KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE

GROUP COURSE WORK

COURSE UNIT: HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE (ARC 214)

LECTURER: HON. GERALD MUTEBI MULWANIRA

QUESTION : Describe and analyse Islamic architecture, basing on its

features and influence on other architectural styles.

No. Name Registration No. Signature.

01 AMACULANG REBECCA 14/U/3431/ARD/PD

02 TUMUMWIINE JUDITH 14/U/709/ARD/PD

03 KIIGE HENRY DARLIN 14/U/3438/ARD/PD

1
THE ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE
INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

Islamic architecture encompasses a wide range of both secular and religious styles from the
foundation of Islam to the present day, influencing the design and construction of buildings
and structures in Islamic culture and beyond.

The principal Islamic architectural types are:

The Mosque,The Tomb,The Palace,The Fort And The School, and urban buildings.

For all these types of constructions, Islamic architecture developed a rich vocabulary that
was also used for buildings of lesser importance such as public baths, fountains and domestic
architecture

Islamic architectural history

History
In 630C.E. when Muhammad's army reconquered the city of Mecca from the Banu Quraish
tribe, the holy sanctuary of Ka'ba was rebuilt and re-dedicated to Islam, the reconstruction
being carried out before Muhammad's death in 632C.E. by a shipwrecked Abyssinian
carpenter in his native style. This sanctuary was amongst the first major works of Islamic
architecture. The walls were decorated with paintings of Jesus, Mary, Abraham, prophets,
angels and trees. Later doctrines of Islam dating from the eighth century and originating from
the Hadith, forbade the use of such icons in their architecture, specifically those of humans
and animals.[1

Furthermore, there are views circulating in the West which reject the "islamisation" of
architecture, arguing that Muslim architecture was used by Orientalists only to differentiate it
from other types of architecture.

This prejudice is often argued by the misconception of Islam‘s reluctance to building and
urbanisation which circulates among some scholars who propound that the nomadic lifestyle
of the Arabs discouraged any form of permanent settlement and thus any architectural or
building tradition. According to this view, much of the building heritage of what is called
Islamic architecture came from Christian, Persian, or Indian origins and Muslims only
imitated and sometimes employed masons from these cultures.

The answer to these arguments involves the following three main issues:

1. Although Islam opposes the exaggeration in unnecessary spending, it has no objection to

comfortable life or wealth as such, nor to the enjoyment of this worldly life. Allah has

2
subjected his creation to the use of his favourite creature (man), but man has to use it within
the boundary of his Almighty‘s law and guidance, as it is clearly affirmed in a Quranic verse
of Surah Luqman (31:20).

2. Sources on the tradition of Prophet Muhammad show that he discouraged Muslims from
miserable living. It is amply evident that he had worn rich clothes in festivities and was fond
of exquisite perfumes and essences. His famous expressive saying: "Strive for your earthly
life as you live forever and strive for your hereafter as you will die tomorrow" sums it all up.

3. In relation to building activity, we find indications in the Quran as well as in the

tradition of the Prophet that the first builder was Prophet Adam who built the Kaaba. After
him, it was Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail (Ishmail) who rebuilt it, after its
collapse some 800 years before Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) built his famous temple, which
is considered in some popular writings as the origin of architecture. The Quran also refers to
building in a number of occasions. In Surah 66, Ayah 11, for example, the wife of the
Pharaoh in her supplication says: "My Lord! build for me a house with Thee in the garden
and deliver me from Fir'aoun (Pharaoh) and his doing, and deliver me from the unjust
people". Prophet Muhammad participated in the construction of his mosque by carrying
bricks. He also helped in the construction of dwellings of some of his followers. In one of his
sayings, he stressed that "Whoever built a mosque, with the intention of seeking Allah's
pleasure, Allah will build for him a similar place in Paradise .

THE PRINCIPLE ARCHITECTURAL TYPES.

1. THE PALACE

: External view of the Alhambra complex in Granada

The early introduction of a completely alien architecture in any cultural society was not
desirable except for Islamic culture ,as Islam remoulded existing traditions and built on them

3
the new value and life systems. Centres which played important community roles in ignorant
pagan times, provided new enlightened rays of the new belief.

The articulation of elements such as arches, domes and columns, calligraphic illustrations
and geometrical decorating patterns create a continuous sense of peace and contemplation.

Figure 2a-b: Two views of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Naser Ledinillah Palace in Baghdad,
built ca. 1200: (a) Main entrance door; (b) Muqarnas vaulted corridor.

4
 2. THE MOSQUE

The early use of churches in Syria and Spain, and temples in Persia and India is evidence of
these attitudes. According to H. Saladin the plan of the mosque was derived from older
Semitic sanctuaries. The building of mosques and diffusion of the new architecture did not
take place until Islam became established in that community or region. For example, in Spain
and Sicily, Muslim architecture clearly showed no connection with existing Visigoth and
Lombard/Byzantine building cultures.

