a thousand years and more has stood on the rocky summit of Mount Moriah
gleaming in sunshine like a "dome of many-colored glass".
• Within the building are three concentric colonnades, with columns of the most
beautiful marble, polished, and above is a low vaulting; within these again is the
central hall over the rock; the hall is circular, not octagonal, and is surrounded by
columns of polished marble, supporting round arches.
• Built above these, and rising high into the air, is the drum, in which are large
openings; and over the drum is the Dome.
• The Dome from the floor up to the pinnacle, which rises into the air, is in height
100 cubits, and, from afar off, you may perceive on the summit of the Dome its
beautiful pinnacle, the size of which is a fathom and a span.
• The Dome externally is completely covered with brass plates, gilt, while the building
itself, its floors and its walls, and the drum, are ornament-ted with marble and
mosaics.

Plan of Dome Of Rock In Jerusalem

Sketch of Dome Of Rock In Jerusalem

TITLE DESCRIPTION
‫ﮎ‬ Timeline 1070 and 1075AD
‫ﮎ‬ Developed under Dynasty Umayyad Dynasty
‫ﮎ‬ City of Development Isfahan, Iraq
a hypostyle mosque, the layout is arranged
around a large open courtyard
‫ﮎ‬ Construction Style Safavid Persian
The two gateways (iwans) on the sides leads
one's attention to the main gateway at the far
end, the only one with minarets, and behind it
the lofty dome, with its colorful ornamentation.
The distinct feature of any mosque is the
minaret.
‫ﮎ‬ Material used The Addition Of Muqarnas, Glazed Tilework

• This is one of the oldest mosques still standing in Iran, and it was built in the four-
iawn architectural style, placing four gates face to face.
• An iwan is a vaulted open room.
• The qibla iwan on the southern side of the mosque was vaulted
with muqarnas during the 13th century. Muqarnas are niche-like cells.
Construction under the Seljuqs included the addition of two brick domed
chambers, for which the mosque is renowned.
• The south dome was built to house the mihrab in 1086–87 by Nizam al-Mulk, the
famous vizier of Malik Shah, and was larger than any dome known at its time. The
north dome was constructed a year later by Nizam al-Mulk's rival Taj al-Mulk.
• The function of this domed chamber is uncertain. Although it was situated along
the north–south axis, it was located outside the boundaries of the mosque.
• The dome was certainly built as a direct riposte to the earlier south dome, and
successfully so, claiming its place as a masterpiece in Persian architecture for its
structural clarity and geometric balance.
• Iwans were also added in stages under the Seljuqs, giving the mosque its current
four-iwan form, a type which subsequently became prevalent in Iran and the rest
of the Islamic world.
Brief

Detailed plan of Great Mosque of
Isfahan

Sketch of Great Mosque of Isfahan

TITLE DESCRIPTION
Dynasty
(Nasrid Dynasty) Abbasid dynasty
‫ﮎ‬ City of Development Granada, Andalusia, Spain
‫ﮎ‬ Typology of Building Andalusian architecture (Palace)
‫ﮎ‬ Construction Style Constructed in the Renaissance style within the walled city
Moorish poets described it as "a pearl set in emeralds", an
allusion to the color of its buildings and the woods around
them.
The palace complex was designed with the mountainous
site in mind and many forms of technology were
considered.
The name Alhambra, signifying in Arabic “the red,” is
probably derived from the reddish color of rammed earth.
The lace-like quality of the walls were created using stucco
and carving.

• The decoration consists for the upper part of the walls, as a rule, of Arabic
inscriptions—mostly poems by Ibn Zamrak and others praising the palace—that
are manipulated into geometrical patterns with vegetal background set onto
an arabesque setting ("Ataurique").
• Much of this ornament is carved stucco (plaster) rather than stone.
• Tile mosaics ("alicatado"), with complicated mathematical patterns ("tracería",
most precisely "lacería"), are largely used as paneling for the lower part.
• Metal was also not present very mainly.
• Similar designs are displayed on wooden ceilings (Alfarje).
• Muqarnas are the main elements for vaulting with stucco, and some of the most
accomplished dome examples of this kind are in the Court of the Lions halls.
• The palace complex is designed in the Nasrid style, the last blooming of Islamic
Art in the Iberian Peninsula, that had a great influence on the Maghreb to the
present day, and on contemporary Mudejar Art, which is characteristic of
western elements reinterpreted into Islamic forms and widely popular during
the Reconquista in Spain.
• Column arcades, fountains with running water, and reflecting pools were used
to add to the aesthetic and functional complexity.
• In every case, the exterior was left plain and austere.
• Sun and wind were freely admitted.

