Islamic Architectuure

Islamic Architecture
1. religious buildings are reduced to structural framework in-filled with decorative patterns 2. use of intricate carpet-like decorative patterns (often with bluish color-schemes) 3. decorative patterns overwhelm the structural elements and cover domes, facades 4. only the most emphatic architectural forms (domes, courtyards) transcend decoration 5. flat facades 6. mihrab (prayer niche) oriented toward Mecca 7. domes structures utilize Byzantine pendentive models 8. complex moldings have been discarded because of origins in dry climates 9. a. b. c. d. e. f. g. rather than a coherent conception, it tends to be more a collection of pieces: mihrab (oriented prayer niche) haram (covered prayer hall) sahn (arcaded courtyard) minaret (prayer tower) qibla (Mecca-oriented prayer wall) madksourah (rulers prayer space) muqarnas (interlocking stalactite squinches)

Great Mosque
Cordoba, Spain

exterior,

with inserted 16th century cathedral

786-990 CE

Great Mosque
Cordoba, Spain

exterior from SW showing W portals 786-990 CE

Great Mosque
Cordoba, Spain

portal on west side 786-990 CE

Islamic Architecture Great Mosque

Cordoba, Spain 786-990 CE

Begun by Emir Abd ar-Rahman, who ruled 756-788 CE; he was the first of the Umayyad emirs (or caliphs) to rule Spain (dynasty ruled 756-1031) after being defeated and driven out of Syria. Construction phases: 1) 786-787: first hypostyle hall 2) 832-848: prayer hall extended south 3) 961-976: continued addition southward under Hakim II 4) 987-990: two new sections east and south, almost doubled the interior space creating the finest and largest mosque in the West (585 x 410; 2/3 roofed) 1236: Cordoba was captured from the Muslims by Ferdinand II, King of Castile 1238: converted to being the Cathedral of Cordoba

Great Mosque
phase 3
Lantern of Hakim II (c. 961-76)

Cordoba

phase 2 786-787 CE

plan with first phase of 786-787 CE

phase 1
haram an entrance for each aisle

197
sahn (haram)

786-990 CE

240

Great Mosque
832-848 CE
phase 3

Cordoba

phase 2

plan with second phase

haram an entrance for each aisle

phase 1

from 832-848 CE

197
sahn (haram)

240

786-990 CE

Great Mosque
phase 3
Lantern of Hakim II (c. 961-76)

Cordoba

phase 2

plan with third phase

haram an entrance for each aisle

phase 1

from 961-976 CE

197
sahn (haram)

