Gujarat provincial architecture developed between 1300-1572 AD under the Ahmad Shahi Sultan dynasty. Major developments included the Jami Masjid of Bharuch (early 14th century) which incorporated elements of demolished Hindu temples. The Jami Masjid of Cambay (1325) showed Delhi influences. The peak was the Jami Masjid of Ahmedabad (1423) with its 300 pillars and domed roof. Other notable structures included the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque for its intricate stone jali screens and the leaning Jhulta Minarets of Ahmedabad.

1. GUJRAT
(1300 AD - 1572 AD)
PROVINCIAL ARCHITECTURE

2. PROVINCIAL ARCHITECTURE: GUJRAT (1300- 1572 AD)
INTRODUCTION-
 Started when Khilji Dynasty established their governors in
the region.
 Included Bombay presidency with Ahmedabad towards
center.
 Ruled by Ahmad Shahi Sultans- these were powerful rulers
and desired to surround themselves with material
evidences of their might.
 Architecture was independent until the Ahmad Shahi
dynasty fallen down to Mughals.
 Amalgamated Hindu and Islamic architecture.
REASONS FOR GOOD ARCHITECTURE-
 Got most accomplished artisans of india in their
region.
 Unrivalled aesthetic resources in their region.
MAJOR PERIODS OF THE STYLE
 First period (14th cent.)
 Second period (15th cent.)
 Third period (1550- 16th cent.)
MAP OF SHIFT TO GUJRAT

3. FIRST PERIOD (first half of 14th cent. A.D.)
 Transition phase of demolition of temples
followed by reconversion of building
materials.
 Buildings don’t have definite character
because of having formative and
experimental appearance.
 Materials of Hindu temples were used.
 Walls were built of original masonry while
pillars would be used as they were.
 Ex- Jami masjid, Bharuch, Jami masjid,
Cambay.
JAMI MASJID, BHARUCH
PLAN OF JAMI MASJID, BHARUCH
 Planned and constructed as per mosque principles was largely
made of parts of temple.
 Courtyard in center, surrounded with three gateways.
 The sanctuary is open pillared structure like a verandah.
 The 48 pillars of sanctuary are bracketed and divide the sanctuary
in three parts.
 Square sunk coffer ceilings are decorated with cusped and other
geometric patterns.
MIHRAB
SANCTUARY
GATEWAY
COURTYARD
N

4.  The walls surrounding the sanctuary are cut out of stone for
construction. Hence, the earliest example of stone masonry.
 The three mihrabs on west wall and stone traceried windows are built
in indigenous manner.
 The Islamic pointed arch is introduced under lintel in mihrab.
 Sanctuary roof consists of beams supporting 3 large and 10 smaller
domes.
ISLAMIC POINTED ARCH
MIHRAB
JAMI MASJID, CAMBAY-  Built in the year 1325 A.D.
 Local artisans were reinforced by a group of artisans from Delhi to build this
structure.
 The sanctuary of the mosque has an enclosed facade with a screen of
arches.
 The shape and position of the arches, the masonry consisting of alternate
broad and narrow courses.
 The overall architectural treatment is reminiscent of the architectural style
of Delhi under the Khilji dynasty.
 The arrangement of pillars inside the archways of the facade borrowed
from the Ajmer type of mosque.
 The pillars have been enriched by an engrailed arch similar to one found
in temples, a motif which later figures prominently as the flying arch within
the central openings of mosque facades in Gujarat.
 On south side of mosque is burial tomb, square in shape and built of
marble.PLAN
SANCTUARY

5. JAMI MASJID, CAMBAY
JAMBS CROWNED WITH POINTED FINIALS.
 Facade of liwan composed of
blank screen walls consisting one
large central arch and two
smaller subsidiary arches.
THE PILLARS HAVE BEEN ENRICHED BY AN ENGRAILED ARCH SIMILAR
TO ONE FOUND IN TEMPLES, A MOTIF WHICH LATER FIGURES
PROMINENTLY AS THE FLYING ARCH WITHIN THE CENTRAL OPENINGS
OF MOSQUE FACADES IN GUJRAT.
 The eastern gateway in the middle of
eastern cloisters is re- erected temple
portico with a dome added on for
Islamic effect.

