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Rajput Architecture

Rajput Architecture represents different types of buildings, which may broadly be classed either as secular or religious. The secular buildings are of various scales. These include temples, forts, stepwells, gardens, and palaces. The forts were specially built for defense and military purposes due to the Islamic invasions . Rajput Architecture continued well into the 20th and 21st centuries, as the rulers of the princely states of British India commissioned vast palaces and other buildings, such as the Albert Hall Museum , Lalgarh Palace , and Umaid Bhawan Palace . These usually incorporated European styles as well, a practice which eventually led to the Indo-Saracenic style . The Hill Forts of Rajasthan ( Amer , Chittor , Gagron , Jaisalmer , Kumbhalgarh , Ranthambore ), a group of six forts built by various Rajput kingdoms and principalities during the medieval...

Architecture of Delhi

The Architecture of Delhi dates back more than a thousand years. As the capital of several great empires of India, including Rajput kingdom , Delhi Sultanate , Mughal Empire , and British Raj , the city of Delhi has been a centre for art and architecture. The Delhi Sultanate ruled the city between 1206 and 1526. Their rule saw the development of early Indo-Islamic architecture , the most prominent being the Qutb Minar complex , a group of monuments surrounding the Qutb Minar . This period also saw building of many forts and cities like Siri Fort , Tughlaqabad and Feroz Shah Kotla . Many tombs were built around this period which are still present in many locations like Qutb Minar complex, Hauz Khas Complex and Lodi Gardens .

Mamluk Architecture

Mamluk architecture was the architectural style under the Mamluk Sultanate (1250–1517), which ruled over Egypt , the Levant , and the Hijaz from their capital, Cairo . Despite their often tumultuous internal politics, the Mamluk sultans were prolific patrons of architecture and contributed enormously to the fabric of historic Cairo . [1] The Mamluk period, particularly in the 14th century, oversaw the peak of Cairo's power and prosperity. [2] Their architecture also appears in cities such as Damascus , Jerusalem , Aleppo , Tripoli , and Medina . Major Mamluk monuments typically consisted of multi-functional complexes which could combine various elements such as a patron's mausoleum, a madrasa , a khanqah ( Sufi lodge), a mosque , a sabil , or other charitable functions found in Islamic architecture . These complexes were built w...

seljuk architecture

Seljuk architecture comprises the building traditions used by the Seljuk dynasty , when it ruled most of the Middle East and Anatolia during the 11th to 13th centuries. The Great Seljuk Empire (11th-12th centuries) contributed significantly to the architecture of Iran and surrounding regions, introducing innovations such as the symmetrical four- iwan layout and the first widespread creation of state-sponsored madrasas . Their buildings were generally constructed in brick , with decoration created using brickwork , tiles , and carved stucco . After the 11th century, the Seljuks of Anatolia emerged from the Great Seljuk Empire developing their own architecture. Anatolian Seljuk architecture was more eclectic and was influenced by the Armenian , Byzantine and Iranian architectural traditions. Unlike earlier Seljuk architecture to the east, the...

Ottoman Architecture

Ottoman architecture is the architecture of the Ottoman Empire , which emerged in northwestern Anatolia in the 13th century. The architecture of the empire developed from earlier Seljuk Turkish architecture , with influences from Byzantine and Iranian architecture along with architectural traditions of the Balkans and other parts of Middle East . Early Ottoman architecture experimented with multiple building types over the course of the 13th to 15th centuries, progressively evolving into the Classical Ottoman style of the 16th and 17th centuries, a mixture of native Turkish tradition and influences from the Hagia Sophia . One of the best representatives of the Classical period is Mimar Sinan , whose major works include the Şehzade Mosque , Süleymaniye Mosque , and Selimiye Mosque . Beginning in the 18th century, Ottoman a...

Umayyad Architecture

Umayyad architecture developed in the Umayyad Caliphate between 661 and 750, primarily in its heartlands of Syria and Palestine . It drew extensively on the architecture of other Middle Eastern civilizations and that of the Byzantine Empire , but introduced innovations in decoration and new types of building such as mosques with mihrabs and minarets . It was also inspired by Islamic architecture, and they made mosques with vibrant colours and used geometric designs because representational art wasn't allowed. Architectural style The Umayyads adopted the construction techniques of Byzantine architecture and Sasanian architecture . They often re-used existing buildings. There was some innovation in decoration and in types of building. Most buildings in Syria were of high quality ashlar masonry, using large tightly-joined blocks, sometimes with carving on the facade. Stone barrel vaults were on...