Specifically recognizable Islamic architectural style emerged soon after Muhammad's time,
inspired by the former Sassanid and Byzantine models. The Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-
Sakhrah) in Jerusalem (691) is one of the most important buildings in all of Islamic
architecture. It is patterned after the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Byzantine
Christian artists were employed to create its elaborate mosaics against a gold background.
The great epigraphic vine frieze was adapted from the pre-Islamic Syrian style .The Dome of
the Rock featured interior vaulted spaces, a circular dome, and the use of stylized repeating
decorative arabesque patterns. Desert palaces in Jordan and Syria (for example, Mshatta,
Qasr Amra, and Khirbat al-Mafjar) served the caliphs as living quarters, reception halls, and
baths, and were decorated to promote an image of royal luxury.

The horseshoe arch became a popular feature in Islamic structures. Some suggest the
Muslims acquired this from the Visigoths in Spain but they may have obtained it from Syria
and Persia where the horseshoe arch had been in used by the Byzantines as early as the 5th
century.After the Moorish invasion of Spain in 711 AD the form was taken by the Umayyads
who accentuated the curvature of the horseshoe

Inside the Jame Mosque of Yazd in Yazd, Iran.

The Great Mosque of Damascus (completed in 715 by caliph Al-Walid I), built on the site
of the basilica of John the Baptist after the Islamic invasion of Damascus, still bore great
resemblance to 6th and 7th century Christian basilicas. Certain modifications were
implemented, including expanding the structure along the transversal axis which better fit
with the Islamic style of prayer.

The Abbasid dynasty (750 A.D.- 1258[12]) witnessed the movement of the capital from
Damascus to Baghdad, and then from Baghdad to Samarra. The shift to Baghdad influenced
politics, culture, and art. The Great Mosque of Samarra, once the largest in the world, was
built for the new capital. Other major mosques built in the Abbasid Dynasty include the

5
Mosque of Ibn Tulun in Cairo, Abu Dalaf in Iraq, the great mosque in Tunis. Abbasid
architecture in Iraq as exemplified in the Fortress of Al-Ukhaidir (c.775-6) demonstrated the
"despotic and the pleasure-loving character of the dynasty" in its grand size but cramped
living quarters.

The Great Mosque of Kairouan (in Tunisia) is considered the ancestor of all the mosques in
the western Islamic world. Its original marble columns and sculptures were of Roman
workmanship brought in from Carthage and other elements resemble Roman form.

The Great Mosque of Kairouan is constituted of a massive square minaret, a large courtyard
surrounded by porticos and a huge hypostyle prayer hall covered on its axis by two cupolas.
The Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq, completed in 847 AD, combined the hypostyle
architecture of rows of columns supporting a flat base above which a huge spiraling minaret
was constructed.

Figure 4a-b: The Great Mosque of Cordoba built by 'Abd al-Rahman I, and extended by
'Abd al-Rahman II, al-Hakam, al-Mansur, and Ferdinand III, between 784-786 and the 16th
century

Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

6
Inside the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

The Mosque of Rome in Rome, Italy.

East London Mosque in Tower Hamlets, London, UK.

Dome of the mihrab (9th century) in the Great Mosque of Kairouan also known as the
Mosque of Uqba, in Kairouan, Tunisia

7
 3. THE SCHOOL

Architecturally, the second most important religious building is the Madrasa (school), being
in general a college which evolved from the mosque and was finally established as an
independent institution of learning and education. The form of Madrasa progressively
evolved starting from the simple form of houses of the teachers and reaching the monumental
character of the Kutubiya in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Here, the building incorporated lecture theatres, library, residential rooms for students and
facilities such as bathes, fountains and a courtyard, which is equipped with a water clock.
Although, a handful of Madrasas still exist today in the Muslim world, most of its teaching is
undertaken by modern universities which do not structurally differ from their Western
counterparts. Other religious buildings include monastic mosques (Zawiya) and mausoleums
which can also be very elaborate, reaching sometimes a monumental position like the Taj
Mahal in India.

Muslim secular buildings consist largely of domestic structures, palaces and ordinary houses.
Here, one cannot stop appreciating the successful adaptation of space to religious values and
teachings, especially those relating to private and public domains. From early palaces of the
Ummayyad and Abbassid Caliphate to modern houses, there was much observance of
distinction between private and public spaces. The first was designed for family and domestic
life, reserved for children and women. In the palace, the public space was for conducting
public affairs such as reception halls, meeting rooms, ceremonial courts (maydan) and
mosques for princial entourage. Their setting, organisation and décor had worldwide
reputation that they were made settings for many Western sagas and tales.

