MosquesSummary

Three main styles of mosques:

• 600 to 1000 AD: large enclosed areas with flat- roof over worship area and open courtyard, built mostly in Western Islamic Empire (Spain to Central Asia)

• 1000+ AD: Mosques with balconies on 2 or more sides of unroofed courtyard, built from Egypt to Turkey and East to India/ Pakistan

• During Ottoman Empire (~1400s): in Balkans to Saudi Arabia, Dome covered center prayer area and courtyard

• Generally, most have domes to signify importance and minarets to call prayer times

• Minaret styles varied with emperors: especially with Ottoman Turks (mid 1400s- early 1900s), which usually are tapered shafts

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Islamic Styles: DomesSummary

• Vary according to ethnicities, national identities, etc.

• Mamluk-style: Egyptian dynasty (13002 and 1400s), very common in Egypt, high sides, pointed top, patterned surfaces, orig. made of stone, reinforced concrete, many U.S. mosques have this

-Shows Egypt= major learning center of Islam

• Eastern Uzbekistan: Timurid Dynasty (began in 1300), high sides, rounded top a little wider than the sides, glazed tile surface, ex. Taj Mahal (in Agra, India) built in 1600s

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Famous ArchitectsParaphrase

Minor Koca- Sinan

• may have been one of the greatest Ottoman architects

• he built or managed more than 300 structures in Istanbul.

• career lasted for 50 years

• built mosques, schools, hospitals and the domed Selimye

Mosque at Edirne, in western Turkey.

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Islamic Style: HousesParaphrase

•Traditional homes of Islamic style were generally separated into public and private areas•Also individual areas for men and women. •public areas used by men and the private areas for

women and children•Larger houses had different entrances for men and

women•smaller houses used curtains to split the homes. •Sometimes, men and women would use the same

area at different times.

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Islamic Style: Commercial BuildingsSummary

• Types: storage, lodging and market places

• Caravansaries: usu. 2-stories high, used as temporary lodging for merchants, goods and animals

• Covered marketplaces: had shops with expensive goods/luxuries, had official entrance that could close and lock for security at night

• Many Arab cities still have covered markets next to modern-day shopping areas

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Islamic Style: BathhousesParaphrase

• Before the 1900s, bathhouses had changing rooms, steam rooms and chambers with hot and warm water

• built outside mosques

• Men and women both used these facilities at different times to cleanse themselves before prayers

• Steam rooms let steam in through holes in the wall, covered by domes with small windows

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Islamic Style: Grave MarkersSummary

• Early as mid-600s: tombstones became common in Egypt and then throughout Islamic world

• 700s, masonry screens;1200s,screens were made of wood; now, screens are ornate and metal

• Mausoleum- most elaborate grave marker, small building- like structures, domed, alone in cemetery out of city or in a mosque and/ or a city

• Materials used: mud bricks to marble, depending of wealth and importance of dead

• Mausoleum’s dome and inner chambers depend on the time it was built and the place it was built

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Islamic Style: GardensSummary

• Gardens admired by many since 1400s• Courtyard gardens, plants with walkways, parks, hunting

preserves• Usage of water is a major element; used pools to reflect

nearby structures (towers, pavilions), also in narrow channels along walkways, connecting pools

• 2 layouts: linear from Rome, rectangular with 2 parallel gardens on either side and cross-axial layout from ancient Persia, rect. plot with perpendicular walkways in 4 directions, intersecting at center

• East areas used linear style more, western uses cross- axial more

• Modern cities have little space for these now

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BackgroundSummary

• Style of mosques (in Jerusalem, Mecca, Tripoli, Cairo, Damascus, Constantinople) influenced ribbed vaults in Europe

• Usage of cube transitional supports for domes used in cathedrals and palaces of 11th and 12th century Palermo

• Arabic styles/ components (arabesque, calligraphy, colorful artistry) on Alhambra (Spain) and the Mosque of Cordoba are also on medieval religious buildings of Europe

• Arabic influence usually seen in Western Romance countries, but can also be seen towards east: dome of mosque of Bibi Khanum (Samarkand), tomb or Shah-I-Zinda (the Living Prince), very prevalent in Russian architecture

