Islamic architecture

This article examines the history of the establishment and work of the Arab Development Society (ADS) in Palestine from 1945–55. While this study contextualizes the project within the broader history of global rural development projects in the post-Second-World-War era, it mainly frames the ADS’s activities within the regional context of Palestine, Jordan, and Israel and the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. The discussion traces the alteration of the ADS’s mission after 1948 from a rural development project into a project that utilized its village modernization ethos to deal with the pressing problem of Palestinian refugee housing in the Jordan Valley. Drawing on archival research, the article scrutinizes ADS’s encounters with states, international bodies, and the refugee population. It shows that though the ADS was able to challenge the rule of experts on the specific case of the possibility of resettlement in the Jordan Valley, it generally consolidated the patronizing logic of expertise an...

Author: Carol Hotchkiss Malt. First published in Arts and The Islamic World, Volume I Number 3 [Summer Autumn !983]. Founding Editors Jalal Uddin Ahmed and Azra J. Ahmed. Digitised, edited and newly annotated by Sajid Rizvi, ed, in 'Selections from Arts and The Islamic World 1980-1990,' London: Saffron.

This research is based on the phenomenon of community participation in the development of domed mosques in Indonesia. Community participation was identified based on capability and the nature of the community. This paper compares the involvement of people in coastal areas of Demak to the participation of people in Demak city center in Central Java, Indonesia. Data was collected through interviews with the community and stakeholders in the construction of the mosques. The results of the study indicate there are differences in the communities’ capabilities, especially concerning financing and knowledge. Different characteristics also in the total floor area of the mosque building that was built by the community. These differences have an impact on the length of time needed to construct the mosque.

Thousands of years after the establishment of mosque as a place of worship, issues and problems regarding its continuous development, especially those stemming from complexity of modern living have created the need for urban planners and architects to reconsider its planning and design in regard with limited land availability, shortage of resources, accessibility and appropriate architectural expression. Thus the aim of this research is to find a proper definition for urban mosques in compact cities and point out the key considerations for the design of urban mosques. This research is conducted qualitatively through reporting on available design guidelines related to the current topic followed by a discussion on three mosques within the Malay Archipelago as the secondary data source. Consequently, three mosques within Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were studied as a primary data source. The outcome of this research establishes a framework for possible design approach of urban mosque develop...

This study proposes a re-examination of twenty Ilkhanid (1256-1335) monuments with stucco repertoires. They retain signatures of stucco craftsmen and are mainly in Arabic and, at times, Persian. These monuments are located in Iran and neighbouring territories. The research comprises artistic and historical examination of these signatures. Its aim is to provide new information about identity, profession and mobility of craftsmen, as well as stucco workshop composition. The analysis attempts to surpass traditional examinations of craftsmen signatures, which were mainly concerned with their semantic meaning, the location on the stucco revetments, and, in particular, the identification of craftsmen and their mobility based on the nisbas in their signatures. To this aim, the study suggests that both the signature and its support, which is the stucco revetment, need to be considered as one: the trace and signature of the craftsmen. These findings are valuable for a better understanding of stucco production, the society of artists and patrons commissioning the Ilkhanid monuments and their decorative repertoires. The consideration of stucco artistic techniques, the detailed examination of repertoires and their respective signatures, therefore present valuable sources to the identity, mobility and task division of the stucco craftsmen. The relationship between signatures of craftsmen and patrons are also considered: they provide information on the links between patrons and the material culture they sponsored. The paper begins by examining a larger corpus of Ilkhanid craftsmen signatures (comprising names, surnames and verbs denoting their type of activity) in wood, lustre tiles, stone and stucco medium. Double signatures, such as those of heads of workshop and calligraphers, or architects and builders, prove especially informative on the use of different verbs to denote different artistic or architectural activities. This examination provides an insight into the differences between signatures in different media, which reflect the artistic techniques and role of calligraphers in inscription design, which is important for wall paintings, lustre tiles and wooden inscriptions. Stucco craftsmen signatures, due to the different design process and production methods, generally reflect the signatures of the heads of workshops-master craftsmen. The research combines the examination of signatures by investigating the different artistic techniques employed by the craftsmen. It tries to discern a link between signatures of workshops and artistic technique knowledge: a skill repository that migrated with them. The findings propose that stucco masters signed their works and their repeating signatures (cases of Bistam, Natanz, Turbat-i Jam, Ushturjan) reflected the use of the same artistic techniques and designs for stucco revetments. Differently from wall paintings, wooden and ceramic media, stuccos do not seem to have been signed by calligraphy experts, who helped design inscriptions. This is most likely because stucco craftsmen possessed this knowledge or because calligraphers only designed small sketches for stuccos. Stucco craftsmen mobility can thus be understood as long-distance (Turbat-i Jam-Natanz-Ushturjan; Sultaniyya-Ushturjan-Linjan-Na'in-Yazd-Abarquh; Iran-Azerbaijan-Pirsaat river) and short-distance (Bistam-Damghan; Haftshuya-Garladan-Linjan; Qurva-Sultaniyya). Furthermore, in some cases there appears to be links between patrons and craftsmen who were engaged on commissions (Na'in): they were sometimes from the same areas or settlements.