8
Figure 5: Ibn Yusuf Madrasa in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Other buildings that form part of Muslim secular architecture include military structures such
as castles, forts, towers and walls. These were erected to provide protection for cities,
especially in areas where external threat was menacing as in Palestine and its bordering
countries (Syria and Jordan), in Cairo and North African coast. Giant gates forming part of
the defensive system as well as elements of ceremonial furniture (victory) were also erected
along these ramparts. The oldest of these is Bab Raqqa in Baghdad of Al-Mansur (in 772 CE)
and Bab Al-Futuh in Cairo (11th century) Muslim keen interest in trade produced highly
developed architecture in the form of numerous caravanserais, warehouses (Qaysariyaor
Khan) and suqs (markets and bazaars) which formed the economic heart of the Muslim city.
In engineering architecture, Muslims managed to create ensembles of structures combining
high degree of engineering, functionality and outstanding beauty. Their bridges, fountains
and reservoirs also form fascinating elements showing sense of purpose and professional
excellence.

9
4.THE TOMB.

Figure 6: The Taj Mahal in Agra, India, built by Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife,
represents the pinnacle of Mughal Islamic architecture in India and is one of the most
recognisable buildings in the world.

Muslim architecture attests to the high level of power and sophistication that the Muslim
community had reached at a time when Europe was living through the dark ages. Whether in
the mosque, the palace or in the ordinary house, Muslim mason, architect and artist
remarkably transmitted the profound devotion of Islam to community.

10
 Figure 7: Kalan Mosque in Bukhara, Uzbekistan.

5.THE FORT

11
1.Arad Fort

View of Arad Fort.

Arad Fort

(Arabic: ‫ ;قلعة عراد‬transliterated: Qal'at 'Arad) is a 15th-century fort in Arad, Bahrain. Arad Fort was built in the
typical style of Islamic fort.This fort is one of the compact defensive forts in Bahrain. In its present location, it
overlooks various sea passages of Muharraq's shallow seashores. In the past, there was an inaccessible marine
channel which was controlled by the local people to prevent ships from breaking through to the island where the
fort is located. The fort is square and on every corner there is a cylindrical tower. It is surrounded by a small
trench which used to be filled with water from wells that were drilled especially for this purpose. In every corner
of the upper wall of the fort there are nose shaped openings for marksmen.

Close to the Bahrain International Airport, the fort has been extensively renovated and is illuminated at night.
Traditional materials have been used in the renovation and maintenance of the fort after making extensive analysis
of the original materials such as sea stones, lime, sand, and palm trunks. No cement or any other materials which
are not in harmony with the historical building or which reduce its historical value have been used.

It is believed that the fort was used by the Omanis during their brief occupation of Bahrain in 1800, and it is
located adjacent to the strategic waterways between Bahrain Island and Muharraq Island.

Agra Fort

Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of
Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial
city of the Mughal rulers. It comprises many fairy-tale palaces, such as the Jahangir Palace and the Khas Mahal,
built by Shah Jahan; audience halls, such as the Diwan-i-Khas; and two very beautiful mosques.

12
Walls of the Red Fort of Agra

The Red Fort and the Taj Mahal bear an exceptional and complementary testimony to a civilization which has
disappeared, that of the Mogul Emperors. Agra’s history goes back more than 2,500 years, but it was not until the
reign of the Mughals that Agra became more than a provincial city. Humayun, son of the founder of the Mogul
Empire, was offered jewellery and precious stones by the family of the Raja of Gwalior, one of them the famous
Koh-i-Noor. The heyday of Agra came with the reign of Humayun’s son, Akbar the Great. During his reign, the
main part of the Agra Fort was built.

The Red Fort of Agra is a powerful fortress founded in 1565 by the Emperor Akbar (1556-1605) on the right bank
of the Yamuna; it is placed today on the north-west extremity of the Shah Jahan Gardens which surround the Taj
Mahal and clearly form, with them, a monumental unity.

This bastioned fortress, with walls of red sandstone rising above a moat and interrupted by graceful curves and
lofty bastions, encompasses within its enclosure walls of 2.5 km, the imperial city of the Mogul rulers. Like the
Delhi Fort, that of Agra is one of the most obvious symbols of the Mogul grandeur which asserted itself under
Akbar, Jahangir and Shah .

13
Diwan-i-Aam (Audience Hall)

The Khas Mahal (Marble Pavillon),

14
Carved marble window in the Khas Mahal (Marble Pavillon

15
Inside the Red Fort of Agra,

Inside the Red Fort of Agra, Several of the buildings are made from pure marble with beautiful carvings; all of
these monuments mark the apogee of an Indo-Muslim art strongly marked by influences from Persia which
already manifested itself in Timurid art.

INFLUENCES OF ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

Origin of Ancient Islamic Architecture.

One of the first civilizations that Islam came into contact with during and after its birth was that of Persia. The
eastern banks of the Tigris and Euphrates was where the capital of the Persian empire lay during the 7th century.
Hence the proximity often led early Islamic architects to not just borrow, but adopt the traditions and ways of the
fallen Persian empire.

