THE INFLUENCE OF ISLAMIC

ARCHITECTURE ON MOSQUE
STRUCTURE
PUTERI NOR ATIKHAH FADHILAH BINTI MOHD ZAHID
NOORSYAFIRA BINTI MOHAMAD HELMI
FAUZIAH ABDILLAH
NUR SHAFIQAH ATHIRAH BINTI SUHARTO
NADIA ASHIKIN BINTI OSMAN ASHARI

OUTLINE

BACKGROUND

PROBLEM STATEMENT

OBJECTIVES

DISTINCTIVE ARCHITECTURAL OF MASJID

Central Asia

India

China

South East Asia

North Africa

CONCLUSION

Background

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said Whoever builds for Allah a

Mosque, seeking by it Allahs grace, Allah will build for him a
place in paradise. As narrated by Al-Bukhari & Muslim.

The design of mosques generally similar throughout the world in

its functional requirement and main parts, but presented in
different local design and building tradition.

The more far the place from Islamic heartland, the more varied
the style of its mosque.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

OBJECTIVES

WHAT IS THE DISTINCTIVE

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE OF
MASJID IN IRAN CENTRAL ASIA?

IRAN & CENTRAL ASIA MOSQUE

ARCHITECTURE

Iwan Design

Referred to a rectangular court

by large roofed and vault spaces
open to the courtyard in the
center of each side.
In this type of mosque the qibla
iwan, which faces Mecca, is often
the largest and most ornately
decorated
Became widespread in the 12th
century
Architectural plan showing the Iwan of the Great Mosque of
Isfaham, Iran

View of three (from four) part of Iwan at the Great Mosque of Isfaham, Iran

Courtyard of this design were known from Pathian palaces built in Persia in the third
century CE, but the reason for adapting the idea of the mosque was unclear.

It has been proposed that the four iwan courtyard became popular for the aesthetic
reason.

WHAT IS THE DISTINCTIVE

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE OF
MASJID IN INDIA?

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT MOSQUE

ARCHITECTURE

It was in 1206 that Islamical power was established in India for the first time,
by Kutb al-Din Aibak.

After that, five dynasties appeared in succession in Delhi and the kings named
themselves Sultans of Delhi, so those dynasties are called 'Delhi Sultanate' as
a whole.

Their governing people were Turkish or Afghan nations, but culturally Persia
had been ruling Central Asia from Iran, Islamic architecture brought to India
was Persian Islamic architecture too.

Characteristics of Indian Architecture

12th= The first Indian Mosque was to be constructed in Delhi

Eventhough they have different religion background in ancient times, they did
not have architectural differences basically.

The Sultans and ministers were well-grounded in their own architecture and
wanted to build mosques and palaces same as in their home countries.

Characteristics of Islamic architecture

1)-'Membranous architecture' or 'Enclosing architecture'
Emphasizes their interior spaces or courtyards above all and relegates their exterior forms to
second place.

Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria

Friday Mosque in Isfahan

2)-Masonry structure of arch and dome

The arch is a device to stride a large span by stacking stone pieces (voussoir) radially along a
circular arc, with which one can cover a large hall of dozens of meters in diameter without
columns.

Figure 2: Quwwat Al-Islam Mosque in Delhi, India

Famous Architecture in India

Taj Mahal
Tanish coloured enormous building sight
Domed marble mausoleum
Extensive complex of buildings and
gardens over 22.44 hectars and includes
subsidiary tombs, waterworks
infrastructure
The design was conceived as both an
earthly replica of the house ofMumtaz
in paradise and an instrument of
propaganda for the emperor.

WHAT IS THE DISTINCTIVE

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE OF
MASJID IN CHINA?

China Mosque Architecture

In order to attract more Chinese to convert into Islam, mosques were built in
resemblance with Chinese Buddhist temple or Confucius temple layout whilst
still make the mosque uniquely Islamic.

Nevertheless, Western China own mosques which similar to those of the Arab
world, with tall minarets and domes while in Eastern China, there is
combination between Arab and Chinese architectures

Distinctive Feature of China Mosque

The great Mosque

of Xi'an

Distinctive Feature of China Mosque

1) Layout of typical Buddhist Chinese temples

Consist of 5 courtyards, each marked by a monumental gate/pavilion.

Sanctuary was constructed on central axis facing west (Kabba location) while
Buddhist/Confucius temples facing north.
In Chinese architectures, symmetry is crucial. Mosques and its landscape sacralised
to follow this style

Distinctive Feature of China Mosque

2) Dougong Bracket System
Dougong bracket system

The brackets that are arranged like

the basket of flowers, set under
overhanging eaves.
Makes the building resistant to
earthquakes

Distinctive Feature of China Mosque

3) The curved roofs instead of domes

A large, heavy and

curved roof with
deep overhanging
eaves
The eaves : reduce
amount of sunlight
enter the interior
building & prevents
rain to blow inside
the building and
protecting the
wooden structure
from water damage

Distinctive Feature of China Mosque

4) Ornamentation and detailing

Ornament of flower and Chinese dragons can be found in the

roof ridges and crests .
Chinese calligraphy as ornament

Distinctive Feature of China Mosque

5) Pagodas instead of minarets

Pagoda is a tiered tower

with multiples eaves.
It has the same function
as minaret : to call for
prayer .
Additional function as
moon viewing.

WHAT IS THE DISTINCTIVE

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE OF
MASJID IN SOUTH EAST ASIA?

How do Islam reach South East Asia?

However, there are no other evidence either ruins or historical records of

architectural styles of mosques that was found from the era

So, what is the distinctive architectural style of masjid in South East Asia ?