According to the Department of Archaeology, Bangladesh, there is about 423 listed archaeological sites in the country. But, there are many more yet to be unrevealed. Their true value remains unseen to the world if not taken proper action and acknowledgement. Khan Jahan Ali, on his famous journey from Champanagar (currently in Barobazar, greater Jhenaidah district) to Khalifatabad (present day Bagerhat district); he crossed quite a few remote areas and set up human settlements. On his way he built roads, dug large water bodies for fresh supply of water, established mosques and houses for the inhabitants. His unique construction style is quite evident on the structures along the 112.7 km long road distinguished by an old earthen embankment, traversing through (i) Barobazar, (ii) Murali-Qasba, (iii) Poyogram-Qasba and (iv) Khalifatabad (Bagerhat) The road is still known as Khanjali Road. The first segment of this road, known as Hakimpur - Barobazar road contains nine sultanate mosques ...

The On-site Review Report, formerly called the Technical Review, is a document prepared for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture by commissioned independent reviewers who report to the Master Jury about a specific shortlisted project. The reviewers are architectural professionals specialised in various disciplines, including housing, urban planning, landscape design, and restoration. Their task is to examine, on-site, the shortlisted projects to verify project data seek. The reviewers must consider a detailed set of criteria in their written reports, and must also respond to the specific concerns and questions prepared by the Master Jury for each project. This process is intensive and exhaustive making the Aga Khan Award process entirely uniqu

The construction of tombs in the era of Islamic architecture is usually considered as being a manifestation of beliefs and rituals related to the honoring of the dead, along with other religious buildings, including mosques. The various structural methods of the tombs have been influenced by varied cultural and material factors. However, contrasting opinions and votes have been allocated to the issue of tombs laws in Islamic jurisprudence. At any rate, a foregone conclusion is that the presence of a large number of these buildings in many Islamic countries emphasises their special position in the Islamic society. Different types of Islamic decorative arts can be studied in accordance with the importance of the most beautiful historical domes of Iran, namely Kabood and Ghafarieh domes. This research is based on the study of some applied elements, such as tiling (Kashi Kari) and brickwork, as well as some of the architectural elements in the domes of Maragheh, like polo, which have not been observed in other Iranian buildings.

Luminous new photography showcases contemporary and historic homes in the beloved Spanish Style in Southern California, while offering, as well, a rare look at the original inspirations to the style, born in Andalusia, Spain.

The great appeal of Spanish Style homes lies in their aura of romance and drama, a sense of story, of magic, as well as in their very comfortable and engaging proportions and the great livability of the interior spaces. Deep shadow, arched doorways, trickling courtyard fountains, climbing bougainvillea on wrought-iron window grilles, wood-beamed ceilings, and white plaster walls are all hallmarks of the style. Here, through a celebration of contemporary and historic homes in Southern California, as well as existing historic precedents in Andalusia, Spain--most notably the intricately detailed Casa de Pilatos in Seville and the Alhambra of Granada--The Spanish Style House presents the definitive picture of the style as it exists today.

