Islamic Architecture
Architectural History
ACT 322
Doris Kemp
Topics

Private Structures
Site Orientation
 Floor Plans
 Facades


Selected Structures
Islamic Architecture: Private
Structures

Palaces and townhouses were common among
rulers and the wealthy in Islam

Very often fortified

Provided for seclusion and protection
Interior courtyards were very common among both
palaces and townhouses
 Represented the splendorous, luxurious lives of the
wealthy

Islamic Architecture: Private
Structures
Photo: Sullivan
Islamic Architecture: Private
Structures

Site Orientation
Palaces were normally sited on high points, such as
hills, and defensible positions
 In cities, public townhouses were situated in private
areas away from public structures
 Both were built around exteriors depicting the
Muslim paradise

Lush gardens
 Fountains and water channels

Islamic Architecture: Private
Structures
Photo: Sullivan
Islamic Architecture: Private
Structures

Floor Plans
Palaces and houses both consisted of groups of
rectangular rooms interconnected around courtyards
and gardens
 In palaces, entrance doorways usually opened into
large public meeting places, such as the modern
living room


Materials

Most Islamic domestic structures were constructed
of wood on stone or brick foundations
Islamic Architecture: Private
Structures

Facades

Palaces normally consisted of a plain exterior

Little architectural detailing except at entranceways and
rooflines
Interior courtyards usually featured intricate
decoration and architectural detail
 Town houses were normally multi-storied structures
that project over each other


Carved beams were normally featured on the floor
supports
Islamic Architecture: Private
Structures

Windows

Typically varied in size and placement



Dependent on the purpose of the room or structure
Most windows featured shutters for privacy
Roofs

Most Islamic private dwellings consisted of clay-tile
roofs
Islamic Architecture: Private
Structures

The Alhambra



Built by Ibn al-Ahmar
Famous Islamic palace in
Granada, Spain
Features a mosque, court
complexes, a bath, and
royal residential quarters
Photo: Sullivan
Islamic Architecture: Private
Structures

The Alhambra

Lion Court
Greek derived peristyle court
 Three-dimensional architectural decoration formed by
stucco/wood into a network of open cell
 Resembles a cross-section of a honeycomb

Islamic Architecture: Private
Structures
Photo: Sullivan
Islamic Architecture: Private
Structures
Photo: Sullivan
Islamic Architecture: Private
Structures
Photo: Sullivan
Islamic Architecture: Private
Structures
Photo: Sullivan
Islamic Architecture: Selected
Architecture

Mosque of Suleyman
Located in Constantinople
 Huge, domed structure
 Appears to float above a ring of light formed by
closely spaced windows at the base
 Features a Minaret tower


Religious symbol where the faithful are called to prayer
Islamic Architecture: Selected
Architecture
Photo: Sullivan
Islamic Architecture: Selected
Architecture
Photo: Sullivan
Islamic Architecture: Selected
Architecture
Photo: Sullivan
Islamic Architecture: Selected
Architecture

Umayyad Great Mosque


Built within the ruins of
the walls of a Roman
temple precinct in
Damascus, Syria
Developed to function as
a large assembly place
Photo: Sullivan
Islamic Architecture: Selected
Architecture
Photo: Sullivan
Islamic Architecture: Selected
Architecture

Mausoleum Complex
of Sultan Hasan alNasir


Located in Cairo, Egypt
c. 1356 - 1362.
Photo: Sullivan
Islamic Architecture: Selected
Architecture
Photo: Sullivan
Islamic Architecture: Selected
Architecture
Photo: Sullivan
References
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


Sullivan, Mary; http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/
http://www.brynmawr.edu/Acads/Cities/wld/wdpt1.html
Trachtenburg/Hyman; Architecture: From Prehistory to
Postmodernity
Wodehouse/Moffett; A History of Western Architecture
Islamic Architecture
Architectural History
ACT 322
Doris Kemp