Islam and its Architecture
Opening Agenda
• Things you need:
– Adventures in the Human Spirit Text
– Guided note sheets – pages 25-32
• Things to do:
– Opener - Reading on Islam
– Notes: Islam and Architecture
– Class work: Arabesques, Mosque of Cordoba,
and the Dome of the Rock
Opener Review
Write these answers on the back of your guided notes.
• 1) Name the religion that is the
world’s oldest continuing
religion?
• 2) Describe the floor plan of a
Hindu temple.
• 3) Describe the garba griha.
• 4) Why are some parts of the
Hindu temple painted white?
• 5) Why is the Hindu temple
located near water?
• 6) Is there one God or many
gods in Hinduism? Explain.
The Rise of Islam - Page124-128 (page 32)
1.) ______________________________ was the founder and prophet of Islam
2.) Why might some Muslims today commit suicide, through terrorism, in defense
of Islam?
3.) ___________________ is the name of the event from which Muslims date their
calendar.
4.) To what three other prophets, in Islam, might Muhammad be compared?
5.)________________________ is the universal language of Islam.
6.) In what direction do Muslims face during prayer?
7.) Islamic achievements were greatest in _________, _________, and _________.
8.) The world can thank Arabic centers of learning for preserving the works of
these two Greek philosophers: _______________ and _________________.
9.) The ____________________________________, in Jerusalem, sits on the site
where Jews believed Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac and where Muslims
believed Muhammad ascended to visit heaven.
10.) What is meant by “a common religious heritage…..among Jews, Christians,
and Muslims?”
Opener - The Rise of Islam - Page124-128
1.) ______________________________ was the founder and prophet of Islam
• Muhammad
2.) Why might some Muslims today commit suicide, through terrorism, in defense of Islam?
• Death in defense of Islam brings immediate reward of Paradise
3.) ___________ is the name of the event from which Muslims date their calendar.
• Hegira
4.) To what three other prophets, in Islam, might Muhammad be compared?
• Abraham, Moses, and Jesus
5.)________________________ is the universal language of Islam.
• Arabic
6.) In what direction do Muslims face during prayer?
• Mecca (East for USA)
7.) Islamic achievements were greatest in _________, _________, and _________.
• science, mathematics and philosophy
8.) The world can thank Arabic centers of learning for preserving the works of these
two Greek philosophers: ____________ and _________________.
• Plato and Aristotle.
9.) The _________, in Jerusalem, sits on the site where Jews believed Abraham prepared to
sacrifice Isaac and where Muslims believed Muhammad ascended to visit heaven.
• Dome of the Rock
10.) What is meant by “a common religious heritage…..among Jews, Christians, and
Muslims?” Your opinion but use supporting evidence!
Opener #3
The Rise of Islam - Page124-128
1.) Muhammadwas the founder and prophet of Islam
2.) Why might some Muslims today commit suicide, through terrorism, in defense
of Islam? Death in defense of Islam brings immediate reward of Paradise
3.) Hegira is the name of the event from which Muslims date their calendar.
4.) To what three other prophets, in Islam, might Muhammad be compared?
Abraham, Moses, and Jesus
5.)Arabic is the universal language of Islam.
6.) In what direction do Muslims face during prayer? Mecca (East for USA)
7.) Islamic achievements were greatest in science, mathematics and philosophy.
8.) The world can thank Arabic centers of learning for preserving the works of
these two Greek philosophers: Plato and Aristotle.
9.) The Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem, sits on the site where Jews believed
Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac and where Muslims believed Muhammad
ascended to visit heaven.
10.) What is meant by “a common religious heritage…..among Jews, Christians,
and Muslims?” Opinion – Answers will vary.
• Basic Information:
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Islam Overview
Islam – means submission to God
Mecca – origin of Islam; most holy city
Ramadan – 9th month on the Hegira, considered holy
1500 years
• Interesting Aspects:
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No pork or alcohol
Male Circumcision
Polygamy permitted but not practiced universally
Loans are not allowed to carry interest
Intense study of mathematics
• Five Pillars of Islam
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One god, Allah
Pray 5 times a day towards Mecca.
Donate wealth to charity.
Ramadan – fast sunrise to sunset.
Hajj to Mecca, once in a life time
• Similar to the Eight Fold Path (Buddhism) & Ten Commandments (Christianity)
Spread of Islam from 622-750 C.E.
What aspect of Islam would have caused it to spread so quickly?
(Yellow - 10 years, Light Purple 39 years, Dark Purple 128 years)
Qur’an
(Koran)
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Holy text of Islam
114 surahs (chapters)
Arabic – language of Islam
Kufic script
– earliest of Arabic calligraphy
styles
- decorative, seen on the
outside and inside of a
mosque
Islam and Figurative Images
• Allah is beyond all imagining so
there are no paintings or pictures
of him
• Arabesques
– intricate designs with sacred
text - decorative motif; organic
and geometric
– elements of Islamic art used
to decorate the walls of
mosques that reflect the
“infinite, uncentralized, nature
of the creation of Allah”.
