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Five characteristics of islamic architecture
Architectural Forms Of Islamic Architecture
Brief essay on Islamic architecture
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The Great Mosque of Córdoba was built in Córdoba, Andalucía, southern Spain: the capital at which Muslims exist. The great Mosque of Córdoba went under massive changes over centuries. These changes occurred because the Mosque was conquered by groups of people following different religions, including Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Each religion marked its conception through changing or adding a unique artwork that symbolized its essence. The Great Mosque of Córdoba was built by Arab architects in the eighth century and then a cathedral was added by Christian conquers in the sixteenth century .
Islam was born in the seventh century but Islamic architectures’ uniqueness among other architectures appeared in the eighth century after the death of the Prophet Mohammad in 632 . The Roman Empire was the most important empire and it was recognized by its central location, which dominated not only Europe but also the whole Mediterranean basin, including the Near East and northern Africa, was shattered by the barbarian invaders who moved westward and swept into Gaul making their way into Spain, and by the spread of Islam that came from the Arab East and extended its way northward . But while several Germanic tribes were finally absorbed into a Christianity that had established its capital in Rome and attempted to continue Roman legitimacy, Islam proved noncompliant to such assimilation. Riding the crest of religious and political expansion, eight years after the death of the Prophet Mohammad the Muslims conquered Egypt, then went on to Tunis, and by 698 they had expelled the Byzantines from the former Byzantines imperial center of North Africa, Carthage. And in 711, exactly a century after the Prophet had begun his teachings, Islam reach...
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...nterpreted from the Mosque’s designs, ceilings and ceramics.
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Kamiya, T. (2004). Questions and Answers. Retrieved 2011, from INTRODUCTION to ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE: http://www.ne.jp/asahi/arc/ind/1_primer/questions/que_eng.htm
She discusses about a historical text that “has a few points in common with baseball cards” (318), in which it was published by Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala. The manuscript contains a mixture of Quechua and Spanish, and is addressed to King Philip III of Spain. Guaman Poma’s letter is split into two parts: the first of which is called Nueva coronica, “New Chronicle,” and serves as “the main writing apparatus through which the Spanish presented their American conquests to themselves” (319). This first half of the text introduces one distinctive phenomenon of the contact zone: the autoethnographic text, in which it involves collaborations with people from different social and intellectual backgrounds “to create self-representations intended to intervene in metropolitan modes of understanding” (320). “New Chronicle” rewrites the Christian history and the Spanish conquest to paint a new picture of the world, where the Andean people lie in the center, not the Europeans. At the end of the first half, Guaman Poma argues that there should have been a peaceful encounter between the Spanish and the Inca, thereby forming a potential for benefiting both parties, not just one. Finishing explaining Guaman Poma’s letter, Pratt quickly connects his letter to the contact zone, making an argument that the art of the contact zone illustrates a picture of the oppressors, the Europeans, from the oppressed, the Andeans’,
Ibn Munqidh, Usama. "From Memoirs." McNeill, William and Marilyn Robinson Waldman. The Islamic World. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973. 184-206.
Print. Doak, Robin. Empire of the Islamic World. Rev. ed.
Different religions have shaped the cultural landscapes throughout history. In most religions, they have what is known as a sacred site. Many of the sacred sites are near the founding of the religion or near a place where something significant had once occurred. The followers of these religions often build temples to worship their gods. One example, would be the Dome of the Rock, where Muhammad, a prophet of God in the Muslim culture, said to have ascended into heaven.The Dome of the Rock is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture and is the "Noble Sanctuary" by Muslims. The place of worship for Muslims is known as the mosque, but the Dome of the Rock is much more iconic and would be best identified as a Muslim shrine. The temple was originally made for pilgrims and took thirteen years to construct. This is also a significant place for the Muslim community
Hagia Sophia’s design was based on Islamic Mosques and this led to conflicts. This led to conflicts because when the Islamic Ottoman Turks overthrew the Byzantine Empire they turned Hagia Sophia into a Mosque. Because of this, now in the 21st century, people are complexed on whether it should become a church or a Mosque. Why this has also been an issue is people that want
When one sees the Notre Dame de Paris cathedral in person or in pictures they are likely to be awestruck. The twin towers of the western façade rise high into the sky, seemingly in an attempt to scrape heaven. Spiky arches seem to grow out of the sides and claw at the ground. Inside it is cavernous with colored light filtering in through the large, intricate stained glass windows. All of these physical qualities make Notre Dame a prime example of Gothic architecture. It does not stand alone in that distinction. One is also likely to see several hundred examples of this style on varying scales throughout Europe. Because, despite its humble origins, Gothic architecture became the standard for religious buildings in the early 11th century thanks to innovative use of new and old design techniques which resulted in majestic buildings that symbolized the builder’s version of heaven.
Rahman, Fazlur. Islam & Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1982. Print.
During this time, Mecca was mostly populated with polytheistic followers. In 610 C.E, Prophet Muhammad, had his first revelations that advance the Islamic culture. His revelations became a way of life for his followers. When the religion started rising in numbers, Muhammad and his followers was exiled from Mecca. When the followers migrated to Medina, Islam began to spread. This religion had much influence in the locations it was practiced in. The Quran is the way of life to its people. The five pillars expressed in the Quran were the religious laws Muslims were expected to follow. They were expected to only accept there is one God and one messenger, Muhammad, pray five times a day, give the poor 2.5 percent of their savings, fast during the month of Ramandan, and pilgrimage to Mecca, where the Holy Ka’ba is located. Besides the religious impact, Muhammad also created a political empire. He united different tribes and customs. Muhammad was very influential that after his death, the religion faced a challenge. They did not have a successor or leader, so many followers left the religion, refused to pay taxes, and wars begun. In the mid- seventh century, the Muslims started wars with the Byzantine and Persian Empires and conquered them. Muslims ruled over many religious groups including Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians. As the Muslims became powerful, they created laws that taxed other religious groups to practice their faith. In the “Pact of Umar”, Christians agreed under extreme circumstances in order to practice their faith. They agreed to not fix the damages done to their churches, to not display any religious ornaments, to not spread the faith, and many more. The Muslims conquered and progressed in
When was Spain established? Spain is not immediately formed, but formed through a series of basic processes and events over centuries.
When walking around a city, you may notice that the architecture and art look similar to other works. Many of these designs have changed along the course of history and time whilst others have not. The designs that many people still see in society and day to day living is from two of the many cultures of the old civilizations, Roman and Islamic. The art and architecture forms from the Islamic and Roman cultures have many comparisons and contrasts between them. They, the Islamic and Roman nations, have both adopted from other cultures and have made their own discoveries in the art and architecture worlds. The Roman and Islamic architecture and art vary drastically from each other and yet have varying comparisons between the two.
Ibrahim, I. A.. A brief illustrated guide to understanding Islam . 2nd ed. Houston: Darussalam, 1997.
Committing to religious beliefs is one of the strongest factors influencing the preservations of a Muslim identity. A mosque has a huge role in society and it has to maintain this. Generally, a mosque is somewhere where people can come to pray and contemplate. It is a place away from all the hustle from our day to day busy lives.
G. Esposito, John L (2002) Islam; What Everyone Should Know. New York. Oxford University Press Inc.
According to Mohamad Tajuddin (1998), the word mosque, as understood in the present architectural terminology, is a building used by Muslims for the performance of prayer. Nash Rahman (1998).also define mosque as a symbol of the greatness of Islamic buildings, stands majestically across the globe. It remains a g...
Kenneth Jost. 2005. “Understanding Islam.” Annual Editions: Anthropology 11/12, 34th Edition. Elvio Angeloni. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.