Islamic architecture borrows heavily from Persian architecture and in many ways can be called an extension and
further evolution of Persian architecture.

Many cities such as Baghdad, for example, were based on precedents such as Firouzabad in Persia. In fact, it is
now known that the two designers who were hired by al-Mansur to plan the city's design were Naubakht (‫)تخبون‬,
a former Persian Zoroastrian, and Mashallah (‫ءاشام‬of a ,(‫هللا‬rmer Jew from Khorasan, Iran.

Persian-style mosques are characterized by their tapered brick pillars, large arcades, and arches supported each
by several pillars. In South Asia, elements of Hindu architecture were employed, but were later superseded by
Persian designs.

16
Persian architecture

The Isfahan, Maydan-i-Shah Mosque in Isfahan, Iran

One of the first civilizations that Islam came into contact with during and after its birth was that of Persia. The
eastern banks of the Tigris and Euphrates was where the capital of the Persian empire lay during the 7th century.
Hence the proximity often led early Islamic architects to not just borrow, but adopt the traditions and ways of the
fallen Persian empire.

Islamic architecture borrows heavily from Persian architecture and in many ways can be called an extension and
further evolution of Persian architecture.

Many cities such as Baghdad, for example, were based on precedents such as Firouzabad in Persia. In fact, it is
now known that the two designers who were hired by al-Mansur to plan the city's design were Naubakht (‫)تخبون‬,
a former Persian Zoroastrian, and Mashallah (‫ءاشام‬morf weJ remrof a ,(‫ هللا‬Khorasan, Iran.

Persian-style mosques are characterized by their tapered brick pillars, large arcades, and arches supported each by
several pillars. In South Asia, elements of Hindu architecture were employed, but were later superseded by Persian
designs

Moorish architecture

17
The interior view of the Mezquita

Construction of the Great Mosque at Cordoba beginning in 785 AD marks the beginning of Islamic architecture in
the Iberian peninsula and North Africa (the Moors). The mosque is noted for its striking interior arches. Moorish
architecture reached its peak with the construction of the Alhambra, the magnificent palace/fortress of Granada,
with its open and breezy interior spaces adorned in red, blue, and gold. The walls are decorated with stylize foliage
motifs, Arabic inscriptions, and arabesque design work, with walls covered in glazed tile. Moorish architecture has
its roots deeply established in the Arab tradition of architecture and design established during the era of the first
Caliphate of the Ummayyads in the Levant circa 660AD with its capital Damascus having very well preserved
examples of fine Arab Islamic design and geometrics, including the Carmen which is the typical Damascene
house, Opening on the inside with a fountain as the Houses' center piece.

Mudéjar and Moorish Revival

Even after the completion of the Reconquista, Islamic influence had a lasting impact on the architecture of Spain.
In particular, medieval Spaniards used the Mudéjar style, an imitation of Islamic design. One of the best examples
of the Moors' lasting impact is the Alcázar of Seville.

Turkistan (Timurid) architecture

18
Registan Square is the ensemble of three madrasahs, in Samarkand.

Timurid architecture is the pinnacle of Islamic art in Central Asia. Spectacular and stately edifices erected by
Timur and his successors in Samarkand and Herat helped to disseminate the influence of the Ilkhanid school of art
in India, thus giving rise to the celebrated Moghol school of architecture. Timurid architecture started with the
sanctuary of Ahmed Yasawi in present-day Kazakhstan and culminated in Timur's mausoleum Gur-e Amir in
Samarkand. The style is largely derived from Persian architecture. Axial symmetry is a characteristic of all major
Timurid structures, notably the Shah-e Zendah in Samarkand and the mosque of Gowhar Shad in Meshed. Double
domes of various shapes abound, and the outsides are perfused with brilliant colors.

Ottoman Turkish architecture

Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the Blue Mosque) in Istanbul

The most numerous and largest of mosques exist in Turkey, which obtained influence from Byzantine, Persian and
Syrian-Arab designs. Ottoman Turkish architects implemented their own style of cupola domes.[5] The
architecture of the Turkish Ottoman Empire forms a distinctive whole, especially the great mosques by and in the
style of Sinan, like the mid-16th century Suleiman Mosque. For almost 500 years Byzantine architecture such as
the church of Hagia Sophia served as models for many of the Ottoman mosques such as the Shehzade Mosque, the
Suleiman Mosque, and the Rüstem Pasha Mosque.

