This article is going to review the Islamic architecture in other countries throughout the world and its impact on the architecture of these countries while, many historians and Western European experts- in the majority of their own works have tried to deny the influence of the architecture of Muslims’. In this regard, it has been tried by benefiting from the books and articles of Muslim writers and scholars and non - Muslim, to express and describe architectural features of the Muslims and the way they formed so as this question to be answered that whether Islamic architecture could, in addition to transfer their culture and civilization to other countries, have an impact on their architecture? Therefore, answering this question clarifies that architecture is an affected process in each period and despite to be influenced by thought, culture and civilization at its time is also their representative at other places as well.
The importance of architecture is so high that architectural works as cultural, political and social symbols of a country are being known. Primarily the historical civilizations have been cities and they make their religions and cultures known through architectures and their memoirs. The Muslims’ architecture during the history with their own unique characteristics like a mission has shouldered the prophesy of preaching Islam and after long years, in addition to the fact that it has kept alive the name of Islam and its elders of Islamic art, has caused that by the investigation and researches the science and art of the day of architecture by non - Islamic principles of the Islamic architecture, the principals of Islamic architecture is being clarified and open the language for the praise.
In this regard, an investigation and a looked at the architectural works of Muslims has specified the capacity of this field in teachings and sending of the Islamic thoughts to the different corners of the world more than before .
Definitions:
To investigate every issue and subject, we need to know different definitions provided for that matter. In terms of the same principle and its necessity, first we try to define terms of civilization, culture and architecture and then for better clarification of the subject, we will discuss the concepts of Islamic civilization and Islamic culture.
Civilization:
in a word meaning it means to become urbanize, opting for urban character and familiarizing with the people of the city, the public’s co - operation with each other in the life affairs and providing the means of its comfort thus, in the thought of and Allama dehkhoda has been defined as belonging to the character the urban settlers and transfer from violence and ignorance to familiarity, intimacy and delicacy as well.
In addition, the author of the book of “Al Tahgiq “ has considered the term of Madan as derived from the Hebrew word and Syriac and also regards the word Madyan and Medina derived from “religion “term which according to him means acceptance and humility against the programs , the laws and regulations .
Some has considered civilization based on terminology as a specific type of material development and spiritual that occurs in a special society. One civilization is consisted of a complex set of portable social phenomena, containing religious respects, moral, aesthetic, technical or scientific and common to all components of a community - wide or community, and several associated with each other.
Will Durant defines civilization as: civilization can be defined in its overall shape: social order that in spite of that cultural creativity becomes possible and moves.
Architecture
Architecture in the word meaning is the art of design and is one of the branches of engineering and the construction of the architectures. Architecture as the most socially oriented human art is associated with the space around the man and the presence of space, architect and city since past up to now and in the future has not been a moment absent from daily life of the human.
In the word academy it has also been defined: the architecture of design and construction is one of the branches of engineering that its subject is the design and construction of the architects.
DR. Bolkhari says: we differentiate between the philosophy of art and architecture which means that we consider architecture as the symbol the meanings, ideas and beliefs however, don't consider it just as a building,. This is something that almost all of the world will accept it when we get to the content of architecture, meaning is prior to form and frame therefore, it means that architecture has practiced in the cities and human life of today and all ages as a medium and embodies different meanings For example, Kaaba at the time of going around conveys different meanings as well as in the mosque, the domes and minarets are symbols of the several meanings. In the churches and monasteries it is similar to this, everywhere this is a law so, architecture means priority of meaning to the form and structure.
Culture:
Culture is a series of beliefs, habits, traditions and practices that are capable of education and the transition to the generations and commensurate with the different communities have several features and also have had commonalities differentiations with material culture civilization and moral one. They consider Material Culture consisting of constructive processes while, the spiritual one is including the spiritual values , beliefs , ideas and views, techniques, customs and traditions and other human subjective and culture such as science , philosophy , literature , art , and other where grows based on the life and comes out through the available communal life to the name of man and by its own is a living creature ,that lively have birth and death .
