مقدمة في العمارة الإسلامية: ARC261

• The lecture is an introduction to Islamic Architecture.
• The course code is ARC261, titled History of Architecture (2) and the prerequisite is ARC161.
• This course studies the evolution and development of Islamic Architecture from the 7th century A.D. to the present, covering the Tulunid, Fatimid, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods in Egypt.
• Religious and secular architecture examples like Masjids, Madrasas, Palaces, and Caravanserais are studied.
• Field trips are considered an integral part of the learning.

Expansion of Islamic Empire

• The Islamic state expanded from India and Central Asia in the east.
• It stretched to Andalusia and North Africa in the west.
• It went from southern Italy and Sicily in the north to Yemen in the south.

Architectural Styles

• Architectural styles in the vast Islamic state weren't uniform during its flourishing centuries.
• They varied in building materials, column types, crown designs, arches, minarets, domes, pendants, and geometric, floral, and calligraphic decorations.
• The outer wall finishing materials also varied.

Examples of Islamic Architecture

• Examples include the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Palestine, Egypt, Iran, India, Spain/Andalusia and Turkey.

Essence of Islamic Architecture

• Islamic architecture represents the cultural identity, creativity, and aesthetics of a civilization.
• Islamic architecture adapted from the desert to the cities.
• It carried original features that suited human needs, traditions, and the environment.
• Islamic arts share a common unity so any piece produced under the Islamic civilization in any part of the world is distinguishable.
• The Islamic civilization's artistic excellence allowed its products to be uniquely stamped across all regions.

Beginnings of Islamic Architecture

• Islamic architecture started with mosques and "Arribat" (fortified monasteries).
• Later, it evolved to include schools, "khanqah" (Sufi monasteries), "Sabil" (public drinking fountains), "kuttab" (Qur'anic schools), "Takaya" (hostels for the poor), and hospitals.
• The mosque is considered the cornerstone of Islamic architectural development.
• Arribat buildings were common in Jerusalem during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods, housing those dedicated to defending Al-Aqsa Mosque.
• They later became residences for poor students of religious knowledge and others.
• Khanqah buildings combine the layouts of a mosque and school, with added rooms for Sufis to seclude themselves for worship.
• Takaya buildings are Egyptian versions of charitable places.
• They served food to the poor and were charitable endowments in Mecca and Medina.
• Bimaristan is a Persian word for hospitals and medical teaching centers.

Key Aspects of Islamic Architecture

• The first aspect is architectural, historical and emotional.
• Islamic civilization's essence manifests through three theoretical concepts.
• The first organizing principle is the "formal axis".
• The formal axis reflects Islamic architecture's signature forms like arches, domes, courtyards, internal iwans, and mashrabiyas (lattice screens).
• These forms are given special Islamic functions rooted in Islamic thought, unified roots, appearances, purposes, and shared religious and social environments.
• An "Iwan" is defined as a room with three walls and one side open without a fourth wall.
• The second aspect is the spiritual and mystical.
• The second organizing principle is the "spiritual axis".
• The spiritual axis directly reflects Sufi theories in Islamic architectural history, tracing back to great Sufi works during the Middle Ages.
• Figures include Ibn Arabi and Jalaluddin Rumi's expressions are considered, using a symbolic articulation.
• This is done without historically proving the Sufi ideas and hints influenced architecture's shape, content, and decoration.
• The third aspect is the environmental.
• The third organizing principle is the "environmental axis".
• This axis views Islamic creations, particularly folk and rural ones, as tied to their environments.
• They are creative responses to environmental factors like high heat, dryness, water scarcity and limited greenery and despite weather dominance, this feature isn't absolute across the Islamic world.
• The combination of all three aspects gives the most popular current definition of Islamic architecture.
• Islamic architecture highlights unique historical models, Sufi spirituality, and organic environmental response to arid climates.

Academic Study of Islamic Architecture

• The academic field relies on historical and geographical dimensions.
• The history of Islamic architecture spans from the 7th century to the early 19th century.
• It considers the period from the rise of Islam until European conquest and the later dominance of modern Western culture.
• It's a field covering all artistic and cultural production after colonialism.
• The geographical aspect considers all buildings and structures in cities and regions of the Islamic world.
• It includes areas once part of it, like Andalusia and Sicily, as well as regions later annexed, such as Turkey and Bosnia.
• Finally, it encompasses regions politically separate from the Islamic world but culturally or commercially connected.
• This includes Malaysia, the southern Philippines, and parts of China and Africa.

Considerations in Islamic Architecture

• Islamic architecture results from environmental and social needs, combined with evolving thought.
• It changes with time and doesn't adhere to fixed principles, existing within a dynamic world.
• This contrast highlights the differing views on Islamic architecture as both a philosophy and a physical creation.
• Some orientalists closely study Islamic heritage, analyzing texts describing landmarks, royal histories, and traveler accounts.
• After locating specific sites, they map descriptions onto paper, interpreting and categorizing information into plans.

Categories of Architecture

• In Islam, architecture is categorized into three types: non-Islamic, disliked, and Islamic.
• Non-Islamic architecture goes against clear Islamic laws and cannot be labeled as Islamic.
• An example is the construction of shrines or building on graves or those designs that expose Muslims.
• Disliked architecture includes mosques that are decorated with ornaments.
• Disliked architecture involves excessive spending and wasting Muslims' money.
• Islamic architecture adheres to Islamic teachings in its construction.