19
Selimiye Mosque (Minar Sinan), built by Sinan in 1575. Edirne, Turkey.

The Ottomans achieved the highest level architecture in the Islamic lands hence or since. They mastered the
technique of building vast inner spaces confined by seemingly weightless yet massive domes, and achieving
perfect harmony between inner and outer spaces, as well as light and shadow. Islamic religious architecture which
until then consisted of simple buildings with extensive decorations, was transformed by the Ottomans through a
dynamic architectural vocabulary of vaults, domes, semidomes and columns. The mosque was transformed from
being a cramped and dark chamber with arabesque-covered walls into a sanctuary of aesthetic and technical
balance, refined elegance and a hint of heavenly transcendence.

Fatimid architecture

al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo

In architecture, the Fatimids followed Tulunid techniques and used similar materials, but also developed those of
their own. In Cairo, their first congregational mosque was al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo ("the splendid") founded along
with the city (969–973), which, together with its adjacent institution of higher learning (al-Azhar University),
became the spiritual center for Ismaili Shia. The Mosque of al-Hakim (r. 996–1013), an important example of
Fatimid architecture and architectural decoration, played a critical role in Fatimid ceremonial and procession,
which emphasized the religious and political role of the Fatimid caliph. Besides elaborate funerary monuments,
other surviving Fatimid structures include the Mosque al-Aqmar, (1125) as well as the monumental gates for
Cairo's city walls commissioned by the powerful Fatimid emir and vizier Badr al-Jamali (r. 1073–1094).

Mosque al-Hakim (990-1012) was renovated by Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (head of Dawoodi Bohra

20
community) and Al-Jame-al-Aqmar built in 1125 in Cairo, Egypt features with its Fatimi philosophy and
symbolism and bring its architecture vividly to life.

Emir Qurqumas complex.

Sultan Hassan Mosque.

21
Mughal architecture

The Badshahi Masjid, literally the 'Royal Mosque', was built in 1674 by Aurangzeb. It is one of Lahore's best
known landmarks, and epitomizes the beauty and grandeur of the Mughal era.

The Taj Mahal in Agra, built by Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife, represents the pinnacle of Mughal
Islamic architecture in India and is one of the most recognisable buildings in the world.Another distinctive sub-
style is the architecture of the Mughal Empire in India in the 16th century and a fusion of Arabic, Persian and
Hindu elements. The Mughal emperor Akbar constructed the royal city of Fatehpur Sikri, located 26 miles west of
Agra, in the late 1500s.

The most famous example of Mughal architecture is the Taj Mahal, the "teardrop on eternity," completed in 1648
by the emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal who died while giving birth to their 14th child.
The extensive use of precious and semiprecious stones as inlay and the vast quantity of white marble required
nearly bankrupted the empire. The Taj Mahal is completely symmetric other than the sarcophagus of Shah Jahan
which is placed off center in the crypt room below the main floor. This symmetry extended to the building of an
entire mirror mosque in red sandstone to complement the Mecca-facing mosque place to the west of the main
structure. Another structure built that showed great depth of mughal influence was the Shalimar Gardens.

22
Afro-Islamic architecture

The Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali (Timbuktu, Mali) is a great example of Sudano-Sahelian architectural style.

The Islamic conquest of North Africa saw Islamic architecture develop in the region, including such famous
structures as the Cairo Citadel.

Islamic merchants played a vital role in the Western Sahel region since the Kingdom of Ghana.

At Kumbi Saleh, locals lived in domed-shaped dwellings in the king's section of the city, surrounded by a great
enclosure. Traders lived in stone houses in a section which possessed 12 beautiful mosques (as described by al-
bakri), one centered on Friday prayer. The king is said to have owned several mansions, one of which was sixty-
six feet long, forty-two feet wide, contained seven rooms, was two stories high, and had a staircase; with the walls
and chambers filled with sculpture and painting. Sahelian architecture initially grew from the two cities of Djenné
and Timbuktu. The Sankore Mosque in Timbuktu, constructed from mud on timber, was similar in style to the
Great Mosque of Djenné.

Contemporary architecture.

23
Islamic patterns on the eco-friendly Lighthouse Tower, Dubai

The Burj Dubai

Modern Islamic architecture has recently been taken on to a whole new level with such buildings being erected
such as the Burj Dubai, which is soon to be the world's tallest building. The Burj Dubai's design is derived from
the patterning systems embodied in Islamic architecture,[citation needed] with the triple-lobed footprint of the
building based on an abstracted version of the desert flower hymenocallis which is native to the Dubai region.
Nature and flowers have often been the focal point in most traditional Islamic designs. Most modern Islamic
architecture can be found in Dubai due to the architectural boom of the Middle East. Yet to be built is Madinat al-
Hareer in Kuwait which also has modern versions of Islamic architecture in its super tall tower.