The greatest leader of the Revolution on 23 in / 9 / 1378 in the meeting with members of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, said, our goal of culture is the same mentalities. Wherever I use the Culture rendering, my goal is the general meaning of the culture which means those mentalities dominating on human existence that directs or accelerate his treatments thus, this is at least half of the determinants agents and promoter to all the treatments.
with all the mixtures of culture and civilization ,some historians culturists have separated these two concepts from each other and , from this perspective “civilization” involves more material aspects of human compositions like architecture and urbanism and technology, and culture moral aspects of human life like ceremonies, customs , language, religion and knowledge of it however, the emphasizing point is that culture and civilization is not mutually inclusive because, they are seen at various points and don’t have any civilization but, have traditions and practices for their own that form the culture of that region such as primitive tribes ,Indians and parts of Africa.
The concepts of Islamic civilization:
The definition we have of Islamic civilization is a comprehensive one and in fact, is an expression of all aspects of the political and cultural and economical aspects of our society. This definition, can involve all the dimensions of the individual and the community for instance, human behaviors ranging from political, cultural and economic and the way of people’s discourse whether individual discourse, the huge social discourse and even universal ones above all ,the products which are the concrete example of a society ; i. e. , industrial and technological products that’s why, all of these are placed at civilization range . The urbanizing construction and Architecture have direct connection with civilization structure so does scientific bases is too and software products as well as art products which are form relying on these software.
The concept of Islamic culture
Ayatollah Misbah Yazdi , regarding various definitions of culture, have presented three main element for Islamic culture:
1. We consider beliefs and ideas related to God , the man, human contact with God and the world and nature which means the principles of religion, monotheism , prophecy and the resurrection as the main axes of culture. Therefore, we rename it as the philosophy of understanding human insights or ontology and we used to call that as religion principles which are the first element of our culture.
2- The second element is the values and good and the bad. Islam presents a series of fixed and eternal good and evil for us. This does not mean that the rules at no time and place do not change. Rules are detailed changing affairs and the goal of constant values is principles and bases value.
3. Third element is behavioral practices resulted by sights and value. These three, are main elements of Islam’s culture; that is what we must believe in, good and bad specifies our behavioral manners. This is the same principles of religion, morals, and Islamic law.
Does Islam have architecture?
Islamic architecture is a phrase that still there are different interpretations regarding it but, at the outset to better clarify the subject, we discuss the provided definitions.
Islamic architecture include widespread architecture of the world which has spread in India , Afghanistan , the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus , Iran , Iraq , Turkey , Syria , Palestine , Egypt , Tunisia , Algeria and Morocco and we can consider its time span since the advent of Islam emergence up to before the public modern architecture .
Dr. Nogre Kar one of the heads in University of Science and architecture Iran says.
We don't have an Islamic architecture of Islam but, architecture of Islam period is true because Islam is based on a set of thinking and believing principles that these real, true, everlasting and eternal principles are relative and as a result their architectural works has also been relative and affiliated to the conditions of time and place, so it is better to say that architecture of Islam’s era including beautiful appearance, has a deep and humanistic heart in addition to obeying the achievements of the experimental sciences is sweet and with soul which feeds the sense of wisdom and sprit. In any case and by acceptance of any of the definitions whether “Islamic architecture” or “architecture in Islamic era “what is agreeable and considerable is the components of this style of architecture that is tried to be dealt with in this document.
The distinction of Islamic architecture with those of other architectures:
Islamic architecture consists of a different kind of indices which separates it from other building styles however; these components include the scientific geometry and innovative arts which has stemmed from spiritual ideas of person. The Innovation that architect benefits from is a way which in architectural art has been unprecedented before it and this is due to the religious properties in the aesthetics thoughts of Islam which has been manifested in Islamic architectural art. The principle element of space in architecture of Islam period is the location of human presence and other elements such as bodies and components in Islamic architecture in addition to the internal enclosed space, open and outward space including green central courtyard is of paramount importance also in architecture of this period the ceiling is not decorated like floor but, the floor inspired by the nature bed is usually smooth and flat and the ceiling by inspiring from the infinite sky and galaxies are designed and decorated.
