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Ibn Asakir: The Pact of Umar

The Pact of Umar was a list of rights that gave protection in conquered cities to Christians and Jews (dhimmis). The pat was drawn after the conquest of Damascus and promised certain freedoms to the dhimmis for behavior and discretion.

Nasir-i Khusraw: A Description of Kaaba

This is an account of an eyewitness' description of the Haram Mosque and Kaaba he mentions the black stone corner and the textile covering (kiswa). He describes the seven gates on the exterior as well as the interior detailing things like columns, use of marble, silver mihrabs, planks from Noah's arc.

Dome of the Rock Inscriptions

One of the highest and most visible points in the city that had preexisting religious significance (place where Abraham was going to sacrifice his son). It is the earliest surviving Islamic work of architecture and contains the earliest bands of inscription, mostly consisting of Quranic passages.

Al-Baladhuri: How the Muslim Community Obtained the Site for the Mosque of Damascus

Al-Baladhuri relates the story of how the Muslim community of Damascus wished to demolish the church of St.John to build a new house of worship. He says that tried to purchase the church, however it was rejected twice and a caliph eventually deemed demolition.

Ibn Shaddad: On Rusafa

Rusafa was a Syrian city adopted and rebuilt by an Umayyad caliph. The city housed great water tanks that stored rainwater inside the waterless desert.

Al-Masudi: On the Founding of Samarra

An account of why the Abbasid caliph decided to quit Baghdad and search for a better site for his palace. The fiat city became overcrowded and the residents began complaining about the abuse of power from soldiers.

Kitab al-hadaya wa al-tuhaf: A Reception of Byzantine Ambassadors in Baghdad

The Fatimid author tells how two envoys went from Byzantine court to the Abbasid count to ransom Byzantines who had been taken prisoner/negotiate a peace treaty. They were smothered with opulence and wealth of the Abbasid court.

Ibn Idhari: On the Mosque of Cordoba

A description of the various stages of construction of the Great Mosque of Cordoba, it was at first a christian church, however it was purchased and demolished to build the mosque. They built a garden, courtyard, and a minaret.

Abd al Rahman I: Ode to a Palm Tree

A poem about an exiled Umayyad-Hispano caliph driven out of Syria by the Abbasids and his longing for his Syrian roots. It represents the hybrid culture of Umayyad Cordoba.

Ibn Ghalib: On the Construction of Madinat al-Zahra

Accounts of the construction of the great Umayyad palace city, Madinat al-Zahra. It details the splendor/majesty, as well as the accounting-material/labor cost of the project.

The Quran: On Paradise

The Quran depicts paradise as a garden with four flowing rivers and ripe fruit. This could be the written explanation of why there are four-part, cross-axial garden plans- essentially they were used to compare a garden to the paradise's beauty.

Mufaddal ibn Abi al Fada'il: On the Fatimid Processions to the Four Mosques

In the city of Cairo, the Shi'a Fatimids used a public display to position themselves in power over the Sunni population. They began parading on Successive Fridays to one of the four congregational mosques. Through this parade they were able to merge religion with politics and secular power.

Trabeated

Vertical columns holding up horizontal roof

Hajj

Muslim makes the trip to Mecca

Hypostyle

vertical columns, enclosed space, oriented towards mecca

Circumambulation

the act of walking around a sacred object or place

Mihrab

a marker—usually an arched niche—that identifies the qibla wall as the wall closest to Mecca

Minbar

small set of steps in front of the qibla wall, stood on to amplify voice over

Dhimmi

non-Muslims who lived in an Islamic state and were protected by law

Sunni

insist on the legitimacy of the Umayyad line

Shi'i

insist on the legitimacy of the prophet's line, through Ali and Fatima

Ambulatory

a semi-circular aisle that wraps itself around a central space

Kufic script

earliest extant Islamic style of handwritten alphabet

Spolia

the practice of reusing architectural elements from older structures in new construction

Nave

the central part of a church/mosque building

Cardo & Decumanus

cross axial street, cardo is vertical axis, decumanus is horizontal axis

Arcuated

arched

Khan / Caravanserai

small residential block that offered food, shelter, and water to travelers & merchants

Chahar Bagh

a garden that is divided into quadrants

Apse

a large niche

Merlon

solid portions of wall that alternate with empty spaces and together cap a wall

Iwan

a vaulted hall, closed at one end and open at the other

Noria

water wheel, pulled by an animal or propelled by a river or stream

Qanat

Underground aqueduct, leads from under a mountain to a city

Shaduf

a hand-operated device used to lift water from a body of water to land

Wadi

seasonal stream

Haram

reserved, private or sacred area

Iwan

like a hallway open on one end, usually arched overhead

Nine-Bay Mosque Type

a square-shaped mosque with four columns dividing the space into nine bays

Horseshoe Arch

a curved arch that widens at the top and narrows at the bottom, resembling the shape of a horseshoe

Voussoir

wedge shaped blocks used in an arch

Muezzin

the person who calls the faithful to prayer five times daily

Maqsura

A barrier around the mihrab (and possibly minbar) to protect the prince

Mirador

tower attached to a building and providing an extensive view

Ziyada

the outer enclosure of a mosque

Lustre Tile

type of metallic overglaze applied to ceramic and glass

Muqarnas

small curved niches stacked to create a honeycomb effect

Hadith

Sayings of the Prophet and reports based on observation of him and his practices

Skewed Façade

a façade that does not align with the building interior

Keel Arch

arch with straight sides that curve over the dome's shoulder and then flatten out again as they reach the apex of the dome

Mashhad

a shrine or commemorative mosque

Umayyad

7th-8th century

Abbasid Dynasty

8th-13th century

Hispano-Umayyad Dynasty

8th-11th century

Tulunid Dynasty

9th-10th century

Aghlabid Dynasty

9th-10th century

Fatimid Dynasty

10th-12th century