24
The Faisal Mosque, Islamabad, Pakistan, named after King Faisal of Saudi Arabia

Interpretation
Common interpretations of Islamic architecture include the following: The concept of Allah's infinite power is
evoked by designs with repeating themes which suggest infinity. Human and animal forms are rarely depicted in
decorative art as Allah's work is considered to be matchless. Foliage is a frequent motif but typically stylized or
simplified for the same reason. Arabic Calligraphy is used to enhance the interior of a building by providing
quotations from the Qur'an. Islamic architecture has been called the "architecture of the veil" because the beauty
lies in the inner spaces (courtyards and rooms) which are not visible from the outside (street view). Furthermore,
the use of grandiose forms such as large domes, towering minarets, and large courtyards are intended to convey
power.

STYLES OF ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

Elements of Islamic style

Islamic architecture may be identified with the following design elements, which were inherited from the first
mosque built by Muhammad in Medina, as well as from other pre-Islamic features adapted from churches, temples
and synagogues. Byzantine architecture had a great influence on early Islamic architecture with its characteristic
round arches, vaults and domes.

Domes

Domes are a major structural feature of Islamic architecture. The dome first appeared in Islamic architecture in
691 with the construction of the Dome of the Rock, a near replica of the existing Church of the Holy Sepulchre
and other Christian domed basilicas situated nearby. Domes remain in use, being a significant feature of many
mosques and of the Taj Mahal in the 17th century. The distinctive pointed domes of Islamic architecture, also
originating with the Byzantines and Persians, have remained a distinguishing feature of mosques into the 21st
century.

Distinguishing motifs of Islamic architecture have always been ordered repetition, radiating structures, and
rhythmic, metric patterns. In this respect, fractal geometry has been a key utility, especially for mosques and
palaces. Other significant features employed as motifs include columns, piers and arches, organized and
interwoven with alternating sequences of niches and colonnettes.[2]

25
The role of domes in Islamic architecture has been considerable. Its usage spans centuries, first appearing in 691
with the construction of the Dome of the Rock mosque, and recurring even up until the 17th century with the Taj
Mahal. And as late as the 19th century, Islamic domes had been incorporated into Western architecture.

 HAGIA SOFIA.

The Hagia Sofia in Istanbul also influenced Islamic architecture. When the Ottomans captured the city from the
Byzantines, they converted the basilica to a mosque (now a museum) and incorporated Byzantine architectural
elements into their own work (e.g. domes). The Hagia Sophia also served as model for many of the Ottoman
mosques such as the Shehzadeh Mosque, the Suleiman Mosque, and the Rüstem Pasha Mosque.

Distinguishing motifs of Islamic architecture have always been ordered repetition, radiating structures, and
rhythmic, metric patterns. In this respect, fractal geometry has been a key utility, especially for mosques and
palaces. Other significant features employed as motifs include columns, piers and arches, organized and
interwoven with alternating sequences of niches and colonnettes. The role of domes in Islamic architecture has
been considerable. Its usage spans centuries, first appearing in 691 with the construction of the of the dome rock.

 Dome of the Rock mosque, and recurring even up until the 17th century with the Taj Mahal. And as late
as the 19th century, Islamic domes had been incorporated into Western architecture.

26
The Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem is a key example of Islamic architecture

A specifically recognisable Islamic architectural style developed soon after the time of the Prophet Muhammad,
developing from Roman, Egyptian, Byzantine, and Persian/Sassanid models. An early example may be identified
as early as 691 AD with the completion of the Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al-Sakhrah) in Jerusalem. It featured
interior vaulted spaces, a circular dome, and the use of stylized repeating decorative patterns (arabesque).

 Hypostyle architecture of rows and columns with arabesque.



27
The Great (or al-Mutawakkil) Mosque of Samarra in Iraq, completed in 847 AD, combined the hypostyle
architecture of rows of columns supporting a flat base above which a huge spiraling minaret was constructed.

the interior of the Mezquita in Córdoba, Spain.

 The t-type style of mosques

 Hassan II Mosque, Casablanca, Morocco. 210m high. A floor with room for 25,000 worshippers.

Many forms of Islamic architecture have evolved in different regions of the Islamic world. Notable

28
 Islamic architectural types include the early Abbasid buildings, T-type mosques, and the central-
dome mosques of Anatolia. The oil-wealth of the 20th century drove a great deal of mosque
construction using designs from leading modern architects.

Arab-plan or hypostyle mosques are the earliest type of mosques, pioneered under the Umayyad
Dynasty. These mosques are square or rectangular in plan with an enclosed courtyard and a covered
prayer hall. Historically, because of the warm Mediterranean and Middle Eastern climates, the
courtyard served to accommodate the large number of worshipers during Friday prayers. Most early
hypostyle mosques have flat roofs on top of prayer halls, necessitating the use of numerous
columns and supports.[10] One of the most notable hypostyle mosques is the Mezquita in Córdoba,
Spain, as the building is supported by over 850 columns.[11] Frequently, hypostyle mosques have
outer arcades so that visitors can enjoy some shade. Arab-plan mosques were constructed mostly
under the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties; subsequently, however, the simplicity of the Arab plan
limited the opportunities for further development, and as a result, these mosques gradually fell out
of popularity.

