Cultural- Islamic beliefs have separated public life from private one, so design of the city includes narrow streets, and religious thought separated public and private limits, while the land usages emphasize on separation of women and men.
Some characteristics of Islamic architecture were inherited from pre-Islamic architecture of that region while some characteristics like minarets, muqarnas, arabesque, Islamic geometric motifs, pointed arch, multifoil arch, onion dome and pointed dome developed later.
The simplest mosque would be a prayer room with a wall marked with a “mihrab” – a niche indicating the direction of Mecca, which Muslims should face when praying. A typical mosque also includes a minaret, a dome and a place to wash before prayers.
Introduction to mosque architectureCommon features. The architecture of a mosque is shaped most strongly by the regional traditions of the time and place where it was built. ... Sahn (courtyard) ... Mihrab (niche) ... Minaret (tower) ... Qubba (dome) ... Furnishings. ... Mosque patronage.
Here are some elements which are commonly present in Islamic architecture and art.Geometric Motifs. Simple forms of geometric patterns are combined or interlaced to form design. ... Vegetal Patterns. ... Calligraphy. ... Minarets Or Towers. ... Domes. ... Fountains/Water. ... Light. ... Other Elements.
Evident in both entrances and interiors, Islamic arches are categorized into four main styles: pointed, ogee, horseshoe, and multifoil. The pointed arch features a rounded design with a tapered apex. This type of arch would eventually become an important element of Gothic architecture.
Contemporary mosques mainly have five architectural elements that distinguish its function, namely: prayers hall, dome, towers announcing call for prayers referred to as minarets, a sanctuary for the lead prayer referred to as mihrab, and an ablution space for pre-prayer wash (Alnajadah, 2017).
However, there are a number of features that nearly all mosques have in common.Minaret. Mosque minarets in Aswan, Egypt. ... Dome. Turkey, Istanbul, Blue Mosque ornate interior of domes. ... Prayer Hall. Sultan Selim Mosque, Konya. ... Mihrab. Mihrab of Nasir Ol-Molk mosque, Shiraz, Iran. ... Minbar. ... Ablution Area. ... Prayer Rugs.
Mosque Features The main doorway is oriented in the direction of Mecca. Most mosques have a “qibla” (a marking the showed the direction of Mecca). There are two main styles of mosque architecture: 1) hypostyle, in which the roof is supported on pillars: and 2) domical, where the walls are surrounded by a dome.
Most mosque courtyards (sahn) contained a public fountain where Muslims performed Wudu a ritual purification required before prayer.
Minaret - Minare. The Minaret is a tower built next to or into the structure of a mosque. ... Mihrab. Mihrab is a niche in a mosque indicating the Qibla (kible), the direction in which a Muslim shall perform the Salat. ... Minbar - Minber. Minbar is the pulpit in a mosque, placed next to the mihrab. ... Imam.
It is believed that the first mosques were based on the House of the Prophet Muhammad in Medina, Saudi Arabia, which simply featured an enclosed courtyard connected to a colonnaded hall. It contained elements–the qiblah wall and minbar–that served as antecedents of similar elements in later mosques.