Study : Islamic Domes Part 5 – North African and Islamic Spain

In this part we shall look into the domes of the North African and Andalucian (Islamic Spain), or the lack thereof. The mosques in this region is special in this case. What is the reasoning behind this architectural language? Here we shall look into the interesting world of the North African Islamic architecture specifically the domes.

History –

As we know, the North African region have accepted Islam quite early in the history of the religion. This can be seen by the building of the earliest mosques in region for example the Great Mosque of Kairouan in 670AD, around forty years after the passing of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

However, Islam arrived a few decades later to Spain when in 711AD Arab forces came into the region and later established a province of the Umayyad Empire there. In turn, this province later became independent of the Ummayad Caliphate, establishing the Caliphate of Cordoba. The rule of Islam lasted several years until the fall of the Kingdom of Granada in 1492.

Influences –

The mosques in the North African and Andalucian region are probably influenced by the earlier mosques built in the Arab region. The Umayyad Great Mosque in Damascus, Syria, is a prime example, and the floor plan of the mosque had been followed and emulated by the mosques in the western regions. However, Roman and Byzantine influences can also be seen in the building in this area, particularly the decoration where mosaics, popularly used by the Romans and later the Byzantines in their palaces and temples, were also used in the decoration of Islamic buildings such as mosques, although the usage of living beings such as people or animals are not be seen, rather replaced with non animate things such as trees, gardens and buildings. The Romans and the Byzantines also introduced to Islam the Horseshoe arches, which became emblematic of the Islamic architecture. The Muslim architects further developed this quintessential feature and turned it into a highly decorative yet functional architectural element.

Shape and Form –

On the exterior, the typical mosques in these region never had a traditional dome common in the Arab Islamic architecture. Domes here, if there is any , were low-profile, unlike the domes of the Arab region. Instead of metallic or tiled domes, the domes here are also covered in the same roof tiles, similar with the rest of the building, or even with stucco. The shape itself cannot be described as a dome – it is more of a cone, pyramid or hexagonal shaped roof. If there were a dome, it would be usually be on top of the minarets, keeping with a shallow, low-profile silhouette. If we were to look for the shiny, gold or metallic domes that are prevalent in the Arab Islamic mosques, we will only get to see the finials, usually in the shape of orbs or spheres, sitting on tops of the minarets, instead of the main dome.

However, the same cannot be said with the interior of the domes in the region. While from the outside, the domes keep a low-profile, on the inside it is often highly decorated often in stucco, wood or paint. Sometime, particularly for the mosques in Islamic Spain, the interior dome were decorated with tiles and mosaics, a very famous example of this being the Grand Mosque of Cordoba.

What is the reason behind this rather jarring differences between the interior and exterior? Perhaps the easiest reason we can think of here is that the issue with weather and climate. These region are classified as having Mediterranean climate, characterized as having wet winters and dry summers. This kind of climate could be an issue affecting the decision of not having proper high domes. Having a highly decorated exterior dome would surely damage it in this kind of climate, and repairing it would be a feat and repeat reconstruction would not be feasible.

Examples :

Study – Minarets Pt.5 : Persia and Transoxania

We are going to discuss about the minarets in Persia and Transoxiana, which includes Iran and parts of Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. As usual these regions share a close resemblance of Islamic architecture and I decide to put it all under the same subjects, noting the differences wherever available.

History :

Towers, like domes and arches which are featured prominently in the architecture of Persia, has already a long history within the region. Towers in the region serves many purposes including as watch towers, focal points in a city or town or even a method of cooling down buildings. For example, Windcatchers or windtowers (Badgir) are a prominent feature in Persian architecture, believed to be originating from the Achaemenid and Sassanian civilizations. Tombs for notable figures particularly in the earlier Muslim rule are often built in tower forms, emphasizing the importance of the person interred there.

since the Seljuk period in the region around the 11th and 12th Centuries, the minarets for mosques in the region share the same style as its counterparts in Eastern parts of Asia. Later the more characteristic Persian style minarets, which we shall discuss further below came into usage while losing the monumental form of the previous style.

Influences :

It is agreed upon that the fact is Persian and Central Asian architecture were greatly influenced by the previous civilizations including Achaemenids, Parthians and Sassanids which in turn changed the landscape of Islamic art and architecture ever since.

