Islamic Info and Current Affairs

  Moorish  architecture  is a variation of  Islam ic architecture. There are many  motif s, or repeated patterns, in Moorish architecture. This photo gallery illustrates just a few. The first slide gives an overview of the motifs: different styles of  arch es,  calligraphy ,  vegetative  design, and decorative tiles. Moorish architecture is named after the  Moor s, North African people who conquered the Iberian Peninsula and many islands in the Western Mediterranean beginning in the 700s. The Moors controlled what is now Spain, Portugal, and the Pyrenees region of France for hundreds of years. The Moors were Muslim and influenced by the Islamic architecture that developed in the Middle East. Although  mosque s are the most common examples of Moorish architecture, motifs spread to the design of homes and places of businesses. One of the most famous examples of Moorish architecture, the Mezquita or Grand Mosque of Cordoba, Spain, is t...

  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...

  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   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   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   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  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...

  Mughal architecture   is the type of   Indo-Islamic architecture   developed by the   Mughals   in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries throughout the ever-changing extent of their empire in the   Indian subcontinent . It developed the styles of earlier   Muslim   dynasties in India as an amalgam of   Islamic ,   Persian   and   Indian architecture .  Mughal buildings have a uniform pattern of structure and character, including large bulbous domes, slender minarets at the corners, massive halls, large vaulted gateways, and delicate ornamentation; Examples of the style can be found in modern-day Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The Mughal dynasty was established after the victory of  Babur  at  Panipat in 1526 . During his five-year reign, Babur took considerable interest in erecting buildings, though few have survived.  His grandson  Akbar  built widely, and the style developed...

  Abbasid architecture  developed in the  Abbasid Caliphate  between 750 and 945, primarily in its heartland of  Mesopotamia . The Abbasids were influenced mainly by  Mesopotamian architectural traditions  and later influenced  Persian  as well as Central Asian styles. They evolved distinctive styles of their own, particularly in decoration of their buildings. While the Abbasids lost control of large parts of their empire after 870, their architecture continued to be copied by successor states in Iran, Egypt and North Africa. Abbasid Geometric arch decorations Characteristics                                                                                            Typical features of the more important buildings inc...