10 Characteristics of Islamic Architecture Part 1 / World Architecture History

10 Distinctive Elements of Islamic Architecture Islamic architecture is an architectural style associated with the religion of Islam. It has evolved from various architectural styles, such as Mesopotamian and Roman. As centuries passed, Islamic architecture was influenced by other contemporary styles, like Chinese and Mughal architecture. Islamic architecture was also affected by a variety of revisions that were decreed necessary during colonial rule. Some famous heritage sites and buildings belonging to Islamic architecture include mosques, forts, palaces, and tombs. Here are some of the distinctive elements of Islamic architecture. 1. Domes Domes are one of the loudest pointers to Islamic architecture. Domes usually appear as a part of roofs and ceilings and are hemispherical structures. Domes can stand upon a rotunda structure, a drum, or a system of interlocking pendentives. The apex of the dome may feature an oculus to permit natural light inside. Domes made its first appearance in Mesopotamian architecture. Islamic architecture adopted the dome as one of its main features after being influenced by the model of the pre-existing Byzantine domes in Ottoman architecture. Different types of domes include onion domes, beehive domes, braced domes, coved domes, compound domes, crossed arch domes, ellipsoidal domes, geodesic dome, etc. 2. Arches-arches are prominent elements found in Islamic architecture, and their placement usually defines the entrances to buildings and rooms. Different types of arches include the pointed arches, ogee arches, horseshoe arches, and multifoil arches. The double-arched system of the Mosque Cathedral of Cordoband and the pointed arches of the Al-Aqsa Mosque provide excellent examples of how arches become indispensable features of Islamic architecture. 3. Mukarnas Arabic architecture Mukarnas resemble stalactites or honeycombs and become the 3D sculptural ornamentations that often appear as a part of vaults. The undersides of domes, pendentives, arches, vaults, squinches, etc. usually host the mukarnas. The word mukarna stems from the Arabic word qarnasi, meaning intricate work. The mukarnas form an integral part of Islamic architecture as it symbolizes the vastness and complexity of Islamic ideology. Mukarnas made its first appearance in the Mesopotamian region and the northeastern Iran region. One of the largest mukarnas belongs to the Jazira region of eastern Syria and Iran. 4. Minarets Minarets appear as a part of the architecture of mosques in the form of towers, and it often features one or more balconies. The towers act as visual aids to direct people towards the mosque, and they also act as focal points during the Islamic call for prayers. The forms of the minarets commonly seen range from thick, squat, spiral ramps to soaring, delicate, pencil-thin spires. The base of these minarets is usually square in shape. The number of minarets found in mosques varies from one to six. These towers stand as the landmarks of Islam. Qutub Minar of India and the Spiral Minaret of Samarra in Iraq are famous minarets belonging to Islamic architecture. 5. Mihrab Mihrab, an architectural element, marks the direction of Qibla. It appears as a semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque, and the wall, commonly addressed as the Qibla Wall, helps to symbolize the direction of prayer. The mihrabs of the Mosque Cathedral of Cordoba and the Great Mosque of Damascus are highly decorative, and these beautiful mihrabs of the world exhibit inlays of precious stones and expensive materials. Sometimes these mihrabs feature muqarnas as ornamentation.