Featured homes include the George Washington Smith-designed Casa Blanca (1928)--a fantasy made real in stone and stucco replete with the romance of old Morocco in its horseshoe arches, domes, and evocative tile murals--and a Marc Appleton-designed beach house (2007) in Del Mar, California, which is a dream on the sea and an eloquent testament to the virtues of the style for today. Publish Date: March 09, 2021
Format: Hardcover
Category: House & Home - Decorating & Furnishings
Publisher: Rizzoli
Trim Size: 9 x 9
Pages: 256
US Price: $55.00
CDN Price: $75.00
ISBN: 978-0-8478-6516-1
See https://www.rizzoliusa.com/book/9780847865161/

God created human as caliph on this earth. Caliph means leader, care-taker and guardian. Therefore humans have an obligation to maintain, preserve and conserve this natural for future generations. Today we see a lot of damage that occurs in the earth caused by human behavior. Islam saw the whole of nature as a place of prayer that must be maintained its cleanliness and purity. Therefore as Muslims we need to preserve nature as we keep our place of prayer. The main objective of this paper is to re-questioning and re-interpreting the idea of sustainability in Islamic Architecture through a critical analysis of first project of 2nd year architecture student of UKM which is the “Temporary Praying Platform”. The discussion itself will be divided into three (3) main parts. The first part will be discussing contemporary issues in Islamic Architecture especially in the design of Mosques while the second part will expand the framework of sustainability in Islamic Architecture. The last part ...

Decentralization of the Caliphate power early in the 11th century fostered the appearance of multiple local powers on the head of new independent states, which were ruled by different ethnicities. This political configuration of the Taifas had remarkable consequences in the architecture aesthetic. Taking the Caliphal art as a base, they diversified the artistic language of that time.
From a synthetic and comparative study it will be considered why some taifa kingdoms fully assumed the ancient heritage and others, conversely, re-formulated this art language with solutions unseen in the Iberian Peninsula. Consequently, our target is to understand the role played by the art during the 11th century in al-Andalus as a generator of not only legitimizing, but also ideological and identity discourses.

Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque is one of the most beautiful and salient examples of Iranian architecture of the Safavid era, in Isfahan. Despite the scientific studies on the architecture of this mosque, its sacred and semantic concepts have been overlooked behind its hidden values. Therefore, the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque has been studied as a human-made place using the phenomenological approach to architecture, in order to understand the importance of inducing the concept of genius loci; and by examining each of the elements and comparing them to the ideas and components of place. The authors try to answer the question that what environmental qualities of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque build its genius loci? The research method used in this paper was phenomenology and information were gathered by library studies. The result of the research indicates that this Mosque has significant values, including semantic load, and there is a relationship between its elements and their material and semanti...

Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, followed by a large number of mosques scattered in various places and these mosques sometimes have a problem regarding the efficiency in managing the resources of a mosque. This paper is designed to introduce the concept of mosque design based on the principles of smart building with the literature study methods and analysis, and comparison to the values in the philosophy of the Qur'an to determine the suitability of the application of smart building technology in the design of a mosque. With the support of some religious activities program, the expected result is "smart mosque", that would also suit with the site and user.