Source 4

BackgroundSummary

• Used to glorify Islam, because mostly built mosques and mausoleums

• Borrowed arch from Romans and developed it differently, ex. Great Mosque of Damascus (early 8th century)

• Mosque of Ibn Tulun (Cairo) has pointed arches, inspired many European cathedrals

• Other Arab styles (cusp, tefoil, ogee arches) influenced Tudor arches (ex. Cathedral of Wells: England and Cathedral of Chartes: France)

• Minarets inspired Greek lighthouse, which later became the European Campanile (ex. San Marcos Square, Venice)

Source 4

MosquesQuote

“ In Iran a mosque plan consisting of four eyvans (vaulted halls) opening onto a central court was used. These brick- built mosques also incorporated domes and decorated squinches across the corners of the room. Persian architectural features spread to India, where they are found in the Taj Mahal and Mughal palaces.”

Source 5

MosquesSummary

• Where architecture is shown greatly• Religious early structures (Dome of Rock [169 AD] and

Great Mosque of Damascus [705 AD]) used Christian- like structures: domes, columnar arches, mosques

• Religious structures also had courts for prayers and mihrabs (prayer niches), used semi- circular/ horseshoe arches and decorations that did not represent anything

• Hypostyle mosque(Iraq and Egypt)= religious architecture separated more from general architecture, ex. Alhambra

• Ottoman Architecture shown in Selimiye Mosque (1575: Edirne, Tur.)

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Famous BuildingsSummary

• Great Mosque of Cordova built by Umayyad caliphate in Spain

• 190 by 140 meter rectangle• One third is courtyard with orange trees + 3 sides of mostly

restored portico, 4th side has long hall with 17 naves on 16 arcades

• Arcades run south-west-north-east org. thought to be towards Mecca

• Naves- 32 bays deep, 7 meters wide, except for 6th in SW which is 8 meters wide

• Hall had Gothic cathedral; other areas also have cathedrals and chapels

• Buttressed outer walls with 11 ornamented doors

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Famous BuildingsSummary

• Great Mosque of Cordova can be split into 4 periods• 1st mosque, built 784-6 probably on top of Christian church

-had 9 or 11 twelve-bay naves, central one larger than others, at right angles to qibla wall

• 1st addition (833-52) : hall widened by 2 naves, lengthening by 8 bays- Abd al-Rahman II

• 2nd expansion (961-76): by al-Hakam II see next note card• 3rd expansion (987): al- Mansur, minister of caliph Hisham

widened by 8 naves towards north-east, purposely using older construction style to create traditional width to length ratio, but also ruined axial symmetry

• Later in 9th and 10th centuries, Umayyad princes made additions of less importance

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Famous ArchitectsQuote

(Great Mosque of Cordova)

“The second expansion, the most remarkable of all, is attributed to al- Hakam II (961-76). He lengthened the mosque by another twelve bays, and on the axis provided by the central nave of the first building erected a spectacular group [110] beginning with the dome (the present Villa- viciosa Chapel) and ending with three more domes in front of a richly decorated mihrab [111] in the shape of a circular room. The area in front of the mihrab was separated fro the rest of the mosque, constituting a maqsura.”

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Famous BuildingsSummary

Great Mosque of Cordova:

• Reused many ideas from pre-Islamic architecture

-Similar to other hypostyle

• But also had many innovations to make it into monument of medieval times

• Added arches, height, domes, triangle areas btwn. Ribs supporting domes, made existing and added features more complex

• Mihrab is very unique shape, origin unknown, offers unique blend of architecture and art, very ornate and different styles in one building

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Famous ArchitectsSummaryMimar Koca Sinan ‘“Great Architect Sinan’”:

• Born 1489 in Anatolia, Turkey; grew up and lived during Ottoman Empire, died in Istanbul, Turkey in 1588

• 1st served under Selim II; exposed to architecture of Iraq, Corfu, Baghdad, Belgrad and used this w/Byzantium-influenced Istanbul

• Chief architect of palace for Ottoman Empire for 50 yrs.• Took traditional architecture and developed them into unique

concepts, known for experimenting with structure• Maintained and improved Istanbul's water supply• Built many arched aqueducts, ex. Maglova Arch over Alibey River,