The attractive element in the exterior of the facade of the porch or arch which is designed like arch for human entrance it will be due to dignifying man regarding building mass however, the building is not the statue but, a safe location.
Also, the Arabs ’architecture that due to Islam has formed and gained prosperity had some directions which were distinguishing it with its contemporary architectures.
Building materials:
The materials Arabs used in their buildings was different in terms of the region they lived and a goal they have of constructing it. Their first building material was brick and then they used rock and in Andlos it is observed that they had used concretes which were mixture of sand, and lime and broken stone.
2. Arched – shaped roofs:
arrow-shaped arches and horseshoe is out of Islamic building privileges which are continuously seen in the oldest Arab buildings in Europe, Asia and Africa as a semicircle arches.
The dome:
Although building of the dome has been too common among Romans , and also the Sassanian sultans were building dome for their palaces but, the job the Arabs did was that they built the domes narrowly and bent them down on the bottom of so that if we cut them in the middle a curve line will be created which is just like the Arabs’ arches ; and domes form according to cities dispute contains some differences and the common point in Islamic architecture has been whether they built for mosques or the shrines, for instance anywhere in Egypt you see a dome if there is not mosque surely , there is a grave under it.
Hanging and doming:
hanging is out of things done by Arabs and still has not been seen in other nation and still sixteen century has not been finished that it became common in all Islamic nations.
5. Arab’s ascriptions and engravings:
The decorations Arabic and Islamic monuments are based on specific order is formed out of a series of geometric customs and Arabic ascriptions and it is under the a string of simple rules that whether carved in stone was like mosques in Cairo or like Homeira palace were casting by the chalk. (The following two pictures are examples of the mentioned samples)
Islamic architectural principals:
Architectural space dominates on human and takes control of physical and eventually mental behavior of its addressee. Therefore, it usually imposes the addressee where to sleep , where to sit , what , from what angle sees and where eating food , where and how to work in space , and it is because of this ongoing effects that religion orders the recommendations of the human spirit and soul in regarding housing ad accommodation.
14: These recommendations are as follows:
The Large house is of the cases pinpointed by Islam thus, in the words of the religion scholars the vast house has been mentioned as one of the pleasures in the world however, the important of this issue is to the extent that God’s prophet (peace be upon him) in one of his prays begs Almighty God for a large house claims: oh my God forgive sins and enlarge my house, and make my food Mubarak.
But the reason of the religion’s head to emphasize on vast housing is a significant issue that needs to be investigated. In all likelihood, Islam's holy rules have not considered any large house as a factor of earthly and future happiness. In investigating the causes of Islam’s emphasis on vast accommodation, we consider some interesting result:
perhaps Islam’s view regarding largeness and gamut of the home is to choose a location in which the family lives easily however, in interpretation of Islam, it is seeking to prepare a space to provide the family peace and tranquility. To be sure, the spacious house is when admirable to be a means for the owner of the house to achieve the worthy social and familial goals otherwise, any large and spacious house cannot be good fortune for happiness. As it was quoted when Hazrat Ali (RA) went to visit Alaa IBn Ziad, who was from his friends entered to his house and saw spacious home and said what are you doing by such spacious house in the world? Be aware that you are more in need in the other world yes! You can get better world and do hospitality and visit your relatives obey the rights to its own place; in this case, you will achieve a good future (eternal world).
Therefore, the separation of parents’ resting place from their children and isolated bed for boys and girls’ sleep during time ranges prevents the man from many moral, spiritual and training corruption that obeying these conditions is not possible unless with a large space and several rooms .
It should be noted that the aim of a large and spacious house is not mean to have a palace or making it but, is enjoyment of a house to be as our need. The Experience shows that as small house causes deprivation of tranquility and calmness, the aristocratic houses are also causes discomfort. Of course, a house is the means of tranquility to provide the actual need to provide the different needs of family however, it is clear that the amount of real need in the families are different but , the it is important that the house to be as the size of common need and no more.