إن من طبيعة النفس البشرية حبّها للتطوير، وقد ظهر هذا على مر التاريخ من خلال التجارب التي تشدها تطلعات وآمال مستقبلية لما هو أفضل، ابتداءً من طوباوية أفلاطون في (The Republic) ومروراً بالتوجهات الإصلاحية في عصر النهضة والحداثة. فقد تزايد ظهور هذه النظريات بشكل كبير في عصر الحداثة مما جعل مفهوم المثاليات الحضرية (Urban Utopia) مرتبط بشكل كبير بمثاليات الحداثة وبرامجها الإصلاحية الشمولية. إلا أن فشل الحداثة في تحقيق برنامجها الإصلاحي أدى بالبعض إلى فقدان الثقة بالمثاليات وإلى الإيمان بعدم وجود بديل للمشهد الحضري المعاصر. وقد نحى هذا بالمثاليات لدى مؤيديها إلى تبني فلكٍ جديدٍ، ربما ما بعد حداثي، بعيداً عن الطروحات الشمولية الحداثية ومرتكزاً على المشهد الحضري الرأسمالي المعاصر، لعلَّها تكون المنفذ من الضياع الحالي والسبيل للوصول إلى مفهوم المجتمعات المثالية. ومن هذه المثاليات توجه المدينة الجيدة (Good city) والمدينة العادلة (Just city) والحق في المدينة (Rights to the city)، وكذلك الطروحات المثالية ذات التوجهات العمرانية كالإسكان التعاوني (co-housing) وحركة التحضر الجديد (New Urbanism).
إن معظم المثاليات المعاصرة إنما تنطلق في طروحاتها من محاولات الإصلاح والتعديل والتحسين وليس التغيير الشامل، بمعنى تقبُّل النظام الرأسمالي العام ومحاولة إصلاح أمراضه الحضرية وليس تغييره بشكل جذري. لذا فإن السؤال الأهم هنا هو: هل تستطيع هذه المثاليات تحقيق أهدافها والخروج بحلول بناءة في ظل نظام مجتمعي رأسمالي؟ أو بمعنى آخر، هل تُمكّن الرأسمالية هذه المثاليات من النجاح، أم أنها تشكل عائقاً أمام نجاحها؟ فهل هي بذلك أمل أم وهم؟ سيقوم هذا البحث بقراءة ناقدة لبعض المثاليات الحضرية وتحليل أهم أهدافها ومحاورها، وتقويم قدرتها في الوصول إلى حلول لأزمات المشهد الحضري المعاصر.

This paper elucidates the emergence and evolution of arabesque with specific reference to the case of arabesque in Turkish art and architecture. It is argued here that arabesque is a fusion of styles rather than a pure and homogenous style. Furthermore, the paper aims to show that although the arabesque style appears to be a fanciful and freely organized manner of artistic treatment it is based on a very complex mathematical logic which is expressed through abstractionism. In this context, the grammar of geometry is elaborately used in the implementation of abstraction. Here, general characteristics as well as different modes or types of arabesque are discussed. Starting with the etymological roots of the term, the history of its use in the literature is explored through the paper. After the inquiry of its material and pragmatic aspects, the development of the arabesque style is evaluated with regard to its transformations that took place along with its injection to Anatolia and mix...

The Lake Urmia region in northwest Iran is one often overlooked not only in terms of Syriac studies, but also when it comes to Eastern Christianity and especially art and architecture — not the least because many western scholars have found the area to be inaccessible.

Prior to the First World War this region was an Assyrian Christian cultural centre and, especially from the 1830s onwards, it witnessed an unprecedented renaissance in terms of original cultural and literary output. Indeed, the Urmia region stands out as one where the Assyrians were sufficiently numerous and well off enough to develop excellent skills as stonecutters, copyists, and builders — especially from the sixteenth century onwards.

A common generalisation has been that the Assyrians of Urmia, being for the most part rural agriculturalists and members of the largely aniconic Church of the East, were thus devoid of any serious kind of artistic expression. Despite this misconception, evidence does exist in the form of tombstone art, manuscript miniatures and architecture, whether religious or domestic, all of which may be seen as forms of visual expression comparable to that of their neighbours. Although much of the older material has not survived due to constant wars, pogroms and conflict in the area, enough still remains to warrant serious study. This is important in reconstructing a yet poorly documented and little-studied part of Middle Eastern art history.

