Islamic Art & Architecture (Unit 7): Forms, Functions, and Meaning

Early Islamic architecture

Architecture of the early Muslim community and empires that creates spaces for worship/community and communicates political-religious legitimacy by drawing on sacred history and the prestige of earlier empires (Roman/Byzantine/Persian).

Architectural plan

The layout/organization of a building’s spaces; in Islamic monuments, plan is closely tied to function (e.g., communal prayer vs shrine) and to how viewers move through the structure.

Qibla

The direction of Mecca, which determines the orientation of worship in a mosque.

Qibla wall

The wall of a mosque that faces the qibla (toward Mecca).

Mihrab

A niche in the qibla wall that visually marks the direction of Mecca; primarily a directional marker rather than simply “where the imam stands.”

Minbar

A pulpit, often stepped, used for delivering the sermon (especially for Friday prayer).

Minaret

A tower associated with the call to prayer; its form and use vary by region and time.

Hypostyle hall

A large hall supported by many columns (“forest of columns”); useful in mosques because it can be expanded by adding more bays.

Spolia

Reused architectural elements (like columns) taken from earlier structures; practical and also symbolic because it embeds a new monument in the material history/prestige of the region.

Dome of the Rock

Umayyad shrine/monument in Jerusalem (691–692 CE, commissioned by ʿAbd al-Malik) built over a sacred rock; not a congregational mosque and designed to assert Islamic presence/authority in a multi-faith sacred landscape.

Central-plan (centralized) building

A structure organized around a central focal point (often with surrounding ambulatory); associated with late antique/Byzantine imperial architecture and used in early Islamic contexts to signal prestige and monumentality.

Circumambulation

Ritual-like movement of walking around a central focal point; encouraged by the Dome of the Rock’s plan around the sacred rock (processional experience, though not identical to the Kaaba ritual).

Mosaic (early Islamic/Byzantine-linked technique)

Decorative technique using small pieces to create shimmering imagery; in early Islamic monuments, it often signals imperial prestige (a Byzantine craft) while being adapted to non-figural and inscriptional programs.

Arabic inscription program

Planned placement of Arabic text (often Qur’anic passages) in architecture; functions as theology and public statement—calligraphy as meaning, not just ornament.

Great Mosque of Córdoba (Mezquita)

Umayyad hypostyle congregational mosque in Islamic Spain (begun 784–786 CE; expanded later) commissioned by ʿAbd al-Rahman I to project Umayyad continuity/legitimacy; later converted into a Christian cathedral.

Double-tiered arches

Two-level arch system in Córdoba’s prayer hall that increases height using relatively short columns and creates a distinctive layered interior effect.

Horseshoe arch

Arch form that curves inward at the base; prominent in the Great Mosque of Córdoba and part of its recognizable structural/visual language.

Voussoirs

Wedge-shaped stones forming an arch; in Córdoba, alternating red-and-white voussoirs create a rhythmic pattern that turns structure into a visual signature.

Islamic calligraphy

The art of beautiful writing (especially Arabic); highly valued because Arabic is the language of the Qur’an, so inscribed text can make sacred words visible on manuscripts, buildings, and objects.

Kufic (angular script)

Broad term for early, blocky/angular Arabic script often seen in early Qur’ans and architectural inscriptions; reads as bold and architectural in appearance.

Geometric pattern

Interlacing lines and polygons that can extend infinitely; often associated with ideas of order, unity, and an underlying structure to creation.

Arabesque

Stylized vegetal scrollwork (vines, leaves, tendrils) emphasizing continuous growth and rhythmic repetition rather than naturalistic plant depiction.

Ardabil Carpet

Safavid monumental carpet (1539–1540, wool and silk) associated with a shrine context; shows technical virtuosity and how textiles can define sacred space and express patronage/devotion.

Süleymaniye Mosque

Ottoman imperial mosque complex in Istanbul (1550–1557) commissioned by Sultan Süleyman and designed by Mimar Sinan; uses a dominant central dome and semi-domes, controlled light, and tile/calligraphy programs to create a unified monumental worship space.

Persian miniature painting

Small-scale, highly detailed manuscript illustration (opaque watercolor/ink, sometimes gold) made for courtly books; emphasizes close viewing, patterned surfaces, and “stacked”/composite space rather than single-point Renaissance perspective.