Islamic building and construction should not be more than is needed and wastes and luxury should be avoided. The supreme Allah says, do you build in any high location a construction based on your whims and thinking that you will be in the world forever? The verse drew attention to this fact that the man having religious thinking ,spends his money and life for luxury , as we saw in the life of the religious heads and great Imams (RA) . For example, there is a decree among elders and religious scholars drawing the pictures of animals and building statue is something execrable and partly taboo. The Christian researchers also perceived to obey this principle in Islamic works and write: The Muslims believed that worshiping and bowing to the statues of the Saints gives so sacrament picture that Christian person practically worship it and since the Muslims were firmly against idolatry from the beginning, they accounted icon worshiping similar to idolatry and opposed to it and for this reason, they were called as idol breaker. out of building everything in vain and out of use in architecture in Islamic era has been intensively avoided and at the same time the goal will be providing spiritual and material needs of the man including, in this era, inappropriate decorations and rough and unnecessary as earthy and materialistic is not been exploited but, is usually rich and uses divine speech, mystic poems, ascriptions and geometric tissues, various colors and appropriate adequate.
Undisputed and appropriate land:
The large house is when valuable to be obtained by pure finance however, any person can own vast accommodation through illegal finance or taboo but, the recommendation of God’s messenger (Peace to him) is that “plead a vast home from God so that the God pays attention to you from positive way. Surely, the house built by illegal money obtained from dishonesty in sale, exchange , gavel and corruption or the money in which the God’s share has not been paid can not be used to build a legal house with. The other case is pointing to appropriate land and there is in the narration that Hazrat Ali says: there is no place enjoyable unless by three cases such as good weather conditions, ample water and productive soil. The building material used to construct the house must be obtained legally because the God’s messenger has said to be aware of the illegal building materials because they will destroy your home, too.
The district and healthy environment:
The district and good neighbors are considered out of the best characteristics of a good accommodation so, Hazrat Ali (Peace to him) says: The value and dignity of a house is depending on spacious yard, good companions and its benediction relies on good region, spacious location and good neighbors. The other influential case in this area are social and environmental effects and it is in the narrations that Almighty God revealed to one of his prophets “tell the believers not to wear the cloth of my enemies, not to ear their foods, and not practice their living methods (in different affairs) because they become like them thus, there are 22 narrations that similar to each unwanted group attracts the man to that direction. It is evident that settlement amongst deviate persons affect on the behaviors and the deeds of the man. This shows that good area to be chosen for living however, by passing time the treatments and nature of neighboring guys will influence on the behaviors and tastes.
Unity and solidarity:
Witnessing to God’s monotheism which is the first step to enter religion of Islam and regarding architectures and home has also been considered and Kaaba as the most important symbol of unity in Islamic religion in terms of architectural features has been provided. In Islamic cities due to having symbols like mosques, holy shrines and considering direction of Meccas in one Islamic city creates the unity of direction. As all the Muslims wherever they bow to Mecca, practice the divine commandments and build their mosques, cemeteries and their cities on this direction and by such population multiplicity they are united in this practice.
Science ;
the science under the flags of Islamic government eras , especially four and five century of Hejri, have had considerable advancement and the Muslims have been theorists in all scientific fields and have benefited their science and knowledge in all the fields of science. On the other hand, in Islamic architecture, the science like mathematic, calligraphy, Quran and Hadith, drawing and delicacy has been well used and despite of the influence correct order of architecture and determined way of decoration caused the eternity of this type of science in History of Islam. Building and decoration of architect which means using of science and Islamic recognition, has stated a point and shows a corner of divine recognition. If it is looked closely, the usage of different types of writing styles , types of Eslimi and their ascriptions all of them has been done by geometry and also is derived from them. We can dare to say that we don’t have an Islamic art in which the geometry have not been used however, the Muslims instead of the pictures and humanistic and animalistic statues uses geometric, abstract and specific colors and their value is that they show mathematical calculations forms an inseparable part in aesthetics of Islamic architecture and when its secrets are discovered, a new world facing a art history will be opened. Considering some historical works indicates that Muslims by high dominance recognition of material , chronology, climatology ,understanding of Hadith, mathematic , geometry and most of other sciences have built stable and resistant architects and more than all it is a reason for the Muslims’ intelligibility as well as using his science in development of architecture. Primarily, all of the Muslim architects were scholar by their own even they were called Molana however, the eminent example is Sheikh Bahayee and Molana Gavam Al Din Shirazi and this knowledge allowed them to choose the most appropriate verses or prays . The more interesting is that when built skyscrapers and towers, they ascribed decoratively around the architecture with verses to save the construction out of the daily events like earthquakes that we see this case in most of the works.