زاگرس‌مرکزی را با دره‌ها و رودخانه‌های غیر‌قابل عبور می‌شناسیم، این ویژگی و خصلت مناطق جغرافیایی زاگرس‌مرکزی مردمان این مناطق را بر آن داشته که همواره در ادوار مختلف پل‌هایی جهت سهولت عبور و مرور در این مناطق بسازند که نمودی از معماری ایران در ادوار تاریخی گوناگون است. هرچند براساس مدارک موجود پیشینه پل‌سازی در همدان به‌دوره صفوی بازمی¬گردد ولی با توجه به اهمیت همدان در دوران تاریخی بی¬شک دارای قدمتی بیشتر است. هم¬چنین نقطه اوج معماری پل‌سازی در ایران نیز متعلق به‌دوران صفوی است. مصالح عمده به‌کار رفته در ساخت این پل‌ها از آجر و سنگ با ملات ساروج و با قوس‌های متنوع بیضی ساده و جناقی شکل است. در ادامه معماری پل‌سازی در دوره قاجار نیز این سازه‌ها با همان سنت معماری دوره صفوی ادامه یافته است. گرچه اغلب پل‌های تاریخی‌ استان همدان شناسایی شده¬اند، ولی در مطالعه‌ی موردی آن‌ها به سال 1389 می¬توان تغییرات پیش آمده و هم‌چنین وضعیت موجود آن¬ها را نشان داد. در این پژوهش پُل تاریخی زرامین از نو بررسی شده و با تاکید بر مقایسه¬ها و توصیف پلان‌ این پل‌، اصول پل‌سازی در همدان بازشناسی شده است.

This paper focuses on the Ottoman bedestens in Greece, by considering the analysis and interpretation of the related texts in the archives and historic references. Evliyâ Çelebi provides a wealth of data regarding the Ottoman bedestens, along with their functions, administrative system and staff. This information underlines that the bedestens were semi-official buildings and were subject to State control and management, reflecting its commercial and economic policy.
This paper discusses the importance of the bedesten as a new architectural creation in the centre of the Ottoman city, and its importance in reorganising and distinguishing the layout of the core of some significant Ottoman cities. As a result, the historic Ottoman cities could be classified into cities including a bedesten and others that didn’t. The study shows the relation between the presence of the bedesten in a city and its commercial and economic value considering the city’s site. This is obvious for cities located on main commercial roads. Along the Via Egnatia, there are cities which have bedestens in Greece. The Ottoman bedestens found in Greece were accounted for, focusing on the surviving examples.
The study concludes that the Ottoman bedesten flourished from architecture and function point of view during the years of Sultan Mehmed II (1451-1481). This study proves that the present-day bedesten in the city of Serres is not the original one described by Evliyâ Çelebi, but it is a later reconstruction. The bedesten of Larissa was also dated in the light of the waqf (vakıf) document of the founder Hacı Ömer Bey, the son of Hacı Turhan to the years before 889 H/ 1484 CE.
To read/download this article:
https://shedet.journals.ekb.eg/article_137683.html
https://shedet.journals.ekb.eg/article_137683_bcd210a6005adc81a17e9d9de04f948f.pdf

The Lake Urmia region in northwest Iran is one often overlooked not
only in terms of Syriac studies, but also when it comes to Eastern Christianity
and especially art and architecture – not the least because many western
scholars have found the area to be inaccessible. Prior to the First World War
this region was an Assyrian Christian cultural centre and, especially from the
1830s onwards, it witnessed an unprecedented renaissance in terms of original
cultural and literary output. Indeed, the Urmia region stands out as one
where the Assyrians were sufficiently numerous and well off enough to develop
excellent skills as stonecutters, copyists, and builders – especially from the sixteenth century onwards.

Tra le testimonianze piu' suggestive della cultura araba in occidente sono da annoverare le architetture ed i giardini di delizie arabo-normanni realizzati nella Conca d'Oro a Palermo.

La conquista araba della Sicilia, avvenuta tra l' 827 ed il 965 e protrattasi sino al 1072, si colloca temporalmente in un periodo storico in cui il resto dell'Europa e' caratterizzato dal declino dell'impero carolingio e dalla coeva presenza degli Arabi in Spagna.

