Islamic Architecture

Islamic architecture was created by Muslim populations (numbers of people), in countries where they ruled from the 7th Century onwards. They built many Mosques (Muslim places of worship), Madrasahs (schools), Hammams (hot bathhouses), Caravanserais (hotels for travellers), Casbahs/Citadels (fortresses) and Mausoleums (tombs or monuments).

Here are some descriptions of the main features present in much Islamic Architecture.

The ‘horseshoe arch’ (also called the Moorish arch or keyhole arch) was first seen in Syria in the 4th Century. This style of arch was adopted by Islamic caliphates (rulers) at the beginning of the 8th Century.

The ‘ogival arch’ may have originated in Indian Hindu Temples from 300 BC. The structure of this arch works very well in supporting the weight of heavy buildings.

‘Muqarnas’ is a form of ornamental (decorative) vaulting (a self-supporting arched form, which covers a space within a ceiling or roof). It creates a decorative transition (change) between the walls and the ceiling in a space which would otherwise have remained empty and bare. Much Islamic philosophical thought on God and the created universe is symbolised through these structures.

Islamic buildings were often decorated with mosaics. These mosaics were made of infinite (they could go on forever) patterns, to reflect the infinite nature of God. The repetition was intended to remind people of the Islamic belief that ‘a small part of God’s creation on earth, mirrored something of the Creator’s mind’. The intricate (detailed) use of geometric shape, celebrated the advances made by Islamic mathematicians at that time. Also, the ‘exactness’ of design and formation (necessary for these mosaics to work), was intended to reflect something of ‘the perfect nature of God’.

In the film below, you can see many of the features described above, present within some great examples of Islamic architecture. All the buildings are in Fès, a city in Morocco (Africa), which was founded by Muslims in 789 AD.