240

786-990 CE

south qibla haram phase 4 phase 3

Great Mosque
Cordoba

phase 2 phase 4 haram haram phase 1

plan with fourth phase of 987-990 CE

original sahn

585 410
enlarged sahn

minaret

786-990 CE

Great Mosque
Cordoba, Spain

interior of haram showing two-tiered arches

786-990 CE

rectangular pier

upper arch
rectangular pier

Great Mosque
Cordoba, Spain

rectangular pier

pale stone or red-brick voussoirs

horseshoeshaped lower arch unfluted scavenged Roman columns

interior of haram showing two-tiered arches

786-990 CE

Great Mosque
Cordoba, Spain

interior of haram showing two-tiered arches

786-990 CE

Great Mosque,
Cordoba, Spain

hypostyle haram 786-990 CE

infinite and visionary space

Great Mosque, Cordoba

mihrab dome

c. 961-65 CE

Great Mosque, Cordoba

6 7

mihrab dome

c. 961-65 CE

melon-shaped, ribbed dome floating on 8 intersecting arches

4 3 2

poly-lobed arch

Great Mosque, detail

CE

of mihrab dome

Cordoba

c. 961-65

Great Mosque,
Cordoba

Lantern of Hakim II

c. 970-976 CE

multiple apertures of multiarched, multicolored structure

repeated loops and orthogonal inter-lacings

Great Mosque
Cordoba, Spain
ceiling space transformed into an airy abstract cage

haram interior

interior seems limitless and mysterious

786-990 CE

Great Mosque

Cordoba, Spain
creating a seemingly infinite

786-990 CE

ceiling space transformed into an airy abstract cage

repeated loops and orthogonal interlacings

visionary
infinite and visionary space

interior seems limitless and mysterious

and metaphysical space

Carolingian and Romanesque

751last of the ineffectual Merovingian rulers ousted by Pepin the Short 754Pope Stephen II anoints Pepin king at St. Denis, outside Paris (Pepin attacks the Lombards in Italy in return, some conquest) 768 Pepins son Charles succeeds to the Frankish throne 770sCharles (Magnus the great) invades Italy 774Charles (the Great) defeated Desiderius (Lombard king) at Pavia 774Charles went on to Rome, received with honor by Pope Hadrian IV 780s-790sbuilt stone palace, school (run by Alcuin of York English monk), royal chapel at Aachen (40 miles west of Cologne, Germany)

794Charlemagne (King of the Franks, ruled 768-814) permanently installs Frankish court at Aachen Charlemagne often visited Ravenna, recaptured from the Lombards by Charlemagnes father (Pepin the Short) in 755, and donated to the Pope (to become part of Papal States) 800Charlemagne crowned as Holy Roman Emperor (Imperator Augustus) at Old St. Peters in Rome by Pope Leo III on Dec. 25th The Holy Roman Empire was established as Renovatio Imperii Romanum or renovation of the Roman Imperium 805Palatine Royal Chapel at Aachen consecrated by Pope Leo III

Palatine Chapel,
Aachen

entrance facade

ArchitectOdo of Metz

792-805 CE

Carolingian Imperial Palace Complex, Aachen

including Palatine Chapel

792-805 CE

San Vitale Ravenna, 526-548 CE

Palatine Chapel Aachen, 792-805 CE

Palatine Chapel
plan

Odo of Metz

792-805 CE

Palatine Chapel
47 6 105

plan

Odo of Metz

792-805 CE

Palatine Chapel
144 Carolingian feet

plan

Odo of Metz

792-805 CE

Palatine Chapel
interior toward entrance

792-805 CE

Palatine Chapel
interior toward apse
(apse rebuilt as Gothic)

Odo of Metz

792-805 CE

functioned as reliquary

Palatine Chapel
functioned as a private chapel

functioned as Imperial mausoleum functioned as coronation hall

interior toward entrance

functioned as church for the Imperial court

792-805 CE

loss of floating shimmering, other-worldly, Byzantine effect rational defined spatial units rebuilds Justinian-Byzantine church with Roman structural vaulting

Palatine Chapel
interior toward apse

sense of clarity and containment

Odo of Metz

blunt massiveness and solidity of geometric form

792-805 CE

Palatine Chapel
visual pull to the apex of the central vault intended to be perceived as image of the Holy Jerusalem

interior toward apse

Odo of Metz

792-805 CE

end of part 4

Abbey Church of St. Pierre, Cluny

(Cluny III)

plan of monastery compound

1088-c. 1130 CE

Abbey Church of St. Pierre,

Cluny

(Cluny III)

plan

1088-c. 1130 CE

Abbey Church of St. Pierre, Cluny

(Cluny III) 1088-c. 1130

Cluny III (reconstruction drawing of east end) 1088-c. 1130

CE

Cluny III
of the nave)

(reconstruction drawing of transept with section 1088-c. 1130

CE

Cluny III

(reconstruction drawing of nave interior)

1088-c. 1130

CE

Cluny III

extant south transept

1088-c. 1130

CE

Great Mosque,
Cordoba

base of Lantern of Hakim II

c. 970-976 CE

Great Mosque
Cordoba, Spain

portion of the sahn 786-990 CE

c.325--Constantine becomes the first Christian Roman emperor; and creates a new city Constantinople upon the site
of Byzantium, c. 324-330 (planned as a new capital)

395--Theodosius I splits the Roman empire into two divisions:

eastern Empire with Emperor Acadius (ruled 395-408); capital Constantinople western Empire with Emperor Honorius (ruled 395-423); capital Rome

395--Emperor Honorius I moves the western Imperial capital to Milan, then to Ravenna in 402