Islamic Architecture in the Philippines

Islam Architecture in the Philippines

• Karim ul Makhdum is the most prominent person on Simunul Island and credited with constructing the first mosque.
• A kota is a fortified settlement bordered by a palisade, a series of long strong timber stakes pointed at the top and set close to each other to form a defense wall.

Traditional Houses in the Philippines

• The Maranaos have three types of houses, including the torogan, which is an ornately decorated ancestral residence reserved for the datu or sultan and his extended family.
• The Tausug believe that a house should be built as if a person were being formed, and if you do not follow the proper order in assembling the posts, it is believed that the house will not last.
• A Badjao's luma (floating shanty) is built in a staggered pattern but connected to the neighborhood, and the harun part of the luma also serves as the wash area.
• The Yakan house is rectangular, ridged-roofed, and has no ceilings and few/no windows because of the belief that bad spirits could easily enter through those openings.
• A Samal house feature is oriented to the east, specifically the pantan.

Muslim Worship Space

• There are two types of Muslim worship space in the Philippines: the masjid (mosque) and the langal, which is synonymous with a chapel designed for the convenience of worshippers who live far from the masjid.
• The Sheik Karim al Makdum Mosque, located in Tubig Indangan, Tawi-tawi, is the oldest mosque in the Philippines, founded in 1380 and now a national historical landmark.

Bahay na Bato

• In a Bahay na Bato, the saguan is the space after the entrance that serves as a transition space between the entrance and the grand stairs to the upper floor, used as storage for carriages, processional floats, and other implements.
• A bintanilya is a small window between the floor and the window sill, used to allow natural light and ventilation to the interior.
• The pasamano is the horizontal member between the window opening and bintanilya, serving both as the base of the window and a handrail.
• The sala is the central room in a Filipino house, often facing the street or plaza, and is used as the family's leisure and social activities' room.
• The tindahan is the space at the ground level adjacent to the streets and utilized for commercial purposes, such as keeping goods for retail sale.