Islamic Architecture: Evolution of Minarets

Islamic Architecture

• Minarets did not exist in the early periods of Islamic Architecture, and the call for prayer was recited from mosque roofs, city walls, and other surrounding buildings.
• The first Mosque, "Quba Masjid", established during the era of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, didn't possess a minaret.
• Minarets were first mentioned in the 8th century during the Ummayad Dynasty, and the first minarets were built in the Great Mosque of Damascus in Syria.
• Minarets may have been derived from Greek watchtowers or church towers from the Great Church in Damascus.

Domes

• Domes are hemispherical structures that appear as part of roofs and ceilings.
• They can stand upon a rotunda structure, a drum, or a system of interlocking pendentives.
• The characteristic feature of domes is the acanthus leaves that enclose the circular body of the capital, with tendrils reaching up to the corners of the concave architrave.

Hypostyle Mosques

• The hypostyle mosque is a type of mosque that spread widely throughout Islamic lands, inspired by the house of the Prophet Muhammad.
• A hypostyle mosque is characterized by a prayer hall made up of rows created by vertical support beams or columns.
• The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus (709-715 CE) is an example of a hypostyle mosque, built on a religious site dating back to an ancient Aramaic temple.
• The Great Mosque of Samarra is another example of a hypostyle mosque, with a similar structure to the Mosque of Abu Dulaf.

Four-Iwan Mosques

• The 11th century saw the emergence of the four-iwan mosque, characterized by a vaulted space that opens on one side to a courtyard.
• The iwan developed in pre-Islamic Iran, where it was used in monumental and imperial architecture.
• Examples of four-iwan mosques include the Great Mosque of Isfahan, Al-Azhar Mosque, and Sultan Hassan Mosque.