Hindu and Islamic Architecture Quiz

Architecture of Nepal

• Nepali architecture is influenced by Indian and Chinese cultures.
• Notable features include chortens (stupas), multi-tiered temples, and building types with intricate lattice-screened wooden windows.
• Elaborately detailed wood carvings adorn pillars, lintels, and beams.
• Newar architecture, named after indigenous inhabitants of Kathmandu Valley, is characterized by monumental pillars supporting metal superstructures adorned with mystical symbols, divinities, and royal portraits.
• Street facades of houses typically feature courtyards.
• Durbar Square is a general term for plazas opposite old royal palaces.
• Buildings are typically 3 stories tall, with the ground floor used as a shop, recessed beneath an overhanging first floor.
• A trabeated system of construction is common, featuring wooden posts, beams, and struts with clear intermingling of structure and ornamentation.
• Each floor is supported by brackets and struts, sometimes ornately curved and painted.
• Roofs are a defining feature, often double-pitched with a ridge on the central spine wall and bracket support overhanging precariously on building walls.
• Roofs are sometimes layered with special clay tiles (jhingati), and often use metal gutters.

Architecture of Bhutan

• The primary materials consist of timber, brick, clay mortar, stone, and metal.
• Timber is used for structural components such as roof frames, floors, columns, beams, lintels, doors, and windows. Sal trees are a common timber source.
• Bricks and clay mortar are used for superstructures and plinths in most buildings.
• Oil-glazed bricks (Telia Inta) are sometimes used for facades.
• Stone is used for special features like sculptures of deities, guardians, lintels, plinths, stairs, and foundations.
• Metal (iron, brass, copper) is employed for bells, pinnacles, and ornamentation. Metal is less used for structural components.
• Buildings are characterized by their adaptation to the high-altitude, cold, arid climate of the Tibetan Plateau.

Building Types: Ancient Tombs

• Tibetan ancient tombs are often situated amidst mountains.
• The tombs are generally cube-shaped; planes are square or trapezoidal.
• Materials used include earth, stone, grass, and logs.
• The mixture of earth, stone, and grass is packed in layers, and logs are interspersed to reinforce the tombs.

Building Types: Tibetan Monasteries

• Tibetan monasteries are large complexes of temples, halls, residence quarters, stupas, and colleges.
• They're divided into sections such as temples, cave temples, and stupas surrounding a main hall.
• The layout often reflects the mandala, a representation of the Buddhist world.

Building Types: Tibetan Temples

• Based on Reuters reporting, there are over 1700 temples & monasteries in Tibet.
• Tibetan temples typically have flat roofs and hold ashes of reincarnating lamas.
• Historically, yak-butter lamps were used for lighting; today, electric lamps are also common.
• Temples are commonly square or rectangular and divided into parts like assembly halls, ambulatories, and cells.
• Many temples feature a religious wheel between two deer on the roof.

Building Types: Pagoda

• Pagodas were introduced in Nepal in the 13th century and later spread to other Asian countries.
• Pagodas are often topped with triangular spires enclosing an inverted bell of stucco or burnished gold.
• Wooden struts (tundals) are a common feature, often carved with deities specific to the dedicated temple.
• Doors of temples and palaces are often made of carved wood or embossed metal, typically 4.5–5 feet high.
• Window placements follow an odd number pattern (1, 3, 5...) based on the wall's size.

Building Types: Stupa (Chaitya)

• Stupas were likely introduced by the Indian King Ashoka in the 1st century BC.
• Stupas are typically dome-shaped, with a pinnacle.
• The dome often features Buddha's eyes, which represents radiant energy.
• The base of a stupa is often a tiered design with prayer flags and prayer wheels encircling the base.
• Some are believed to house the relics of a saint or ashes of Buddha.

Building Types: Summit (Sikhara) Style

• Became popular in Nepal around the 17th and 18th centuries.
• A shikhara is a tall, curvilinear, or pyramidal tower with sections, often topped with golden pinnacles.
• Some shikharas are roofless with several towering tops.
• Stone is a primary construction material, often carved for doors.
• Brick is typically used for walls.