6. THERE ARE 14 DOMES THAT
CONSTITUTE THE INTERIOR OF
LIWAN.
THE CLOISTERS THAT DEFINE THE COURTYARD
ON THREE SIDES ARE FORMED BY FLAT ROOF
AISLES AND A SERIES OF TWENTY- ONE
DOMES OVER OCTAGONAL COLUMN BAYS.
 The main sanctuary contains one
hundred pillars supporting the roof
that were evidently taken from
Hindu and Jain temples.

7. INTERIOR VIEW OF SANCTUARY

8. SECOND PERIOD- (FIRST HALF OF 15TH CENT. A.D. )
 Art approaching early consummation with slightly
tentative quantities.
 Designing of buildings got more directional and
assured.
 Also known as Ahmad Shahi period.
 Ex- Jami Masjid, Ahmedabad.
JAMI MASJID, AHMEDABAD-
 Built by Sultan Ahmad Shah in 1423.
 Most of the architectural effect is concentrated in
sanctuary.
A. PRAYER ROOM
B. SANCTUARY(300 PILLARS)
C. ZENANA
 Sanctuary consists of around 300 slender pillars, closely
set at an average intercolumniation of 5'.
 The columns are symmetrically arranged to form 15
bays across the long axis of the hall.
 Each is surmounted by a dome and connected to the
next through a columned interspace.
 Columns are symmetrically arranged to form 15 bays
across the long axis of hall.
PLAN
W

9. SANCTUARY EXTERIOR-
 Combination of two types of sanctuary facades, the
screen of arches and the pillared portico.
 The screen is on center and portico on wings.
 The juxtaposition of the two elements creates contrast
between the volume and strength of the wall surface and
the depth and airy lightness of the colonnade.
 The large central archway has large moulded buttresses of
minarets on either side.
 Two smaller archways are placed on either side of the
central one.
 Directly visible through the archway is the colonnade of
the interior with its engrailed arch springing lightly from its
slender columns.SANCTUARY EXTERIOR
SECTION
SANCTUARY INTERIOR-
 The sanctuary is a hypostyle hall of 64 mX30 m.
 It consists of 300 slender pillars, closely set at an average
intercolumniation of 1.6m.
 The columns are symmetrically arranged to form 15 bays
across the long axis of the hall, each surmounted by a
dome.
 The central compartment of the nave rises up to 3 storeys,
the side aisles are 2 storeys and the rest of the hall is single
storeyed.
 Nave is composed of two pillared galleries one above the
other.

10.  Liwan is roofed by a large corbelled dome resting over an octagonal ring of column.
 Each of the facades is filled with panels of jaalis and the domed roof adds on the Islamic character
to interior as well as façade.
 The open grills of the dome made the central bay an open shaft generating cool currents in the air
to counter hot climate of Ahmedabad.
 The balconies provided a sufficiently private zenana for the ladies and each overlooking balcony is
provided with aasana or a sloping backed seat.
 Around the exterior of balconies are pillared verandahs and in the arcade between the pillars are
the stone jaalis through which the galleries are illuminated.

11. SIDI SAIYYED MOSQUE
• It was constructed by Sidi Saeed or Sidi Saiyyed who was
basically a sultan in Shams-Ud- Din Muzaffar Shah’s army.
• The front of the mosque is actually fairly simple with two
minarets on the northern and southern extremities (the
minarets have fallen now and only the base exists).
• Completely arcuated and gained recognition due to its
amazingly carved windows having ten stoned
latticework around the rear archesdows representing the
style of Indo-Saracenic type referred to as 'jali'.
• Just when it was getting completed, Ahmedabad fell to
the Mughals, and the last window in the center of the
back wall was left without a jali.
• The walls of rear are filled with stones which are square
shaped as well as pierced panels spotted in geometrical
designs.
• It comprises of ten windows in the semi circular shape
which appear to be quite appealing as they are
accentuated by the beautiful mesh which covers them.
• There are a total of eight arched windows which are
adorned with stone carved intricate jalis.
• There are majestic floral designs accompanied by
architectural works formed in a unique way which
distinguishes this mosque from others.
PANORAMIC VIEW OF SIDI SAIYYED MOSQUE
JALIS OF SIDI SAIYYYED MOSQUE

