Jordan University of Science and Technology
College of Architecture and Design
Department of Architecture
Islamic Architecture
Islamic Architecture
Dr. Raed Al Tal
Jordan University of Science and Technology
College of Architecture and Design
Department of Architecture
Islamic Architecture
Dr. Raed Al Tal
Muslim Egypt
Still in the Abbasids
Amro bin El As Mosque
Nilometer
Ibn Tulun Mosque
The first Egyptian mosque was built at Fustat near the Fatimid
Cairo in 641
Fustat is a military city that was built around Nile vallies– later
became Cairo
It was the mosque of Amor bin al-As
The appearance of Amro bin al-As mosque has changed many
times
It was demolished and rebuilt in 688, also in 711
It was enlarged in 750 and again in 791
In 827 Abd Allah bin Tahir gave it its final form to become a
(congregational mosque)
Amro Bin L As mosque
Enclosure built of mud brick and prayer hall covered with shed
and palm leaves
120 by 110 meters
Hypostyle
Oblong space is the haram – ka3a rectangular bi2itijah il haram
Court yard at the center was the fountain 9 obulition fountain
The Nilometer
Base of Egyptians life is the Nile, their life was divided in two:
Work and agriculture works
Building for the pharaoh
Measured how high the Nile was and connected it to the
levying of taxes - if there was too much water and it
overflowed, peasants could not grow crops so they could not
tax. Same if not enough water - so proper amount/taxable
amount of Nile was in the middle bars.
based on the irrigation system practiced by Abbasids in Iraq
The Nilometer of Roda
al-Mutuwakil (847-861) built a Nilometer in 861 in the
island of Roda facing the old Cairo it was:
-a subterranean building demonstrated an advanced
level of scientific knowledge
- square well
-in ashlar ( an elaborate system of stone cutting) regular
well cut stone
-Has remarkable pointed arch – structural: relieve vertical
weight
-has remarkably pointed arches
•vaulted niches helped to strengthen the structure
•Goes 12 m. below ground level
• A marble octagonal gradual column with
indicators built underground in Mutuwakil
era in the middle of Abbasids dynasty
in the center of the building was a beautiful graduated
octagonal column allowing the reading of the maximum level
reaches by the Nile spate
Bin Tulun Mosque
Ahmad bin-Tulun:
A Turkish governor sent by the Abbasids who managed
through cunning and superb organization to create a
semi-independent principality in Egypt and parts of
Syria.
His descendants, The Tulunids, formed a dynasty that
lasted for almost forty years (868-905).
Its image is like great mosque of Samarra
Spiral minaret was copied but smaller
Minaret was not part of the building
Ibn Tulun Mosque
Was first built in Fustat (876-879)
Built of mud brick (Mesopotamian traditions ) with stucco
decoration
A square outer wall enclosed the Ziyyada 162 meter
Central courtyard 90* 90 meter
Hypostyle
primitive
Fountain in courtyard was added
Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo
The Ibn Tulun mosque reflects all the characteristic features
of Abbasid art within the realm of architecture, and was
obviously influenced, particularly:
- with regards to the minaret,
- the great rectangular piers with engaged corner columns,
- the decorative motif and other features by the famous
Samarra mosque in present day Iraq.
The Great Mosque at Samara
AL MUTAWAKEL MOSQUE
The Great Mosque of Samarra was built in 848-852 AD
on an open plan principle, it is the largest mosque of
Islam (748 x 512 ft).
The minaret was built in about 850 AD and is a 52m-tall
spiral "al-Malwiya"
• One of the differences between the two is that here in bin
Tulun mosque there is a copula over nitch
• influence of Spain- Umayyad, horse shoe arch plus olive
arch, something between horse shoe and pointed
• Decoration:
• Stucco work brought from Samarra
• In bin Tulun maybe it was style B
• So the message to be given to Baghdad that I am
establishing my new dynasty
Stucco Decoration:
Samarra Style: Three styles have been identified
following their degree of abstraction:
Style A: Vine-leave ornament still bearing resemblance
to the Hellenistic, naturalizing origin.
Style B: Vegetal ornament with some abstraction.
Style C: Molded pattern, very abstract and have a
combination of vegetal and geometric motifs. Patterns are
normally inscribed within borders.
Style A: Vine-leave ornament still bearing resemblance
to the Hellenistic, naturalizing origin
.
Style B: Vegetal ornament with some abstraction.
Style C: Molded pattern, very
abstract and have a
combination of vegetal and
geometric motifs. Patterns are
normally inscribed within
borders.
Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo
Oblong prayer hall (5 bays parallel to the Qibla wall)
• He built it like Mutuwakil mosque to:
• To express independency
• He insisted to build it of mud brick to make a
sign . It is known in Egypt that religious
buildings were to be built out of stone and
secular buildings of mud brick, he wanted to
send a message for the Abbasids
The brick cupola rose above the mihrab
Arcaded porticos along four sides
The fountain (sahn), which was a later addition built by
Sultan Ladjin, is surrounded by double arcades on three
sides
Spiral minaret of bricks the same as Samarra later this
minaret rebuilt of stone, probably at the time of the
Mamluks, also the central fountain was added
Arcades were slightly horseshoe arches shaped
Fatimid era
Islam Egypt
The arrival of the Fatimid Caliphs
10th century the Abbasids witnessed decline in their power
The rise of Sunni and Shiite power conflict
The Fatimid's (Ismaili Shiite Dynasty)
Ubaidallah (862-934) who took the title of Mahdi
In 921 Ubaidallah founded the city of Mahdiya
The Fatimid's first established their power in Kairoun in 921
In 969 they established their power in Egypt and in 970 in
Damascus
• They started in Tunisia
• First city was Mahdiya
• They flourished in Kairoun
• Then they expanded
• They went to Damascus and Egypt
• In Egypt they established Cairo
The Shiite caliphs founded Cairo (al-Qahira, the victorious) in
973, next to the Fustat.
-Established by General Jawhar – the commander of the
troops of the Fatimid al-Muizz
-Fortified city , sort of forbidden city : the walled city contained
the treasury, the library, and mausoleums.
-Square plan city (1.1 Km )
-Brick walls and gates later rebuilt of stone during the Crusades
The old brick gates were replaced with stone gates, three of
which remain today; consisting of Bab al-Nasr (the Gate of
Victory), Bab el Futuh (Gate of Succor) and Bab Zuweila
(Gate of the Zuweila tribe).
Protecting the city was not the only reason for building these
walls and gates.
They were built also for management and administrative
purposes. No one was allowed to enter Cairo or stay there
except for its residents, or those who were allowed in for certain
reasons, such as work, during the daytime hours.
Cairo characteristics
• Fortified walled gated city
• Contained treasury library
• Square plan 1.1 km.
• Mud brick fortified walls later converted to stone by
Crusades
Cairo a square city with 8 gates like (bab l nasr bab l futu7)
Something distictive is the 2 palaces and whats between
them
Gates are circular or square
Tablakhane is the room to drum for the caliph over the gate
The Shiite caliphs founded Cairo (al-Qahira,
the victorious) in 973,
next to the Fustat.
Plan of the Fatimid City with the two palaces and Khitat).
Fatimid (and pseudo-Fatimid) Palaces:
The Eastern Palace: (969-72) A huge enclosure
with several monumental gates that contained a
number of halls set within garden-courtyards.
The Western Palace: (975-96) Built by al-`Aziz,
al-Mu`izz's son, as the more private caliphal
palace across from the Eastern Palace. The two
palaces were separated by an open parade
ground called Bayn al-Qasrayn (Between the Two
Palaces).
Tablaghanah
The al-Zhar Mosque
Educational
First university in the world
This is the oldest university in the world, where the first lecture
was delivered in 975 AD.
Today the university built around the Mosque is the most
prestigious of Muslim schools, and its students are highly
esteemed for their traditional training. While ten thousand
students once studied here, today the university classes are
conducted in adjacent buildings and the Mosque is reserved for
prayer. In addition to the religious studies, modern schools of
medicine, science and foreign languages have also been
added.
The al-Zhar Mosque
Educational
First university in the world
Founded in 970 by the Fatimid's as a principal mosque of
Shiite Islam
Had an oblong courtyard surrounded by a reused columns
The courtyard measured 50* 54 m
• Hypostyle
• Stucco decoration
• Rod ties
• Witnessed several enlargements
Cupola over
nitch
5 arcades
Cairo, al-Azhar Mosque, Original plan, 969-73
It underwent several enlargements
At the northern end is the tomb medersa of Jawhar El-Sequili.
Irregular enlargement why?
• To fit the urban fabric
• Mamluks hated visibilty so they tilted walls to
build things in passage ways
Marble columns
Flat wooden roof
4 iwan on courtyard lal 4
mathaheb
Central courtyard
Currently, it has five very fine minarets with small balconies
and complexly carved columns.
It has six entrances, with the main
Arches are joined to each other by tie rods for more stability
To prevent buckling
After the fall of the Fatimid's this Shiite mosque became
the great university of Sunni Islam
Large rosettes were placed above the arches
Reused capitals supported pointed four-centered brick
arches
Mosque al-Hakim, Cairo 990-1013
Construction of the Mosque of al Hakim was begun by the
Fatimid Caliph al-'Aziz in 990 and finished by his son al-
Hakim bi-Amr Allah and his overseer Abu Muhammad al-
Hafiz 'Abd al-Ghani ibn Sa'id al-Misri in 1013.
The mosque is constructed of brick with stone facades and
minarets.
Its irregular rectangular plan is composed of a rectangular
courtyard surrounded by arcades supported by piers, with a
prayer hall whose arcades are also carried on piers.
The aisle leading to the mihrab is emphasized both in width
and height.
Termination of this aisle at the mihrab is marked by a dome
carried on squinches, and domes mark the outer corners of
the prayer hall as well.
The front facade was given a central projecting monumental portal
and its two corner minarets--different in shape and decoration,
were encased in projecting square stone structures during the
reign of al-Hakim in 1002-3.