• Blue, red, and a golden yellow, all somewhat faded through lapse of time and
exposure, are the colors chiefly employed.
• The name Alhambra means the red one or the red castle, which refers to the
sun-dried bricks that the outer wall is made of.
• The decoration within the palaces comes from the last great period of
Andalusian art in Granada. With little of the Byzantine influence of
contemporary Abbasid architecture, artists endlessly reproduced the same
forms and trends, creating a new style that developed over the course of the
Nasrid Dynasty.
• The Nasrids used freely all the stylistic elements that had been created and
developed during eight centuries of Muslim rule in the Peninsula, including the
Caliphate horseshoe arch, the Almohad sebka (a grid of rhombuses), the
Almoravid palm, and unique combinations of them, as well as innovations such
as stilted arches and muqarnas (stalactite ceiling decorations).
• Structurally, the design is simple and does not evince significant innovation.
While artistically pleasing it was until the reconquest structurally ad hoc and
reliant on the skills of subject artisans and workers.
• Columns and muqarnas appear in several chambers, and the interiors of
numerous palaces are decorated with arabesques and calligraphy.

A Timeline Works Fine
715 AD
851 AD 1600 AD
691 AD
Great Mosque
Of
Isfahan
Great Mosque
Of Cordoba
Umayyad
Mosque
Great Mosque
Of Samara
1075 AD
Palace Of
Alhambra
1238 AD
Dome Of Rock
In Jerusalem

Map locating Mosque
UMAYYAD MOSQUE IN DAMASCUS
GREAT MOSQUE OF SAMARA
GREAT MOSQUE OF CORDOBA
GREAT MOSQUE OF ISFAHAN
PALACE OF ALHAMBRA
DOME OF ROCK IN JERUSALEM

CONCLUSION
DEVELOPED
UNDER
DYNASTY
CITY OF
DEVELOPMENT
CONSTRUCTION
STYLE
• Umayyad
Mosque
Umayyad Dynasty
Old city of
Damascus
Umayyad
architecture
• Great Mosque
Of Samara
Abbasid dynasty Iraq
Abbasid
architecture
• Great Mosque
Of Cordoba
European Moors
[Umayyad]
Andalusia, Spain Moorish,
Renaissance
• Dome Of Rock
In Jerusalem
Abbasid dynasty Jerusalem, Israel
Islamic visual style
as a shrine
• Great Mosque
Of
Isfahan
Umayyad Dynasty Iraq Safavid Persian
• Palace Of
Alhambra
Nasrid Dynasty
(Abbasid dynasty)
Spain
Renaissance
style

CONCLUSION IDENTIFYING THE FEATURE MATERIAL USED
• Umayyad
Mosque
Christian basilica dedicated to John the Baptist,
honored as a prophet by Christians and
Muslims
Stone, marble, tile, mosaic
• Great Mosque
Of Samara
The Malwiya Tower, is a spiraling cone 52
meters (171 ft) high and 33 meters (108 ft)
wide with a spiral ramp.
Baked bricks & Clay walls ,
mosaics of dark blue glass.
• Great Mosque
Of Cordoba
The building is most notable for its
arcaded hypostyle hall, with 856 columns
Jasper, Onyx, Marble,
Granite & Porphyry
• Dome Of Rock
In Jerusalem
The outer walls repeat this octagon, each of
the eight sides being approximately (18 m)
wide and (11 m) high. Both the dome and the
exterior walls contain many windows
brass plates, gilt,
ornament-ted with marble
and mosaics".
• Great Mosque
Of Isfahan
the main gateway at the far end, the only one
with minarets, and behind it the lofty dome,
with its colorful ornamentation.
Muqarnas,
Glazed Tilework
• Palace Of
Alhambra
The palace complex was designed with the
mountainous site in mind and many forms of
technology were considered.
signifying in Arabic “the
red,’, derive from the
reddish rammed earth,
Stucco work

Thanks
‫آ‬
‫شکریہ‬ ‫کا‬ ‫پ‬

ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

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