12. • In the western walls of liwan, jali infill panels in arched aperture
were inserted.
• The usual appearance of the mosque is depicted by the yellow
color, which is commonly found in the shrines found in the vicinity.
THE SCREEN IN THE MOSQUE
THOUGH USAGE OF FIGURATIVE
ELEMENTS IS ANIMATED BY A
SENSUALITY THAT BELONGS ONLY
TO A FEMALE HUMAN FORM
There are two bays which flank the central aisle having stone slabs
reticulated in a style of intertwined trees along with palm motif and
foliage.
FOR EXPRESSING THE
SENSUOUSNESS THE ARTIST HAS
CHOSEN THE INTERTWINING
TRUNKS, BRANCHES, LEAVES OF
PLANTS AND TREES AS HIS
SUBJECT
W
PLAN OF SIDI SAIYYED MOSQUE
Eight square piers supporting the arches from
the interior of the mosque, four visible from
one side.
SECTION

13. JHULTA MINARAS
• Built in Ahmedabad (Gujrat), mainly known for its unique
architecture.
• This pair of minarets is a part of Siddi Bashir mosque.
• The minarets start swinging if a little pressure is applied on any one
side of mosque.
• The reason for such building may be that to avoid falling of
minarets due to earthquakes.
• Each of the minaret is three storey tall and is intricately carved.
• The minarets have stone balconies and are probably 22 m high.
• The vibrations at the base of minarets gets amplified and
transmitted through air tunnels between the two towers resulting
in shaking of the other one.
• No trembling occurs in the passageway between two minarets.
THE JHULTA MINARETS

14. THIRD PERIOD- (Second half of 15th cent. A.D.)
 This is the most magnificent aspect of the style.
 Most of the development in this phase happened under
Sultan Mahmud I Begarha (1458-1511).
 Mahmud Begarha-I founded three main cities Bitwa,
Mehmudabad and Champaner.
 Major ex- Jami Masjid, Champaner.
JAMI MASJID, CHAMPANER
86.4m
57.6 M
 Built with the Jami Masjid at Ahmedabad as model except
on a smaller scale.
 The entire structure is a rectangle of 270' X 180'. A bit less
than half the space is taken up by the sanctuary.
 The entire structure is rectangle and the courtyard is
surrounded by a range of arched cloisters, one aisle deep.
 The entrance pavilion projects from the center of each of
the north, south and east cloisters.
 Sanctuary facade is of enclosed type containing 5 pointed
archways with two slender minarets flanking the central
opening.
 Sanctuary is a pillared hall, total mosque measuring 86.4 m
X 57.6 m, containing 176 pillars.
 The women’s chamber is placed at the northern end
of the transept.
 Each storey is accessed by a staircase in the minarets.
 Around the galleries are provided stone seats with
sloping backs.
PLAN
N

15. SECTION
 The nave rises to 65' in height through 3 storeys and
covered by a dome.
 The second floor is restricted to a large pillared gallery with
an octagonal well.
 The ornamentation of the minarets is restricted to their
buttress like bases, with the five stages above left mostly
unadorned.
 The level of the first floor is continuous with the roof of the
rest of the building, forming a wide terrace for
circumambulation among the cupolas with a square well
above the nave.
The ornamentation of the minarets is restricted to their
buttress like bases, with the five stages above left mostly
unadorned.
On the whole, the frontal screen is more or less economically
treated, relieved only by 3 oriel windows, one above the
central arch and two on the minarets.
VIEW OF FACADE

16. VIEW OF MOSQUE FROM SOUTH

17. VIEW OF ABOVE FROM OCTAGONAL OPENING IN CENTER