– conveys spirituality without the
iconography of Christian art.
Geometric arabesque tiling on
the underside of the dome of
the Tomb of Hafez in Shiraz.
Arabesque Application
• Objective:
– To understand the complexity of an arabesque design by
creating an Islamic Tile
• Assignment:
– You will decorate an Islamic tile provided by creating an
arabesque design
– Design colors should be limited to create unity within all tiles
• Time Allotted: 15 minutes
• Examples:
Structures of the Mosque
• Minaret
–Slender tower near
a mosque
–Used by the
muezzin to call out
for people to come
to prayer
Minaret
Structures of the Mosque
• Mihrab
–Niche indicating Mecca,
direction Muslims pray.
–Holiest place in a
mosque
–can be of wood or
masonry and is adorned
with pillars
–decorated
Mihrab
Structures of the Mosque
• Minbar
– Pulpit in a mosque
– next to the mihrab
– Platform from which
anyone can speak , not
just religious leaders
– Speaker never goes to
the top step ; reserved
for Allah and the Prophet
Muhammad
Minbar
Identify the major structures found in a mosque.
The Mosque of Cordoba
Answer the following questions on your learning guide
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULptVmaMjYw&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Mosque of Cordoba
• Construction begun 784
– Enlarged in the 9th and 10th centuries
• Eventually became one of the
largest mosques in the Muslim
West
• In 1236, Ferdinand III king of
Castile consecrated the Great
Mosque as the city's cathedral
– The building is now a mix of Islamic and
Christian sacred structures
• Structures:
– Hypostyle prayer hall plan
• consisting of a rectangular prayer hall
and an enclosed courtyard
– Hypostyle prayer hall
• A hall with a roof supported by columns
– 36 piers, 514 columns, double arch
system that carries a wooden roof
– Needed to raise a taller roof using
shorter columns (reuse/recycle)
Dome of the Rock
Preview of the first great Islamic building:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9gKgHjSGFs&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Dome of the Rock
• This shrine was built in Jerusalem by the 9th ruler between 688-691.
• Built not only to proclaim the supremacy of Islam, but to ensure that
new followers of Islam would not be tempted by Christianity.
• Significance of this site for the following religions:
– Judaism
• Over the foundation stone
– Importance is similar to Mecca for Islam
• where Abraham was going to sacrifice his son, Isaac
• Stands above the believed location of Solomon's Temple and Herod’s
Temple
– Christianity
• Constantine's mom built the first Christian church near this site
– Constantine was Rome’s first Christian emperor
– Islam
• Muhammad ascended to Paradise from this rock to speak to Allah and
then returned as Allah’s prophet.
Dome of the Rock
• Why is it so pretty?
– Basic structures:
• Columns (different sizes), mirhab
– Details
• Full moon decoration on the top (symbolizes crescent
moon symbol of Islam
• Turkish tiles on the top (from the restoration in 50s-60s)
and white marble on the bottom.
• Arabic inscriptions from the Qur’an.
– Mathematical rhythm.
• All dimensions of the center circle are related to the major
structures.
– For example: each outer wall is 67 ft. long, which is exactly the
dome’s diameter and exactly its height from the base of the drum.
Dome of the Rock
• To recap…
Dome of the Rock Analysis
• Objective:
– To gain a greater
understanding of the Dome
of the Rock
• Assignment:
– Annotate the article by
• Circling the most
important word and
phrase in each paragraph
• Summarize each
paragraph in the space
provided
• Time allotted:
– 15 minutes
Dome of the Rock Analysis
Determine whether or not the Dome of the Rock is a mosque, a shrine, a
holy space, or a palace.
Dome of the Rock Analysis
Objective:
Determine whether or not the Dome
of the Rock is a mosque, a shrine, Secular
public space, or a palace.
1) Mosque- an Islamic structure for
worship that includes minarets, a minbar, and
a mihrab
2) Shrine- a structure dedicated or
reserved for a person or special event
3) Secular public space: where
individuals congregate without a religious
association
4) Palace- residence of royalty
Assignment:
Complete the handout provided to
determine the function of the Dome of the
Rock
Time Allotted:
10 minutes
So…What is it?
Place your answer where appropriate.
It’s a mosque.
It’s shrine.
It’s a sacred
public place.
It’s a palace.
Why does understanding the importance of
the Dome of the Rock matter?
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/world/middleeast/jews-challenge-rules-to-claim-heart-of-jerusalem.html?_r=0
• Answer the question above on the back of your Islam
guided notes as you watch the following clip.
Exit Slip
• 1) Name the structures seen below:
• 2) What structure is considered
the holiest in Islam?
• 3) Is the Dome of the Rock a mosque or a shrine?
• 4) Define arabesque.
• 5) What basic architectural structure is essential to holding
up the roof of the Mosque of Cordoba?