ARC261: Intro to Islamic Architecture

Lecture 1: Intro to Islamic Architecture

• The lecture covers the history of Islamic architecture and early examples
• It looks at Islamic architecture from the 7th century AD to the present, spanning from Spain to India

Course Information

• The course code is ARC261, titled "History of Architecture (2)"
• It requires ARC161 as a prerequisite
• The total credits for the course are 2 hours of lectures per week
• The course uses analytical studies of architecture and arts of successive Islamic periods in Egypt, covering the Tulunid, Fatimid, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods
• The course aims to illustrate the unity of Islamic architectural expression in each period with its specific culture and environment
• Examples are selected from religious and secular architecture like Masjids, Madrasas, Palaces, and Caravanserais
• Field trips are considered an integral part of the program

The Spread of Islamic Architecture

• Islamic architecture spread widely from India and Central Asia in the east to Andalusia and the Maghreb in the west
• The architecture also spread from southern Italy and Sicily in the north to Yemen in the south

Characteristics of Islamic Architecture

• Architectural styles vary across the vast Islamic world despite a shared style over many centuries
• Differences are seen in building materials, column types, crownings, arches, minarets, domes, pendants, geometric patterns, vegetal designs, calligraphy, and surface treatments

Examples of Regions with Islamic Architecture

• The Arabian Peninsula
• The Levant and Palestine
• Egypt
• Iran
• India
• Spain/Andalusia

General Traits of Islamic Architecture

• Islamic architecture is the vessel of civilization, reflecting cultural identity, creativity, and aesthetic values
• Islamic architecture adapted from nomadic dwellings to urban buildings while preserving an original character reflecting human needs and traditions
• Islamic arts share a general unity, making it possible to recognize a piece produced under Islamic civilization in any region
• The unity is a secret to the Islamic civilization's excellence and its ability to imprint artistic products in all regions with a single character

The Birth of Islamic Architecture

• Islamic architecture began with the construction of mosques and "Arribat" (fortified monasteries), then schools, "Khanqah" (Sufi lodges), public drinking fountains, Quranic schools, and hospitals
• The mosque is a cornerstone in the development of Islamic architecture
• "Arribat" were structures that spread in Jerusalem during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods to house those dedicated to defending the Aqsa Mosque
• They evolved into residences for poor students of religious knowledge and others

Three Approaches to Defining Islamic Architecture

Historical and Emotional

• This approach depends on three guiding principles in defining Islamic civilization
• The formalistic aspect focuses on shapes like arches, domes, courtyards, and mashrabiyas, attributing Islamic functions to these forms rooted in Islamic thought with a shared religious and social context

Spiritual

• This approach sees the Islamic architectural history as a direct reflection of Sūfī theories
• It is based on the work of great Sūfīs from the Middle Ages, such as Ibn Arabi and Jalal al-Din Rumi, with the use of symbolic expressions without historical tracing of the effect of Sūfī thought on architecture's shape, content, and decoration

Environmental

• This approach sees Islamic creations, especially popular and rural ones, as linked to their environment
• These designs represent creative responses to environmental factors, such as excessive heat, arid climates, and water scarcity
• This climatic feature might be prevalent in the majority of the Islamic world; it’s neither absolute nor consistent

Academic Approach to Islamic Architecture

• A common definition of Islamic architecture incorporates design elements from historical models, the Ṣūfī dimension, and an organic environmental response to an arid and hot desert climate
• The academic approach focuses on geography, and it views Islamic architecture as the entirety of buildings and structures in cities across the Islamic world
• It includes areas once part of it like Andalusia and Sicily

The Academic and Geographical Perspectives

• The Islamic world includes regions that were never politically part of the Islamic state but were culturally and commercially influenced, like parts of Malaysia, the southern Philippines, and regions of China and Africa south of the Sahara
• Islamic architecture spans from the 7th century to the early 19th century between the rise of Islam and the European colonization of most Islamic lands, and the continuation of the Western dominance impacting the architectural production
• It goes beyond the end of colonialism during the Arab Renaissance

Orientalists on Islamic Architecture

• It is important to realize that the architecture created by Muslims was a product of their social and environmental needs
• The architecture was an integration with philosophy, spirit and time, which means that it cannot be static in the world of change
• A contrast occurs between the concept of Islamic architecture as a concept and the built structures of Muslims
• Some orientalists have closely studied Islamic heritage through reading texts that extensively described landmarks, including histories, biographies of rulers and travel accounts
• The culminations become finding locations by some orientalists, then portraying them on plans or paper through the reading and classification of data

Classifying Islamic Architecture

Non-Islamic Architecture

• Architecture that clearly violates Islamic laws is considered non-Islamic
• Constructions such as mausoleums, structures built on graves, or those that expose the private parts of Muslims (especially if built by muslims)

Disliked Islamic Architecture

• Architecture that the Prophet Muhammad or his companions frowned upon, such as decorating mosques excessively
• It is any action that leads to extravagance and the waste of Muslims’ money

Islamic Architecture

• Architecture that adheres to the teachings of Islam is considered Islamic