1 islamic-architecture__islamic_cities - Lecture 2

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

Islamic Architecture

Cities

Dr. Raed Al Tal

The expansion of Islam

The conquests of Arab Muslims outside Arabia brought a new vision of architecture that replaced the simple vernacular architecture of the Arabs

As a result of this expansion that began in 632 Muslims established new cities such as Busra and Kufa and built mosques in these cities

The creation and transformation of Islamic cities

Georges Marcacais , the French urbanist , 1945, saw the first Islamic cities as camping grounds for travellers and soldiers

He divided the first developed Islamic cities into:Spontaneous ,created next to existing

settlements or cities Created, where the choose the site and boundary

Edmond Pauty , another French scholar agreed upon the work of Marcais

His attribute to the creation of Islamic cities : 1- they were sometimes camping grounds for the soldiers in the newly converted Islamic regions and developed into full cities over the time

2- they were sometimes established as fortified settlements or Rabat

3- they were rival towns that competed with existing towns 4- ruler or prince towns that were developed as fortified settlements for the protection of the ruler

Spontaneous cities were developed out of the four created cities,

For Marcais and Pauty Islamic cities

lack to :any professional planningTo political, municipal , and urban institutions with

comparing with the existing Greco-Roman cities of that time

characterized : Simplicity of planning , therefore for them they were characterized as settlement camps rather than fully functioning cities

Islamic cities emphasized community needs at the expense of individual need

Other scholars also argued that :climate , ( narrow streets as wind tunnels , courtyards)precise patterns, (Khitat and Kitaat- sectors)Muslim social life, agreement with Shariah or Islamic principles

Other scholars also argued that :Islamic cities are integrated cities - physically, socially , and culturally

Physically by the existence of the Mosque, Al-Souq or market and other public buildings that existed in the central space of the city,

socially through sharing the public facilities and common spaces

Based on individual needs and movement division between public and private

Fustat or Armed Towns were created for the soldiers to dwell in during battles while waiting for reinforcements or for soldiers

or for shelter from a harsh season between battles

Examples:Al Basrah, Al Kufa in Iraq Al Qyrawan in Tunis

Alrabat or fortress Towns were created as a first line of defense on the border with an adjacent empires

Examples:Al Rabat in Morroco Susah in Tunis

Transformed citiesCities that existed prior to their Islamic conquest and have

shown dramatic changes, physically and socially

Examples:Jerusalem

Damascus and Alepo, Muslims did changes on these cities to fit the new religion

Churches were changed to be mosques, in many examples like the Umayyad Mosque, it was consisted of two parts ,

church and mosque at the same time

The prayer could be performed anywhere

Al Basrah

14 Hijrah ( 635) Muthanna ibn Haritha , Kalifah Omar Ibn Al- Khattab sent Otbah ibn Ghazwan toward Al Basrah to reinforce Muthanna

Omar ibn Al Khattab granted the permission to create a settlement, a site near grass and water

Al Kufah

14 Hijrah ( 635) the situation in Iraq intensified , Kalifah Omar sent Saad ibn Aby Waqqas ,

In 17 Hijrah (637) Kufa was founded

specifications for material, height , width or roads ,

Basrah and at Kufah mosques were very simple

The area thus designated was surrounded by a ditch (khandaq) and in the qibla side a portico (zulla)

the side of the qibla organized into five aisles and the others arranged into two.

A good way to determine a visualized space

In the mosques of Barsah and Kufah the Dar al-Imara (governor’s palace) first appeared, the jail and governmental offices

Al Basrah mosque was rebuilt by Zyad ibn Abeeh

The Mosque of Basrah during

the time of Abu Musa Al Asharay االشعري موسى ابو

The mosque was built of sun dried mud brick and clay

Zyad ibn Abeeh 45-53 Hijrah- 665-672

Increased the area which included five bays of columns along Al Qiblah wall

The mosque had a courtyard , side colonnades and an end colonnade the material of construction chosen by Zyad to be the most durrable and best available , was kiln baked brick with gypsum mortar

And the ceiling was made of teak wood

the columns were made of stones brought from Al Ahwaz mountains

Also he constructed a minaret of stones and built Al Mihrab He moved Dar Immarah next to the Jami Pebbles were spread on the ground to counteract the dust in the interior

Al Kuafah Mosque

According to Tabari the first mosque of Kufa had a square plan established by a man throwing an arrow from the center towards each four cardinal points

100 meter each side

Was defined by constructing a trench around it to prevent the immediate groups of houses from encroaching

Marble columns were taken from the buildings of al-Hira supported a wooden roof

Pebbles were spread on the ground to counteract the dust in the interior

No walls were indicated , nor was there a mihrab since the whole zulla faced the kiblah

A combination of congregational mosque and governor’s palace

The maqsura: separated or screened place for private prayer, it was an innovation of the early Umayyad period, introduced by Mu’awiya

638-639

The mosque of Kufa and the Dar al-Imara (governor’s palace)

670

The mosque of Kufa