Survey of Architectural History

Islamic Architecture

PRESENTED BY: Ar. Sumbal Kashif, Ar.Areeba Arshad

Philosophy of Islamic
Architecture
What is Philosophy?
Quite literally, the term "philosophy" means, "love
of wisdom."
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental
questions, such as those about existence, reason,
knowledge, principles, values, mind, and language.
It provides the justification of all these questions.
What is Islam?
--- Islam is a way of life for every Muslim where mankind submits their
selves in peace with the rest of Allah creation.
--- The central concept of Islam is tawhid or ‘unity’, ‘the unity of Allah’.
Tawhid is the absolute ‘oneness and uniqueness of God’ and rejects all
kinds of polytheism. Allah is unity and His Unity is reflected in the unity
of humankind, and unity of man and nature. It is humankind's
responsibility to maintain balance and harmony in order to maintain
unity.
--- In Islam all Muslim societies have to follow the code of
guidance(Shariah) revealed by Allah in His Book (Qur’an) and the
tradition of the prophet (Sunnah). Shariah prescribe directives for
various human activities such as religious ritual, personal behavior,
morality, habits, family relationship, social and economic affairs,
administration, the rights, and duties of citizens, the judicial system, the
laws of war and peace and international relations.
Islamic Architecture & its
Character

- It is generally defined as the building tradition of

the Muslim populations of the middle east and
any countries where Islam has been dominant from
the 7th Century on.
Another definition is,
“Islamic Architecture means architecture, which follows the Islamic
principle from Al Quran and Sunnah for the creation of built
environment.” Islamic beliefs have always shaped the ways that Muslims
built, not by outlining a set of rules on how to build, but rather through
the many instructions relating to values of privacy,
sustainability, safety, territoriality, rights of
neighbors, hospitality to guests, cleanliness, and so
on. Such instructions had a direct impact on the way that Muslims have
treated and configured their space.
“Islamic architecture is based on the concept of unity,
balance, and harmony that are the pillars of Islamic ethics. It
does not relate to certain religious monuments or element
of design but it relates to human culture, interaction,
comfort, and environment.”

“Islamic Architecture can be interpreted successfully if seen

against the background of Islam as social, religious and
political phenomenon. It identifies the special kind of
architecture that reflects the special qualities inherent in
Islam. These qualities set Islamic architecture apart from non
Islamic architecture.”
Provision of spaces according
to Islamic belief and traditions
Neighbor’s Rights:
The rule that “there must be neither harm nor the imposition of harm”
inhibits the self-inflicting of harm as well as causing harm to neighbors.
For example, the right to sunlight, air, and privacy is protected at all
times. Building higher than the neighbor is not allowed without
permission:
“and do not build higher than him (neighbour) to deny him the breeze,
unless with his permission” says an authentic ḥadīth.
Courtyard walls and windows were made higher than a camel rider
passing by to prevent him from looking into the house.
A courtyard house in Damascus, Syria. A courtyard house in Fez,
Morocco.
Sustainable Approach:
An important characteristic of Islamic architecture is its sustainability.
Islamic architecture aims to provide a suitable and comfortable
environment in which Muslims can carry out their duties as prescribed
by the Qurʾān. The Qurʾān, for example, declares that houses should be
made resting places:
“It is Allah Who made your habitations homes of rest and quiet for you“
(16:80).
--- Houses and mosques therefore, should provide comfort, calmness,
and healthy living, and should fulfill the needs of occupants. This also
requires good ventilation, lighting, and spaciousness.
--- The courtyard and terrace are among the first elements to provide
good lighting, ventilation, and cooling and acts as a sieve to purify the air
from all dust particles. It also cuts noise down from adjoining roads. It
traps warmth in winter and lowers the temperature of the intense heat in
the summer. The courtyard occupies the central space to which the
interior of the building opens.

Plan of typical traditional Islamic courtyard house in Tunisia

Source: Hakim; 1979 And the model of sheikh saeed
house, UAE (right) Source: Mahgob, 1997.
Due to these courtyards, external walls have no windows or openings,
apart from the entrance gate, thus securing greater privacy and reducing
the heat of the sun.
--- Other openings which are visible are screened by mashrabiya,
perforated plaster panels, used for privacy and to reduce the penetration
of solar radiation.