La dominazione dell'isola sotto forma di emirato, di fatto indipendente dalle famiglie delle dinastie aglabita e fatimita di provenienza, porta citta' come Palermo alla ribalta nel panorama europeo del tempo, permettendo alla Sicilia di raggiungere per oltre duecento anni, nella analisi dello storico Michele Amari, una civilizzazione ed una prosperita' ignote ad altre regioni italiane.

Gli Arabi riorganizzano l'assetto del territorio palermitano con l'eliminazione del latifondo e danno un impulso significativo all'agricoltura con lo sviluppo di nuovi sistemi di canalizzazione e di raccolta delle acque, costruiscono interi quartieri urbani ex-novo con palazzi e giardini extra-moenia, incrementano i commerci e sviluppano la cultura, facendo di Palermo uno dei principali centri di attrazione di tutto il mediterraneo, il secondo del Maghreb dopo Cordova, per la magnificenza delle sue moschee e dei suoi hammām.

Chap. 2 of:
Earthen Architecture in Muslim Cultures. Historical and Anthropological Perspectives (S. Pradines ed.). Brill, sept. 2018.

This edited volume follows the panel “Earth in Islamic Architecture” organised for the World Congress for Middle Eastern Studies (WOCMES) in Ankara, on the 19th of August 2014.

Educational system of the society is one of the fundamental pillars of emergence, development, and transfer of its cultural elements. The system itself involves four pillars, including educational structure, instructor, learner, and educational environment. Earlier researches on the architectural history of Iranian schools indicates that the relationship between education and school architecture has not been widely explored. The main research question is how the transformations of educational system have been relevant with the transformations of Iranian schools spaces? The study aims at recognizing the spatial evolution of Iranian schools architecture. It seems that with the transformation of Educational system in the Qajar period and the establishment of Darolfunoon academy,the system and the architecture of schools have gradually shifted the traditional school to new ones. Based on a historical-interpretive approach, data were gathered using library method, then were analyzed citing historical documents. To this end, three periods were identified in the educational system and architectural developments and three typical schools of the given periods, including Sepahsalar School, Darolfunoon academy, and Alborz high school, and their relevant educational systems were analyzed. Studies suggested that the traditional system had been based on the concurrent life and learning, coordination of spiritual and worldly sciences, and Interactive relationship between master and disciple. This system had interacted with the architecture of schools, with prominent features such as considering one place for living and learning, the use of schools for religious affairs, and considering large spaces for schools. In the next period, the religious aspect and the interaction between disciple and master has been removed from schools such as the Darolfunoon, but the overall shape the central courtyard has been preserved and the function of the chambers has shifted to classrooms. Finally, in the modern educational system, the architecture of schools has become linear, the classes and their layout has led to a unilateral teacher-student relationship, and has distanced from the architecture of the traditional schools.

Art behind Islamic architecture actually based on geometric patterns, developed through a continuous practice over the centuries after centuries by the influences of various earlier cultures such as Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Central Asian and Persian. Basic shapes like squares and rectangles play significant role in Islamic architecture.The reason is, it might recall the principles that govern the order of the world- ‘Purity’, could only be resembled by pure forms. The façades built by rectangular bricks tend to shape the built form in regular modules. This brickwork casts shadows in strong desert sunlight and creates a three-dimensional effect
as light is welcoming message from the Devine source, as it is regarded in all religions. In addition, various pointed starry patterns are common practice and get extremely complex when the outer points are joined together and intersections are connected in a systematic way. Another mode is based on organism of floral forms which recalls the feminine nature of life giving. Again, nobody will argue about the contribution of
calligraphy is the most patronized art for decoration. Why have Islamic world choose this universal phenomena? As Allah’s creation is pre-decided, the credit of all creativity belongs to the almighty. Also to his messenger, the holy prophet; who taught us to think in this way. The world is only a shadow of real world; here man is on a bewildered search. May be their firm belief; what man can perceive, can only discover the geometric forms to constitute designs which were already existed before in the ‘real world’. Discovered geometric forms, therefore, tries to exemplify that perfect reality because creation of Allah has been obscured by the sins of mankind- Art of the complete surrender.