Islamic Architecture

Social Influence

• reflection of religious practices

• muslim homes feature enclosed courtyards

• Mosques are designed to facilitate communal worship

  • Prayer halls

  • Mihrab

  • Minarets

Jami

principal mosque used as the main place of worship especially for friday prayers

Medrese

• religious college often attached to a mosque

• otherwise known as “Madrasa”

Masjid

• general term for mosque

• place of worship for muslims

Serai

palace or grand residences

Mihrab

• a niche in the wall of a mosque that oriented towards the direction of Mecca (qibla direction)

• used for prayer

Mimber (Minbar)

raised platform or pulpit for delivering sermons and announcements

Iwan

large vaulted hall or open fronted vaulted space facing a courtyard

Bab

gateway or entrance to a building or complex

Sahn

courtyard of a mosque often surrounded by arcades

Minaret

tower from which the call to prayer (adhan) is made

Harem

private or women’s quarters in a house or palace

Qibla (Kibla)

direction of mecca towards which muslims pray

Selamik

• men’s or guests quarters

• separate from the harem

Taj Mahal

• dedicated to the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal

• perfect symmetry and emits a sense of peace and harmony

• walls are covered in calligraphy

• four minarets and used white stone, red sandstone, and white marble

• dome is a symbolic representation of the vault of heaven

Dome of the rock

• oldest existing Islamic monuments; a shrine in Jerusalem

• Prophet Muhammad was taken up into heaven to meet God

• texts from Qur’an are ingrained on the interior and exterior

• mosaic changed to ceramic

Friday Mosque

• known as Masjid-e Jameh of Isfahan

• a place where Muslims gather and pray during Friday

• one of the first uses of the four-iwan layout in Persian Mosque

• central courtyard served as the communal area

Mimar Sinan

• most influential architect in Islamic Ottoman History

• works were inspired and influenced by the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul

• wanted to build a mosque greater than the Hagia Sophia in size and beauty

  • Built Suleymaniye Mosque

Suleymaniye Mosque

• many scholars consider this to be one of Mimar Sinan’s finest works

• based on Hagia Sophia

• one of the largest mosques built in the ottoman empire

• has a large social complex with madrasahs, hospital, etc.

Ustad Ahmad Lahori

• court architect, engineer, and master mason

• Ustad = master or teacher

• architectural style involves a combination of indo-islamic and persian architecture

  • built Taj Mahal

Abu Zakariya Yahya al-Sahili

• andalusian scholar, poet, and master builder

• introduced islamic architectural styles to West Africa

• chief architect under Mali Emperor Mansa Musa

• Blended Andalusian Islamic and local African building

  traditions

  • built Great Mosque of Djenne