Traditional house in Basra-Iraq

Internal details of one room n the first floor facing the alleyway through the mashrabia
---Construction of the early
traditional Islamic houses
involve massive wall and roof
structures which provide high
thermal mass (act as a thermal
flask) and benefits protecting
inner environments form the
harsh long summers.
--- Badgir Sirdab System was
the cheap and environment
friendly system used in
traditional buildings in hot
climate areas. It is the air scoop
or tunnel from the roof to the
basement of the house, that
orients towards the prevailing
Badgirs, he Windcatchers on the
winds and direct air
Roof of an Old House in Yazd
movements inside the building.
Air Tunnel used in Cairo-Egypt,
Axonometric-section for the traditional Islamic house in Baghdad-Iraq showing
the specific privacy which the house offered for family and the grilled windows
for that as well as the massive construction which offered high thermal mass.
In addition to their domestic and social functions, these spaces provided
excellent ecological adaptation. The planting of these areas are additional
sources of ecological integration in which the natural environment is brought to
the building environment. The fountain in the courtyard and the pool in the
terrace (in modern houses) function as cooling systems in most Islamic
buildings, especially mosques and houses.

A house in Syria Assehemi house in old Islamic Cairo

Privacy and Modesty:
--- One of the striking feature of all Islamic architectural monuments is
their focus on the Enclosed space, on the inside as opposed to the
outside.
--- The exterior of the building is usually left simple and modest,
without sophisticated decorative work, making most buildings look
alike, a pattern that is repeated in most Islamic cities.
---The interior, on the contrary, is embellished with magnificent
decorations, furniture, and ornaments. The most important decorative
work is centered on functional rooms, halls, and courtyards. This
common feature is present in all architectural forms, including the
mosque, house, palace, funduq (or caravanserai), and mausoleum.
There are two reasons for this important feature.

---The first is to provide the high degree of privacy necessary for the
Muslim family, a feature that has inspired the description of Islamic
architecture as “the architecture of the veil” (Edwards et al., 2006).
Which truly shows its existence when penetrated and experienced from
within. Its is based on the principle that a façade should be unrelated to
its interior.
---The second aspect has a social dimension relating to social
cohesion and unity. The rights of neighbors are respected by
abstaining from external embellishment and keeping facades modest
and simple. Exterior modesty reduces social tensions, as the buildings of
the rich and the poor will look the same. In the interior, the private
space, family and personal tastes are expressed in a variety of styles and
colors.
--- Privacy is paramount in Islamic households.
---The most common expression of this is Muslim house organized
around an inner courtyard. Its presents to the outside world high
windowless walls interrupted only by a door. Often several houses are
collected together into a larger walled complex accessible only through a
single door.
--- If there are openings other than a door, then they must be screened
and it should be impossible to see into the area occupied or used by the
household. This is also true for door or gate openings which usually have
screen walls behind them, guarding the privacy of the household.
---Public and private life are strictly demarcated in Islamic society, and
even within the house, degrees of privacy are expressed architecturally,
the most fundamental division being between male reception areas and
the harem (women) area.
Courtyard house in Syria

Manzil Zainab Khatoun in Cairo, Egypt

Hidden Architecture of Mosques

---Monumental structures, such as

congregational mosque is completely
hidden by being surrounded by
Grand Almursi mosque in Egypt
secondary adjacent buildings. Even if
structure has visible façade, its features
tell us little about what lies behind it
.i.e. a dome may serve both religious or
secular purposes. It may indicate a
mosque, tomb, palace but Its outward
visible appearance doesn’t truly help us
to understand or identify any building.

Al Azhar Mosque in Egypt in Egypt

---Umayyad Great mosque of
Damascus is typical example and
Dome of the rock in Jerusalem is
typical exception. Great mosque of
Damascus follows an established
type and helps to create a tradition.
Dome of the rock standing alone on
its platform and visible from all side
make it unique in Islamic culture Dome of the Rock
and based on the pre-Islamic
model. Built as an expression of
victory. Similary Taj Mahal in Agra
doesn’t justify the same approach.

Mosque of Damascus
Mosque in Taj Mahal. Humayun’s Tomb

---So two conclusions may be drawn. First very few building types in Muslim world
articulate the interior space on their exteriors. And second either these buildings are
totally functional like bridges, watch towers or some exceptional mausoleums and
tomb towers that demand to be clearly visible and free standing.
ANICONISM:

--- Islam applies the prohibition of images. Monotheism directly

opposes idolatrous polytheism, so any plastic representation of Divinity
is prohibited in Islam. The fundamental testimony of Islam ‘ La ILLAHA
ILLA ALLAH’ dominates everything and does the denial of idols. So
Aniconism is one of the foundation of Islamic art and architecture.
---This notion that Allah’s work is matchless’ introduced new modes of
Islamic decoration like use of Calligraphy, repetition of foliage,
geometric infinite lines.
---By prohibiting every image and introducing unbroken rhythm and endless weaving
Islamic art invite man to fix his mind on something outside himself and to look at i
thoughtfully.