257 m. long, 35 m. high, 2 layers or arches• Added to Hagia Sophia and Topkapi• Trained architects, including Davut Aga, Dalgiv Ahmet and Mehmet

Aga; later went on to build New Mosque, mausoleum of Murad II and Sultan Ahmat Mosque

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Famous ArchitectsSummary

Mimar Sinan:• Also known for mausoleum of Şehzade Mehmed ( known for exterior

decorations, sliced dome), mausoleum of Rüstem Paşa (classical style), mausoleum of Süleyman the magnificient (experiment of octagonal body, flat dome), Selim II’s mausoleum (great example of Turkish architecture)

• Sinan’s mausoleum is very plain structure though• Bridges combined art w/ usefulness, ex. ~635 meter long Büyükcekmece

Bridge, Ailvri bridge, Lüleburgaz (Sokullu Mehmet Pasha) Bridge over Lüleburgaz River , Sinali Bridge over Ergen River, Drina Bridge

• Work shown in mosques of Shezade (apprentice), Süleymaniye (trainee master) and Selimiye (master craftsman)

• Shezade=first grand mosque built• Mihiram Sultan Mosque (aka Üsküdar Quay Mosque): built in same yr.• At age 70: finished Süleymaniye Mosque and its complex, built in name of

Süleyman the Magnificent, very important• Selimiye Mosque = his greatest mosque and architectural feat , built at age

80

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Famous ArchitectsQuote

“ Sinan absorbed existing architectural values and interpreted them in truly unique forms. He is usually associated with structural experiment, and certainly took the domed form to its logical conclusion. But unlike his European contemporary Palladio, this architect was not to give his name to a style. There is no need as his work is totally identified with the structural and ornamental clarity of the period.”

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Famous ArchitectsQuote

“Various sources state that Sinan was the architect of around 360 structures which included 84 mosques, 51 small mosques ("mescit"), 57 schools of theology ("medrese") 7 schools for Koran reciters ("darülkurra"), 22 mausoleums ("türbe"), 17 Alm Houses ("imaret"), 3 hospitals ("darüşşifa"), 7 aquaducts and arches, 48 inns ("Caravansary"), 35 palaces and mansions, 8 vaults and 46 baths. Of this diverse group of works, his mosques have been most influential and represent the archetypal image of Turkish Ottoman architecture. He often designed his mosques as part of a complex comprising schools, baths, guesthouses and hospitals”

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Famous BuildingsSummary

• Mihraiman Sultan Mosque- had orig. design of main dome supported by 3 half domes

• Süleyman Mosque- built in name of Süleyman the Magnificient, on one of Isatnbul’s hills facing Golden Hotn, very important monument, dome 31 meters wider than Selimiye Mosque

• Selimiye Mosque- great architecture and artistry in design, architecture, decorations, land stone workmanship

• Other Famous Buildings by Sinan: Büyükcekmece Bridge, Ailvri bridge, Lüleburgaz (Sokullu Mehmet Pasha) Bridge over Lüleburgaz River , Sinali Bridge over Ergen River, Drina Bridge, mausoleum of Şehzade Mehmed mausoleum of Rüstem Paşa ,mausoleum of Süleyman the magnificient , Selim II’s mausoleum, Maglova Arch over Alibey River and additions to the Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi

Source 9

Bibliography (For these note-cards only)

"Arab Contributions to Civilization." American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. <http://www.adc.org/education/arab-contributions-to-civilization/>.

Esposito, John L., Abdulaziz Sachedina, Tamara Sonn, and John O. Voll, eds. The Islamic World: Past and Present. Vol. 1. New York: Oxford UP, 2004. Print.

Ettinghausen, Richard, and Oleg Grabar. The Art and Architecture of Islam:650-1250. N.p.: Yale UP, 1994. Print.

"Islamic Architecture." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Ed. Kathleen Kuiper and Gloria Lotha. Trans. Grace Young. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2012. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/693363/Islamic-architecture>.

"Mimar Sinan." Mimar Sinan. Bilkent University: Bilsen, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cs.bilkent.edu.tr/~bedir/CS411/Miscellaneous/MimarSinan.htm>.