Keeping purity, Hijab and cover:
keeping sanctity and the personality of individuals is out of considerable cases in moralities and principals of Islam and this paramount point is more emphasized in building constructions as well, hence necessarily , the Islamic building must also have cover. Imam Sadeq said: Three things are the means for life comfort: one is large house which cover the man in solitude and loneliness and keeps his secrets from the strangers’ eyes and accommodation as interpreted from its name must be a location for the household to be in comfort in it and also to be safe from any insecurity or dishonest eyes or types of commuting which creates discomfort. Hazrat Ayatollah Amoli in the meeting of technical city construction committee said: building houses with kitchens made in Open style is not Islamic because the landlord and the host can not wear their Hijab cover themselves. Perhaps , we can say that it is the advantage the religion heads has recommended to spacious houses and in such houses it is easy for the household obey their Hijab facing the strangers thus, the origin of introversion in Islamic and Iranian architecture has been considered by old historians.
Worship and reminding;
in God’s recommendation to God has been mentioned that the houses are good to built toward Mecca and it implied that the house must have a place for worshiping. To create a place to worship in all places, the concordance of the fundamental parts of the building toward Mecca or “Qeble’ has been as the main needs of architect and this issue has provided a subject naming Qeble in the architecture and in Islamic texts, it has been recommended that a place to worship and say the pray must be considered in advance and this important case can be observed in the life of the religion seniors and infallible Imams. In this regard we suffices a narration by Imam Sadeq (peace to him) who said: Imam Ali, dedicated a room in the home where there was a rug, sword and he just sad pray there and according to the above holy Quran verse which says “the pray removes the sins away “so, the opposing point to pray is the category of sin . In this regard, there is a narration of Imam Kazem who says “God is deserved to destroy a house where the owners disobey God in it and then, the sun shines on it and purify it. Therefore, there are some other principals that we avoid them here so as to shorten the discussion.
Islamic architecture in the pass of history and geography:
At the outset of Islamic civilization, the Muslims under the effect of top idea of the prophet have considered environmental factor or the cities’ geographical situation in terms of political importance. In the history of Wildorant, it has been mentioned that the word of Arab means bare and unproductive. In the borders of primary Sudia Arabia of that time, was burning desert and running sands but, around water streams there were productive points or deserts where the palm trees grew there. Some parts especially north part was green in autumn, winter and the spring that’s why, the productive arch had spread from Palestine up to Persian golf in the north of Sudia Arabia. In line with the red sea, there was a strip which was suitable for agriculture however, in creation of holy Mecca the ecological factor has less been influential because they have written the valley where Mecca constructed was bare but, in comparison to that Yathreb which was on the west of central plate of Sudia Arabia was like Adan Paradise which had been based by Holy Prophet (Bliss to him). Based on this, in choosing other capitals of Islamic capitals also the climate has been considered so, city of Dameshq at the time of the Arabs’ victory had an old history and had compensated the five stream of there on behalf of the wests’ paradise. The city element skeleton in the Islamic era after the mosque, market, region , the medical and training centers of hospitals , bathrooms, observatory , libraries , the shrines, schools and the inns that considering these bases exposes out the close and logical consideration of Islam in establishing of the cities.