Traditional Vernacular

Traditional before colonial

Vernacular the availability of materials,

craftsmanship and technology of the precolonial period.

Three tiered or two-tiered roof

All of the mosques are raised from waist to

shoulder height.

Wali Songo of Java had used the idea of

religious assimilation rather than
revolution in attracting converts to the new
religion.

The mosques of old are usually designed

close to the river for the ritual ablution
before prayers and sometimes there is also
a well dug in. The presence of a water
trough is also useful during the dry season
as water above a certain religiously
determined amount can be used and reused

Square ground plan and raised structure made from wood or stone

This conventional type has only one prayer hall and veranda area which cover
three quarters of the building.

Not fenced up

Columns on the exterior and the interior are common features

Uses a unique timber space frame structure but known locally as the tiang
gantung system.

Three-tier or two-tiered roof

The pyramid or meru type of

timber roof forms
Gable type or bumbung
panjang which resembles the
house form with occasional
exception of the presence of a
tiered roof system or a small
pyramid roof above the main
ridge

Masjid Kg Laut, Malaysia (18th

Century AD/12th Century AH)

Do not have a
minaret ,use
a beduk, a
wooden drum
instrument
made from
tree bark and
skin to call
for prayers
(azan)
The building
of posts and
beams were
used without
the use of a
single nail.

Openings to allow for light and air to enter.

The design is made three tiered for natural ventilation , as well as being
made from timber with no nail joints ,it also was raised from the ground
,while the tiles from clay from nearby Siam
Some influence by Chinese muslims

Wadi Hussein Mosque, Thailand (1621)

Minaret
attached to
the main
building

Perched
atop the
main roof,
(loteng)

Built with
wood from
the
hummingbir
d tree and
an ironwood
tree.
Wedges were used
instead to hold the wood
into place
Original roofing was made
of palm tree leaves and it
was later changed to

The smaller building is where themihrabis

located and has three layers of roof
The bigger building has more of Thai
architectural influence with the Thai-style
gable.
The walls of both buildings has etchings of
Thai/Chinese/Malay designs and patterns

Grand Old Mosque, Demak, Indonesia, (1466)

The main building has four
main pillars raised from
the ground to the roof to
support the distinguished
three-tiered roof.
similarities with wooden
religious structures from
theHindu-Buddhist
civilizations ofJavaand
Bali. The main entrance
of Masjid Agung Demak
consists of twodoors
carved with motifs of
plants,vases,crownsand
an animal head with an
open wide-toothed
mouth.
Lawang Bledheg
Vietnamese tiles, Persian
Mosque

Sino-Ecletic

The term Sino Eclectic is derived from two aspects of the phrase. The term
Sino indicates a Chinese influence and eclectic which denotes a combination
of two or more influence of architectural language.

The differences between the two styles lie in the prominent curvature of the
roof ridges which is made of cement.

Surrounded by a masonry fence with sometimes a roofed

gateway like almost reminiscent of Chinese temples
The ablution area is taken cared of by a masonry pool and
there is almost always a cemetery patch as part of the
mosque compound

The mosque if this

style sits on the
ground

Have slabs on
grade which are
raised about half
a metre high with
stone stairways
accessing to the
main floor plan

The plan of the

mosque proper
consists of the
enclosed prayer
area and the
serambi or
verandah
surrounding either
three parts of the
square plan or all
around it.

Located in the
dense urban
areas

Tengkera Mosque (18TH AD)

Sino eclectic mosques

have Chinese Muslim
Merchants as their
patrons
The mosque was built
during the ruling of
Dutch Colonial. It have
roof and decorations
that combines Malay
and Java architecture.
It was then combined
with pagoda styled
minaret which
symbolizes China
architecture, where the
ceramic tiles were
imported from Qing
empire (1644-1799)

WHAT IS THE DISTINCTIVE

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE OF
MASJID IN NORTH AFRICA?

Influence of Architecture

the influence of the architecture of mosque is due to the how Islam

was introduced at the region for example

places conquered by the military force, the architecture become essentially

Arabian

African architecture uses a wide range of materials such as in North

Africa use stone and rammed earth for building

Prince Ziyadat Allah I (836 C.E) tore down mostly the earlier mudbrick
structure and replace it with more permanent stone, brick and wood.

HYPOSTYLE STRUCTURE

This structure is inspired from first place of

worship for muslims, the house of the Prophet
Muhammad

His house, in Medina in modern-day Saudi

Arabia, was a typical 7th-century Arabian style
house, with a large courtyard surrounded by
long rooms supported by columns

This style of mosque came to be known as a

hypostyle mosque, meaning many columns.
Most mosques built in Arab lands utilized this
style for centuries.

Figure 1 : Diagram reconstruction of the Prophet's

House, Medina, Saudi Arabia (source :
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/artislam/beginners-guide-islamic/a/introduction-tomosque-architecture)

Great Mosque of Kairouan

The prayer hall or sanctuary is supported by rows of columns and there is an

open courtyard that are characteristics of hypostyle plan

In the late ninth century, another Aghlabid ruler embellished the courtyard entrance to the
prayer space and added a dome over the central arches and portal. The dome emphasizes the
placement of the mihrab, or prayer niche (below), which is on the same central axis and also
under a cupola to signify its importance

Functional
architecture
The role of Man as a
vicegerent of God on
this earth

Alamiah (universal)

Religious basis which

at the same time is
also political and
social.

Conclusion

Islam has not change

the architecture that
was born out of need
and necessity in any
cultures or region

Q & A Session