The Ottoman Turkish introduced central dome mosques in the 15th century and have a large dome
centered over the prayer hall. In addition to having one large dome at the center, there are often
smaller domes that exist off-center over the prayer hall or throughout the rest of the mosque, where
prayer is not performed.This style was heavily influenced by the Byzantine religious architecture
with its use of large central domes.

Iwan

The iwan entrance to the Taj Mahal in Agra

An iwan (Persian ‫ ناويا‬derived from Pahlavi word Bān meaning house) is defined as a vaulted hall or
space, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open.

Iwans were a trademark of the Sassanid architecture of Persia, later finding their way into Islamic
architecture. This transition reached its peak during the Seljuki era when iwans became established as a
fundamental design unit in Islamic architecture. Typically, iwans open on to a central courtyard, and have
been used in both public and residential architecture.

Iwan mosques are most notable for their domed chambers and iwans, which are vaulted spaces open out on
one end. In iwan mosques, one or more iwans face a central courtyard that serves as the prayer hall. The

29
 style represents a borrowing from pre-Islamic Iranian architecture and has been used almost xclusively for
mosques in Iran. Many iwan mosques are converted Zoroastrian fire temples where the courtyard was used
to house the sacred fire. Today, iwan mosques are no longer built.

Gardens.

Gardens are an integral feature of Islamic architectural design

In Muslim regions, gardens are seen as places of peace, an escape from the noise outside, and perhaps the
best place on earth to feel close to God. Indeed, the Qur’an offers several references to the idea of jannat al-
firdaus or gardens of paradise, ranging from blissful retreat to secure refuge. These images have fed centuries of
Muslim art, narrative, and design. Along with being an integral feature of Islamic architectural design, particularly
for palaces, gardens have also served as final resting places for the dead.

30
 

The tomb of Hafez is a primary example of a Persian garden, with the typical, enclosed space, water channels and
large trees that provide coolQur'angarden designparadise gardenPersian gardensOttoman
gardensCharbaghMughal architecture Arabesque

An element of Islamic art usually found decorating the walls of mosques and Muslim homes and buildings, the
arabesque is an elaborate application of repeating geometric forms that often echo the forms of plants, shapes and
sometimes animals (specifically birds). The choice of which geometric forms are to be used and how they are to
be formatted is based upon the Islamic view of the world. To Muslims, these forms, taken together, constitute an
infinite pattern that extends beyond the visible material world. To many in the Islamic world, they in fact
symbolize the infinite, and therefore uncentralized, nature of the creation of the one God (Allah). Furthermore, the
Islamic Arabesque artist conveys a definite spirituality without the iconography of Christian art. Arabesque is used
in mosques and building around the Muslim world, and it is a way of decorating using beautiful, embellishing and
repetitive Islamic art instead of using pictures of humans and animals (which is forbidden Haram in Islam).

31
The interior of the Selimiye Mosque (Minar Sinan), Edirne, Turkey.

Complex Mosaic patterns also known as Girih are popular forms of architectural art in many Muslim cultures.

 Calligraphy

Arabic calligraphy is associated with geometric Islamic art (the Arabesque) on the walls and ceilings of
mosques as well as on the page. Contemporary artists in the Islamic world draw on the heritage of
calligraphy to use calligraphic inscriptions or abstractions in their work.

Instead of recalling something related to the reality of the spoken word, calligraphy for the Muslim is a
visible expression of spiritual concepts. Calligraphy has arguably become the most venerated form of
Islamic art because it provides a link between the languages of the Muslims with the religion of Islam. The
holy book of Islam, al-Qur'ān, has played a vital role in the development of the Arabic language, and by
extension, calligraphy in the Arabic alphabet. Proverbs and complete passages from the Qur'an are still
active sources for Islamic calligraphy.
The use of decorative Islamic calligraphy instead of pictures which were haram (forbidden) in mosque
architecture. Note that in secular architecture, human and animal representation was indeed present.
Central fountains used for ablutions (once used as a wudu area for Muslims).

32
Arabic Calligraphy on large pishtaq of the Taj Mahal

 The sehan or sahn.

The Great Mosque of Kairouan, with a large courtyard—sehan surrounded by arcades, located in Kairouan,
Tunisia.

The traditional Islamic courtyard, a sehan in Arabic (ar: ‫)نحص‬, is found in secular and religious structures.