Later other Islamic empires also shaped what we know as Islamic Persian architecture including the Abbasid, Ilkhanide, Sammanid and the Seljuks. These previous civilizations contributed towards what we all recognize as Islamic art and architecture such as domes, arches and minarets. As we had discussed before these empires are also influenced by the previous empires that came before them including the Byzantines and Romans in the west.

Shape and Form:

Earlier mosques in Iran and the Transoxania region have large monumental minarets usually topped with low domes which is separate from the main building of the mosque. They are often decorated with brickwork or carvings in contrasting colours, often in Turquoise.

Later as time progresses, the minarets become thinner and slimmer, but still a separate structure build away from the main building. The decoration is more developed by this time ; the minarets are still built and decorated with brickwork, however tiles were used in parts of the structure.

During the later periods the minarets retain their thin slender shapes, but often incorporated into the mosque itself, usually on top of the main Iwan (entrance gateway). The minarets often follow the main mosque in decoration which includes blue and green tile-work which is what we recognize as the ubiquitous Islamic Persian architecture.

Examples:

Kharaghan Twin Towers, Qazvin, Iran. These are not minarets per say, but a predecessor of the shape of the minarets of Persia and Transoxiana. By Zereshk at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Kenzhigaliyev., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6525734

Jameh Mosque of Gorgan. The thick, stout minaret on the right side recalls the Kharaghan towers,albeit smaller and less monumental. By Fars Media Corporation, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75034367

Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan. This minaret is believed not to serve specifically for the usage of a mosque, but rather as a landmark or a watchtower, or simply a symbol of Islamic victory in the region. By david adamec – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12624853

Bagh-e Qushkhaneh Minaret, in Iran. This minaret have the shape common to the minarets in the region as well as the ubiquitous brickwork and tile decoration. By Nariman Ma’roofi – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52089168

Shah Mosque in Isfahan, Iran By Apcbg – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3264896

Study – Mihrabs – Iran and Transoxiana

In this part of the Mihrabs series we shall look into the Mihrabs of Iran and the Transoxiana. I am combining these both regions as the decorative elements of the mosques are quite similar, especially in the later periods. This is because the proximity of these regions and the nature of Islam’s journey from the South to the North.

History :

Islam arrived very early to Persia, around 637 during the time of Caliph Umar. Several decades later in 674 Transoxiana was conquered by the Muslims. It is said that the Muslims can easily convert the Persians because there were similarities between the preexisting Zoroastrian faiths and Islam. One other reason is that due to the their employments within the industrial and artistic positions, they readily accepted Islam due to the fact that the usage of fire in their occupations defile the element, making them impure.

Influences :

Persia has traditionally been a center of arts, so much so that most of what we know as Islamic art and architecture today actually originated from this region. Persia, being one of the major crossroads of many cultures throughout history, inherited thousands of years of civilization and culture. The arrival of Islam into the regions caused a paradigm shift which allows the culture and arts in the region flourish, culminating into an Islamic Golden Age.

The influences the Persians drawn upon include the ancient civilizations that have been established long before the arrival of Islam including the Achaemenid and the Sassanid empires. These empires had very developed arts and architecture and these in turn influenced the Islamic art and architecture as a whole, which then shapes the whole language of Islamic art.

Shape :

The shape follows the traditional form of the Mihrab. It is either a singular arch shape on the Qibla wall, or a concave arch carved into the wall. It is very often decorated with Muqarnas inside the arches particularly the concave ones, with blue Persian tiles (referred to as Haft-Rangi tiles) with Islamic calligraphy and floral and geometric motifs covering the entirety of the Mihrab, especially in bigger and important mosques. Other times, mosques also used other materilas to decorate the mihrab, such as stucco and wood.

Examples :

A Mihrab in the Sepahsalar Mosque in Tehran, Iran. By Hamidreza Hasani – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52039958

The Mihrab of Imami Medrasa in Isfahan, Iran.Currently on display at The MET. From https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/449537

Mihrab of the Baland Mosque in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. The shape of the mihrab is essentially similar to other mihrabs but the tiles dominant colour is yellow and orange instead of cobalt and blue. By Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France – Le mihrab de la mosquée Baland (Boukhara, Ouzbékistan), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24669456