Pre-Islamic
Huge stone box wrapped in textile; ritual walking around; circumambulation; pilgrimage destination
Kaaba
Centrally planned; modeled on byzantine maryrium; mosaics borrowed from byzantine ornamented interior and glass; reflection of Islamic power built off of previous sites
Dome of the Rock
Centralized city plan w/ wealthy living in the center surrounded by walls w/ bent entrance = defense strategy
Baghdad
Built on Roman city and infrastructure; hypostyle and minaret, but qibla wall is faced south not southwest towards mecca; b/c attempting to imitate mosque of damascus
2 tiers of arches using horseshoe arch to raise the roof
San estaban portal: monumental arch on exterior w/ same color voussoirs as interior -> ceremonial ornamentation from palaces to mosques
Mihrab bays w/ maqsura: private space for the caliph by crossing horseshoes
Mosque of Cordoba
Has outer enclosure - ziyada
Large courtyard, 5 aisles of prayer hall are parallel to qibla wall that shift to stay parallel to courtyard in middle along sides = riwaqs; built of brick covered with stucco
Mosque of Ibn Tulun
First Islamic mosque; hypostyle mosque
Open courtyard with roofed area on supports; egalitarian design: columns are equidistant and easily expandable
House of Prophet/ Prophet Mosque
Was previous roman temple and Christian church
Hypostyle mosque with qibla and mihrab overall axis; nave forms perpendicular axis: spatial hierarchy
Prayer hall rested on double arcade of columns used to raise roof; facade covered with mosaics: byzantine technique adapted to aniconic images in Islam
Great Mosque of Damascus
Bab al-Amma (reception gate)
3 iwan portal; huge and built rapidly; bevelled stucco used to ornament: geometric and floral design
Balkuwara
Built by wealthy patron; 9 bay type mosque; each dome filled w/ different brick patterns; visual reference to cordoba;
Bib Mardum Mosque
Victory monument above surrounding city; seizing highly charged religious spaces to reflect power and presence of Islam; the temple mount
Jewish significance: site of Solomon's temple; Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac (also Christian)
Muslim significance: prophet’s night journey / miraculous ascent into heaven
Haram al-Sharif
Large enclosure
Small enclosure (khan)
City within arid desert, uses wadi / seasonal stream to carry water in and out of city; walls used to retain water when it rained and let it flow when excess
Khan: inn for traveling merchants meant to look heavily fortified; projecting balcony to drop oil or bombs
Qasr al-Hayr
Large mosque, use of glass mosaics at mihrab; very tall round minaret w/ spiral shape influenced by ziggurats
Mosque of al-Mutawakkil
Upper Garden; Salon Rico and Baths
Small Garden
Largest palace city complex; divided by levels; higher up = more important
Palace zone: cong mosque on lower level -> chahar bagh on middle level
Salon rico: ceremonial reception hall, 3 parallel aisles formed by horseshoe arches; mirador view of lower garden = princes supervision over the kingdom
Madinat al-Zahra
First known example of a chahar bagh 4 garden representation
Origins lay in reflection of the agricultural landscape: Islam says to steward the earth
Axial four part plan
Rusafa
9 piers supported by 9 domes
9 bay type mosque (not congregation) use of bevelled stucco
Mosque built by a patron: seen in its small size
Masjid-i Tarilkh
Bath hall
Throne room stacked volume of domes and 16 stone piers arcuated system; decorated w/ mosaics and carved figures
Bath hall used as a representation of power and opulence
Monumental entrance aba construction vaults the caliph above the doorway so all visitors are physically going underneath him / below his power
Abundance of power shows ability to collect + manipulate the movement of water
Palace
Khirbat al-Mafjar