Transcript Islamic Architecture: For Worship and Trade

Islamic
Architecture
in Worship and Trade
Islamic Architecture in
Worship and Trade
Overview:
There are many common features in Islamic
architecture all over the world. Most are
have a religious nature but others are also
designed to provide comfort and rest to
weary travelers and merchants.
Worship
The Mosque, the Minaret, Domed features
and the inclusion of Calligraphy are all
very important in Islamic religious
architecture. The Mosque is a place of
worship. The Minaret is a tower used to
call believers to prayer. Domes are often
associated with Mosques and Calligraphy
features writings from the Qur’an on
Mosque walls.
The Mosque
THE MOSQUE
must always include a prayer hall that
faces Mecca. Because of this the prayer
hall is normally of a rectangular shape.
The orientation towards Mecca also
means that one of the walls will be more
important than the others. This wall is
called the qibla wall. Often there is a
separation in the prayer hall or an
additional room for the women to pray
separately from the men.
Mosque:
Dearborn, Michigan
Mosque Prayer Hall:
Sultan Mosque in SINGAPORE
The Minaret
There are many symbols
which are associated
with the mosque. This
includes the minaret, a
tall tower. Its purpose
originally was to provide
a high area from which a
member of the
community could
perform the call to
prayer.
Prayer called from the Minaret
God is great, God is most great,
God is most great, God is most
great, I bear witness that there is
no God but Allah, I bear witness
that there is no God but Allah, I
bear witness that Muhammed is
the messenger of Allah, I bear
witness that Muhammed is the
messenger of Allah, Come to
Prayer, Come to Prayer, Come
to your good, Come to your
good. God is most great, God is
most great. There is no God but
Allah.
Kalon Minaret in Bukhara,
Uzbekistan
The Dome
Another common feature of Islamic
architecture is a dome. The inside or
outside of the dome may be covered
in gold, to remind believers of
Heaven.
Dome over Mosque in
Isfahan, Iran
Taj Mahal Agra, India
Calligraphy
Among the most
important symbols in a
Mosque is Calligraphy on
both inside and outside
walls. This art form is
one of the most beautiful
features of mosques. Its
purpose is to express the
words of God as found in
the Qur’an.
Calligraphy in Mosque in
Isfahan, Iran
Calligraphy inside the Hagia
Sophia Mosque, Istanbul,
Turkey
Islamic Architecture
and Trade
Islam spread as large
numbers of Muslim
merchants followed trade
routes. Merchants
traveled throughout DarAl Islam, or from Africa
through the Middle East,
into central Asia, India,
China and to the islands
of present-day Indonesia.
Islamic architecture
naturally developed in
these lands.
Trading Zones of
Muslim Merchants, c. 1500
The Courtyard
A feature related to larger
mosques is the courtyard. The
courtyard is an important
space because it represents
the Islamic preference for
privacy and it offers shelter for
travelers and merchants.
Some mosques became
complexes with many
buildings tied to social
functions, including hospitals.
Courtyards: in Damascus and
Aleppo, Syria
Courtyard:
Jama Masjid mosque, Delhi, India
Gardens
Gardens, like this
one in China, were
often planted near
mosques and
courtyards. They
were seen as a
place to reflect on
the beauty of God’s
creation.
Gardens of the Alhambra complex
Granada, Spain
Conclusion
Islamic architecture has a global reach
but many common features, such as the
mosque, minaret, domes, use of
calligraphy, courtyards and gardens.
Bibliography
Slide 1: Image: http://re-xs.ucsm.ac.uk/gcsere/revision/islam/mus2/5.html
Slide 2: Left image:http://re-xs.ucsm.ac.uk/gcsere/revision/islam/mus2/5.html
Right image: http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/The_Alhambra.html
Slide 3: Image:
http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Calligraphy/Islam_Arabic_Calligraphy.html
Slide 4: Text from slides 4-7 from
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/arabic_islamic_architecture/44354
Image: Mosque in Djenne, Mali
http://homepage.mac.com/melissaenderle/mali/pages/mosqueside.html
Slide 5: Image: http://www.jafariyanews.com/2k5_news/may/15michigan_islamiccentre.htm
Slide 6: Image: http://www.dkimages.com/discover/Home/Geography/Asia/Singapore/Singapore008.html
Slide 7: Image: http://www.phys.psu.edu/~tbode/AlbumPics/thumb/Mosque-2-0.html
Slide 8: Image: http://madcanuck.blogspot.com/2005/04/famous-minaret-in-iraq-damaged.html
Slide 9: Image: http://joaoleitao.wordpress.com/tag/central-asia/uzbekistan/
Slide 10: Image: http://history.boisestate.edu/westciv/medieval/trails/DomeRock/
Slide 11: Image:
http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Calligraphy/Islam_Arabic_Calligraphy.html
Slide 12: Image: http://www.islamicity.com/Culture/Taj/default.htm
Bibliography, continued
Slide 13:Image: http://www.islamicity.com/Culture/Calligraphy/Calig12.htm
Slide 14: Image:
http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Calligraphy/Islam_Arabic_Calligraphy.html
Slide 15: Image: http://www.monolithic.com/thedome/hagiasophia/pic02.html
Slide 16: Image: http://photosbymartin.com/images/pcd0366/dhow-sunset-65.3.html
Slide 17: Image: http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~rs143/map6.jpg
Slide 18: Text: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/arabic_islamic_architecture/44354
Image: http://i-cias.com/spain/alhambra03.htm
Slide 19: Left Image: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/syria/damascus-umayyad-mosquepictures/slides/facade-ccRight Image: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/syria/aleppo-umayyad-mosque.htm
Slide 20: Image: http://www.romanvirdi.com/delhi/
Slide 21: Image: http://www.xian-travel.com/xian-attractions/
Slide 22: Left image: http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/5076c/b2/?frdir=yes
Right image: http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/The_Alhambra.html