Architectural Elements:

• The Sikhara is the extravagantly ornate peak of the tower on top of Hindu temples.
• The layering of a temple tower corresponds to concerns of local cults, and universal themes.
• Hindu temples often contain statues and carvings of animals and figurative decorations, representing the sanctity of all life.

Potala Palace

• Considered most important example of Tibetan architecture.
• Located at the center of Tibet, with a peak reaching over 3,750m above sea level.
• Built in 1645 by the 5th Dalai Lama.
• Consists of over 1,000 rooms and covers over 13 hectares (32 acres).
• Stone walls average 3 meters thick.
• The palace serves as a testament to Tibetan beliefs.

Main Parts of the Potala Palace: The Red Palace

• Functioned as the Dalai Lama's living quarter.
• Houses mausoleums of prior Dalai Lamas.
• Typically adorned with chapels, religious items (like statues), and ornamentation, often with gilded motifs.
• The mausoleum of the 5th Dalai Lama stands out as the tallest building and ornate structures.

Main Parts of the Potala Palace: The White Palace

• Housed the offices of the Tibetan government, administrative halls, and official governmental assembly halls.
• Contains the previous Dalai Lama's courts (some ten in total)
• Norbulingka was built nearby later, and served as the summer residence.

Building Typologies:

• Mosque: A Muslim building for public prayer; sometimes called masjid or musjid. 
• Madrasah: A Muslim theological school often situated around a courtyard, sometimes as part of a mosque.
• Hammam: A communal bathhouse, often for men and women separately.
• Palace: A complex structure that often includes living spaces, gardens, and represents societal hierarchy.
• Mausoleum: A structure for the burial or commemoration of important figures.
• Caravansarei/Caravansary: A lodging place for travelers and trade caravans.
• Kasbah: A fortified residence of a local leader, providing protection and defense.

Architectural Elements (Mosque):

• Color: Used extensively in decorations.
• Sahn: The central courtyard of the mosque.
• Fawwara: Ablution fountain in the courtyard for ritual cleansing.
• Minaret: Tower with a balcony from which the call to prayer is made (muezzin)
• Iwan: Large, vaulted portal opening that leads to the courtyard of the mosque.
• Mimbar: Pulpit from which religious readings and speeches are delivered.
• Qibla: The direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, often indicated by a niche (mihrab) in the mosque's wall.
• Maqsurah: An enclosure around the mihrab or the leadership.
• Dikka: A platform within the mosque from which the imam (leader of prayer) preaches.
• Muqarna: Intricate, honeycomb-like vaulted decoration.

Architectural Character:

• Warrior like - Often displayed through strength of design and materials.
• Masculine - Strong, assertive forms.
• Demanding submission – A required architectural quality. Reflects missionary and militaristic devotion to god - This is represented in its grand scale and strength sometimes expressed through the details of it
• Others expressed subtle and tranquil structure - This is represented in the designs and aesthetics of the buildings, less likely to be shown in the design or style alone but more in the detailed aesthetics.

Architecture of Sikkim

• Sikkimese architecture is influenced by its neighboring countries (India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and China).
• Sikkimese architecture demonstrates notable elements from the extremity of the climate and elevation of its geographical location.
• Types of communities living in Sikkim include Lepcha, Limbu, and Bhutia.

Nepali Architecture (Building Typologies)

•  Mandira: A Hindu temple
• Stupa: A hemispherical mound used for religious worship
• Chaitya: A place of worship, often a hall or cave, with a prominent archway.
• Vihara: A monastery or temple complex
• Stepwell: An underground well with multiple levels used for water storage during droughts
• Stambha/Lat: A freestanding stone pillar or monument, often bearing religious inscriptions or statues.
• Public Baths: Communal bathing facilities
• Palace: Residential complex

Hindu Temple Architectural Styles

•  Nagara: Northern region temple style, with tall, beehive-shaped towers (sikhara).
• Dravida: Southern region temple style, with stepped, pyramidal towers.
• Vesara: A hybrid style, combining elements of Nagara and Dravida.

Test your knowledge on key features of Hindu and Islamic architecture with this quiz. Explore various architectural components like stupas, mosques, and their significance in religious practices. Challenge yourself with questions regarding motifs, laws, and design principles.