Mehrab of Jami Mosque of Isfahan, Iran

Apse Area of A Church

--- Main purpose of the decoration of Islamic architecture appears to be the dissolution of all
those elements that in other architectural traditions emphasize the structure, balance and
counter balance of loads and stresses. Islamic architecture is truly a negation of architecture as
conceived in Europe. It aims at the visual negation of reality of weight and necessity of support.
---The various means by which the
effect of weightlessness, effect of
unlimited space, non solidity of
walls, pillars and vaults are
created are well known to Muslim
world. These include:
A large number of decorative
treatment of surfaces _These
range from the use of mosaic and
painted decoration to tiles,
especially painted polychrome and
from deeply cut stone and plaster
to actual open work and pierced
walls, vaults and even supporting
pillars.
Mehrab of Friday Mosque of Isfahan, Iran Friday Mosque of Afghanistan

Development of rich design from abstract geometric shapes to floral patterns and from
inscriptions in a variety of calligraphic style to single words.
The tendency of infinite repetition of individual units ( bays, arches,
columns, passages, courtyards, doorways, cupolas) and continuous
merging of spaces without any specific direction. If a definite spatial limit
is reached such as a surface that could stop the movement of any
element through the building, will be decorated with patterns that
repeat themselves. This repetitive theme of geometry, columns, motifs
suggests the infinity--- Allah's infinite power.
Suspended muqarnas canopy that form the
great dome of the hall of two sisters in
Alhamra Palace, Granada.
UNITY
Islam is the religion of unity on all levels, and the term used to describe that
unity is ‘Ummat’. All muslim ummat is united in one belief that is tawheed
and Whole philosophical structure of Islamic world rests on these basic
compilations___ Quran and Hadith (Sharia Law). This compilation demands
the observance of five pillars of Islam, shahada, Syam, salat, zakat and hajj.
---Pillars that concern architecture are Salat and Hajj and existence of Kaaba
and Mosques all around the world announce the great degree of unity.
--- the Unity on which Islam is centered upon is not expressible in terms of
any image, which explains the abstract character of Islamic Architecture.
---At the Centre of Islam both geographically and spiritually stands the
Kaaba. Central importance of Kaaba in Islamic architecture is quiet
clear. The annual pilgrimage, brings the faithful from all parts of world
to Mecca and the mehrab of every mosque is aligned with it, so whole
of the Islam can be seen as the gigantic wheel with lines drawn from
all mosques converge to Ka’ba.
---Kaba is the only non directional religious building in Muslim's world. It is
diagonally oriented with its corners facing cardinal points of the compass, which
are according to Arab beliefs the four corner pillars of universe. It is the symbol of
intersection between vertical axis of spirit /heaven and horizontal axis of plane.
During the pilgrimage ceremony the pilgrims circumambulate the Kaba and this
movement resembles nothing but a swirling whirlpool.
Characteristics Irrespective of
Religious Influences
FORM AND FUNCTION:
---There is almost total absence of specific architectural form for a
specific function. A Muslim building serving a specific function can
assume a variety of forms. Example of this is four Iwan courtyard
structure of Central Asia and Iran, which is also found in the other parts
of Islamic world. These structures were built to serve all of the functions
like mosque, madrassahs, palaces, caravanserais, bath or private
dwellings. So an Islamic building need to be designed in a perfect
scheme that can be used for a great variety of functions without any
difficulties.
A Caravanserai of Safavid Era.
--- With the exception of tomb, mausoleums
and other simple domed structures, Islamic
buildings rarely display an axial quality. i.e.
Actual physical direction of a mosque is often
different from the functional direction. A visitor
who enters a Courtyard of the mosque which is
not often drawn at right angle to the direction
as indicated by Qibla, will be unsure of his
direction. Which never happens in case of
Classic Temple or Basilica.

Al-Aqmar Mosque, Cairo

---It is typical of Islamic buildings that there is no attempt to collect numerous
spaces and volumes within one great envelope whose façade then describe a
single mass. Each component has its own identity and expressed as part of the
sequence of linked structures.
---Alhambra Palace Granada the most extraordinary complex in all Islamic
architectural design which is like a maze of rooms and courtyards, of passages and
corridors, of water basins and canals.
Diversity and Unity
---The final feature is related to unity and diversity. As discussed above,
the Islamic faith has shaped Islamic architecture, especially on artistic
and technical levels, giving it a particular identity and uniformity that
have made it distinctive throughout the ages. However, as Islam spread
across the three continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe, it synthesized
some traditions, trends, and styles from the Islamized cultures and
civilizations. These borrowings, despite their pagan origins, were
accepted and were sometimes adapted to suit the Islamic creed. Artistic
traditions such as Berber, African, Persian, Indian, Chinese, Slavic,
Turkic, and others can be easily traced in the regional varieties of
Islamic architecture.
--- Islamic architecture thus promotes unity in diversity, that is, the unity
of message and purpose, and the diversity of styles, methods and
solutions.
Thanks