Jordan University of Science and TechnologyCollege of Architecture and Design Department of ArchitectureIslamic Architecture

Islamic Architecture

Dr. Raed Al Tal

Jordan University of Science and Technology College of Architecture and Design Department of ArchitectureIslamic Architecture Dr. Raed Al Tal

Muslim Egypt Still in the Abbasids

Amro bin El As MosqueNilometerIbn Tulun Mosque

The first Egyptian mosque was built at Fustat near the Fatimid Cairo in 641

Fustat is a military city that was built around Nile vallies– later became Cairo

It was the mosque of Amor bin al-As

The appearance of Amro bin al-As mosque has changed many times

It was demolished and rebuilt in 688, also in 711It was enlarged in 750 and again in 791 In 827 Abd Allah bin Tahir gave it its final form to become a (congregational mosque)

Amro Bin L As mosque

Enclosure built of mud brick and prayer hall covered with shed and palm leaves

120 by 110 meters

Hypostyle

Oblong space is the haram – ka3a rectangular bi2itijah il haram

Court yard at the center was the fountain 9 obulition fountain

The Nilometer

Base of Egyptians life is the Nile, their life was divided in two:Work and agriculture worksBuilding for the pharaoh

Measured how high the Nile was and connected it to the levying of taxes - if there was too much water and it overflowed, peasants could not grow crops so they could not tax. Same if not enough water - so proper amount/taxable amount of Nile was in the middle bars. 

based on the irrigation system practiced by Abbasids in Iraq

The Nilometer of Roda

al-Mutuwakil (847-861) built a Nilometer in 861 in the island of Roda facing the old Cairo it was:

-a subterranean building demonstrated an advanced level of scientific knowledge - square well-in ashlar ( an elaborate system of stone cutting) regular well cut stone

-Has remarkable pointed arch – structural: relieve vertical weight -has remarkably pointed arches •vaulted niches helped to strengthen the structure •Goes 12 m. below ground level

• A marble octagonal gradual column with indicators built underground in Mutuwakil era in the middle of Abbasids dynasty

in the center of the building was a beautiful graduated octagonal column allowing the reading of the maximum level reaches by the Nile spate

Bin Tulun Mosque

Ahmad bin-Tulun:

A Turkish governor sent by the Abbasids who managed through cunning and superb organization to create a semi-independent principality in Egypt and parts of Syria.

His descendants, The Tulunids, formed a dynasty that lasted for almost forty years (868-905).

Its image is like great mosque of SamarraSpiral minaret was copied but smallerMinaret was not part of the building

Ibn Tulun Mosque

Was first built in Fustat (876-879)

Built of mud brick (Mesopotamian traditions ) with stucco decoration

A square outer wall enclosed the Ziyyada 162 meter

Central courtyard 90* 90 meter

Hypostyle

primitive

Fountain in courtyard was added

Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo The Ibn Tulun mosque reflects all the characteristic features of Abbasid art within the realm of architecture, and was obviously influenced, particularly:

- with regards to the minaret,

- the great rectangular piers with engaged corner columns, - the decorative motif and other features by the famous Samarra mosque in present day Iraq. 

The Great Mosque at Samara AL MUTAWAKEL MOSQUE

The Great Mosque of Samarra was built in 848-852 AD on an open plan principle, it is the largest mosque of Islam (748 x 512 ft).

The minaret was built in about 850 AD and is a 52m-tall spiral "al-Malwiya"

• One of the differences between the two is that here in bin Tulun mosque there is a copula over nitch

• influence of Spain- Umayyad, horse shoe arch plus olive arch, something between horse shoe and pointed

• Decoration: • Stucco work brought from Samarra• In bin Tulun maybe it was style B• So the message to be given to Baghdad that I am

establishing my new dynasty

Stucco Decoration:

Samarra Style: Three styles have been identified following their degree of abstraction:

Style A: Vine-leave ornament still bearing resemblance to the Hellenistic, naturalizing origin.

Style B: Vegetal ornament with some abstraction.

Style C: Molded pattern, very abstract and have a combination of vegetal and geometric motifs. Patterns are normally inscribed within borders.

Style A: Vine-leave ornament still bearing resemblance to the Hellenistic, naturalizing origin.

Style B: Vegetal ornament with some abstraction.

Style C: Molded pattern, very abstract and have a combination of vegetal and geometric motifs. Patterns are normally inscribed within borders.

Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo

Oblong prayer hall (5 bays parallel to the Qibla wall)

• He built it like Mutuwakil mosque to:

• To express independency

• He insisted to build it of mud brick to make a sign . It is known in Egypt that religious buildings were to be built out of stone and secular buildings of mud brick, he wanted to send a message for the Abbasids

Arcaded porticos along four sides

The brick cupola rose above the mihrab

The fountain (sahn), which was a later addition built by Sultan Ladjin, is surrounded by double arcades on three sides

Spiral minaret of bricks the same as Samarra later this minaret rebuilt of stone, probably at the time of the

Mamluks, also the central fountain was added

Arcades were slightly horseshoe arches shaped

Fatimid eraIslam Egypt

The arrival of the Fatimid Caliphs

10th century the Abbasids witnessed decline in their power

The rise of Sunni and Shiite power conflict

The Fatimid's (Ismaili Shiite Dynasty)

Ubaidallah (862-934) who took the title of Mahdi

In 921 Ubaidallah founded the city of Mahdiya The Fatimid's first established their power in Kairoun in 921

In 969 they established their power in Egypt and in 970 in Damascus

• They started in Tunisia

• First city was Mahdiya

• They flourished in Kairoun

• Then they expanded

• They went to Damascus and Egypt

• In Egypt they established Cairo

The Shiite caliphs founded Cairo (al-Qahira, the victorious) in 973, next to the Fustat.

-Established by General Jawhar – the commander of the troops of the Fatimid al-Muizz -Fortified city , sort of forbidden city : the walled city contained the treasury, the library, and mausoleums.-Square plan city (1.1 Km )

-Brick walls and gates later rebuilt of stone during the Crusades 

The old brick gates were replaced with stone gates, three of which remain today; consisting of Bab al-Nasr (the Gate of Victory), Bab el Futuh (Gate of Succor) and Bab Zuweila (Gate of the Zuweila tribe).

Protecting the city was not the only reason for building these walls and gates.

They were built also for management and administrative purposes. No one was allowed to enter Cairo or stay there except for its residents, or those who were allowed in for certain reasons, such as work, during the daytime hours. 

Cairo characteristics

• Fortified walled gated city• Contained treasury library • Square plan 1.1 km.• Mud brick fortified walls later converted to stone by

Crusades

Cairo a square city with 8 gates like (bab l nasr bab l futu7)Something distictive is the 2 palaces and whats between

them

Gates are circular or square

Tablakhane is the room to drum for the caliph over the gate

The Shiite caliphs founded Cairo (al-Qahira, the victorious) in 973, next to the Fustat.

Plan of the Fatimid City with the two palaces and Khitat).

Fatimid (and pseudo-Fatimid) Palaces:

     

The Eastern Palace: (969-72) A huge enclosure with several monumental gates that contained a number of halls set within garden-courtyards.

   

The Western Palace: (975-96) Built by al-`Aziz, al-Mu`izz's son, as the more private caliphal palace across from the Eastern Palace. The two palaces were separated by an open parade ground called Bayn al-Qasrayn (Between the Two Palaces).

Tablaghanah

The al-Zhar MosqueEducationalFirst university in the world

This is the oldest university in the world, where the first lecture was delivered in 975 AD.

Today the university built around the Mosque is the most prestigious of Muslim schools, and its students are highly esteemed for their traditional training. While ten thousand students once studied here, today the university classes are conducted in adjacent buildings and the Mosque is reserved for prayer. In addition to the religious studies, modern schools of medicine, science and foreign languages have also been added. 

The al-Zhar MosqueEducationalFirst university in the world Founded in 970 by the Fatimid's as a principal mosque of Shiite Islam Had an oblong courtyard surrounded by a reused columns The courtyard measured 50* 54 m

• Hypostyle

• Stucco decoration

• Rod ties

• Witnessed several enlargements

Cupola over nitch

5 arcades

Cairo, al-Azhar Mosque, Original plan, 969-73

 It underwent several enlargementsAt the northern end is the tomb medersa of Jawhar El-Sequili.

Irregular enlargement why?

• To fit the urban fabric• Mamluks hated visibilty so they tilted walls to

build things in passage ways

Marble columns

Flat wooden roof

4 iwan on courtyard lal 4 mathaheb

Central courtyard

Currently, it has five very fine minarets with small balconies and complexly carved columns. It has six entrances, with the main 

Arches are joined to each other by tie rods for more stabilityTo prevent buckling

After the fall of the Fatimid's this Shiite mosque became the great university of Sunni Islam

Large rosettes were placed above the arches

Reused capitals supported pointed four-centered brick arches

Mosque al-Hakim, Cairo 990-1013 Construction of the Mosque of al Hakim was begun by the Fatimid Caliph al-'Aziz in 990 and finished by his son al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah and his overseer Abu Muhammad al-Hafiz 'Abd al-Ghani ibn Sa'id al-Misri in 1013. 

The mosque is constructed of brick with stone facades and minarets.

Its irregular rectangular plan is composed of a rectangular courtyard surrounded by arcades supported by piers, with a prayer hall whose arcades are also carried on piers.

The aisle leading to the mihrab is emphasized both in width and height.

Termination of this aisle at the mihrab is marked by a dome carried on squinches, and domes mark the outer corners of the prayer hall as well. 

The front facade was given a central projecting monumental portal

and its two corner minarets--different in shape and decoration, were encased in projecting square stone structures during the reign of al-Hakim in 1002-3.