 When within a residence or other secular building is a private courtyard and walled garden. It is used for:
the aesthetics of plants, water, architectural elements, and natural light; for cooler space with fountains and
shade, and source of breezes into the structure, during summer heat; and a protected and proscribed place
where the women of the house need not be covered in the hijab clothing traditionally necessary in public.
 A sehan—courtyard is in within almost every mosque in Islamic architecture. The courtyards are open to
the sky and surrounded on all sides by structures with halls and rooms, and often a shaded semi-open
arcade. Sehans usually feature a centrally positioned ritual cleansing pool under an open domed pavilion
called a howz . A mosque courtyard is used for performing ablutions, and a 'patio' for rest or gathering

33
Large courtyards often merged with a central prayer hall (originally a feature of the Masjid al-Nabawi).

Minarets or towers (these were originally used as torch-lit watchtowers, as seen in the Great Mosque of
Damascus; hence the derivation of the word from the Arabic nur, meaning "light").

Mihrab or prayer niche on an inside wall indicating the direction to Mecca. This may have been derived from
previous uses of niches for the setting of the torah scrolls in Jewish synagogues or the haikal of Coptic churches.

34
Domes and Cupolas.

Iwans to intermediate between different sections.

The iwan entrance to the Taj Mahal in Agra

An iwan (Persian ‫ ناويا‬derived from Pahlavi word Bān meaning house) is defined as a vaulted hall or
space, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open.

Iwans were a trademark of the Sassanid architecture of Persia, later finding their way into Islamic
architecture. This transition reached its peak during the Seljuki era when iwans became established as a
fundamental design unit in Islamic architecture. Typically, iwans open on to a central courtyard, and have

35
 been used in both public and residential architecture.

Iwan mosques are most notable for their domed chambers and iwans, which are vaulted spaces open out on
one end. In iwan mosques, one or more iwans face a central courtyard that serves as the prayer hall. The
style represents a borrowing from pre-Islamic Iranian architecture and has been used almost xclusively for
mosques in Iran. Many iwan mosques are converted Zoroastrian fire temples where the courtyard was used
to house the sacred fire. Today, iwan mosques are no longer built.

The use of geometric shapes and repetitive art (arabesque).

The use of bright color.
Focus both on the interior space of a building and the exterior

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES

Historical data on the construction materials and techniques employed in mosque construction in Buganda are
difficult to obtain. Until recently, however, it would seem that the most common material used was wattle and
daub, brick was less commonly used - Oded states that an attempt to build a mosque of brick in the late nineteenth
century failed because bricks could not be manufactured out of the locally available materials. The wattle-and-
daub mosques which were built resembled the type of house found in rural Swahili communities on the East
African coastal mainland and off-shore islands. Trimingham makes the cautionary point that the similarities
between these two types of structure are so marked that the mosques are only really recognizable from the side
with the protruding mihrab niche.

THE PRESENT DAY MOSQUES IN UGANDA

Gaddafi National Mosque

Uganda National Mosque

‫م سجد ال قذاف ي ال وط ني‬

.
Location in Kampa
Coordinates: 0.315539°N

36
32.568591°ECoordinates: 0.315539°N
32.568591°E
Location Kampala, Uganda
Established 2008
Branch/tradition Sunni Islam
Uganda Muslim
Administration
Supreme Council
Architectural information
Capacity 12,200
Covered area 12 acres
Dome(s) 5
Minaret(s) 1
Minaret height 50.5 metres
Materials Reinforced concrete

The Uganda National Mosque is a mosque located at Kampala Hill in the Old Kampala area of Kampala,
Uganda. Completed in 2006, it seats up to 15,000 worshipers and can hold another 1,100 in the gallery, while the
terrace will cater for another 3,500. Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya commissioned the mosque as a gift to
Uganda, and for the benefit of the Muslim population. Uganda has many mosques but this one is a skyscraper
mosque

The completed mosque was opened officially in June 2007 and houses the head offices of the Uganda Muslim
Supreme Council It was renamed "Uganda National Mosque" in 2013 following the death of Colonel Gaddafi as
the new Libyan administration was "reluctant to rehabilitate the mosque under the old name.

Features.

Interior view

View from the front

37


Minaret

 Dome.

38
39
40
 REFERENCES


 Creswell ,K. A. C. (1958), A Short Account of Early Muslim Architecture, Penguin Books.
 Fletcher, B (1961), A History of Architecture: On the Comparative Method, The Athlone Press, London,
17th edition.
 Hope, T. (1835), An Historical Essay on Architecture, John Murray, London.
 Kostof, S. (1994), A History of World Architecture, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
 Hakim, B. (1986), Arabic Islamic Cities: Buildings and Planning Principles, Kegan Paul, London.
 Saladin, H. (1899), La Grande Mosquée de Kairwan, Picard, Paris.
 Simpson, F.M. (1913), A History of Architectural Development, Longmans, Green & Co. London.
 Summarised Sahih Al-Bukhari (1994), translated by Muhammad Mohsin Khan, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Maktabat Dar Al-Salam.

Notes

F.M. Simpson (1913), A History of Architectural Development, Longmans, Green & Co. London.

See S. Kostof (1994), A History of World Architecture, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

41