Arabic architecture of Islam:
the architecture in line and step by step is developing and the human keep up himself with in terms of construction and architectural designs with new civilization however, in this companionship, Islam has a rich historical background. Islam is agreeing with that part of civilization which provides the conditions for physical and mental health and even its followers to development and its increase. We, in the era before the Islam, also in the regions of peninsular which had more urban settlers enjoyed sumptuous artistic works. The Islamic method and following it the Muslim’s conquer caused the Muslim’s familiarity with artistic achievements of other civilized nations and Islamic art in the beginning of its movement was a set of obtained art of other nations. From influential regions in the art of the Muslims of, Iran, Armenia, Bizans, we had glorious works of Islam. Islamic art, after using artistic capabilities of other nations in the bed the Islam had provided developed and accepted the necessities of new method and also provided fundamental figure of new method. The Islamic architecture in Spain and other Islamic nations which still glorifies in universal architecture and the reason is that the non-Muslims open their tongue to confess “even though the Muslims began to construct the building of the mosque, later they so hurried to decorate it, after a short time, they rebuilt the mosques in a so glorious way that each viewer wondered by such a development. 20 years after the death of the Prophet Mohammad (Bless to him) his mosque was built in Medina and its walls built by decorous rocks. Not only had the Muslims speeded up in architectural and engineering affairs from their contemporaries and benefited them by collecting new available styles in the world, mixing them and with new innovations but, the buildings built for defending themselves were derived from Europe and they have mentioned in their writings “the Europeans learned the architect of the congress naming Machikoulich from Muslims. The architect has been considered among Muslims and they were trying to complete it. Perhaps, we can until another century determine what do we owe to it in architectural world and construction to World of Islam by high assurance. Since the beginning of the first century, the Muslim commanders in the conquered regions, began to build conspicuous palaces and architectures and tried to create the bigger works from those in the beginning of Islamic era.
Islamic architecture:
The Islamic architecture in the shape and committee was appeared in three main architectures such as the mosques, schools and the tombs. Dameshq’s great mosques built during 87-96 are regarded as the most ancient Islamic architectures. At the time of the Christians of the Spain before the Arabs the civilization and development, except the amount that the wild Gout had, does not appear however, the Arabs in coincidence with the end of their concurrence in this land, tried to do reforms and development and through the time less than five years could raise unproductive lands and could rebuild the desolated areas and build excellent and important lands. The advantage which the Arab civilization had there was that the Arabs were enthusiast to different science and they tried to establish schools and libraries; the Arabs focused all their diligence and efforts on different science, industry and techniques and were placed in the same ladder in terms of managing affairs and public occupations for example Shouse roads, bridges, the inns, hospitals, and most of the mosques near around. Christy a western orientalist in modifying Islamic art says that Islamic art taken its sprit from Sudia Arabia and its construction from somewhere else as result, we should not easily pass by the necessities of the new method in shaping Islamic art and we should say that the civilizations has borrowed art and Islamic architecture. Even though they do some efforts to implement Islamic art in their system , Islamic arts either architecture, or calligraphy and Islamic decoration relies on the Muslims’ innovations which backs to 15 centuries ago the time of history of Islam civilization and it is not possible to relate to any states or ruler.
The penetration of Islamic architecture in West and East:
Spain:
Andlos ( Spain of today) is the chain connecting the culture of Islam and art and west. The 800 years presence of the Muslims in area and deep productivity of culture and Islamic art changed the Spain into a bridge between two civilizations. Perhaps, the first Islamic ruler and especially the one who changed Qortabe to cultural center and put it as most important point of culture and Islamic art is Abdurrahman of the second. Art and architecture was a symbol for emergence and the Muslims’ smartness and talent in Europe through Andlos therefore, this emergence in various majors of art such as city development, architecture of the mosque, palaces, parks and the bridges, minting, calligraphy, purling on the fabrics , Textile and paper making was considerable and in its internal feature , it has such a powerful Aesthetics spirit that was as imitated by the Europeans as was built. The more important point is the effect of Islamic architecture especially in using of pointed arches on Gothic architecture. Although this point has been ignored in most of historians’ works and not mentioned here, the conspicuous similarity of some of Gothic architecture with Islamic architecture relatively removes any doubts in this influence. The Arabs, at the beginning of their arrival to Spain made the Romance architect and used their maps and the way of building them but, it did not take long by natural talent and especial capability they had affected the engineers and innovated new designs for buildings and they developed in designs so much that even by high precision, the viewer can not make differentiate between the Arabs’ architectures and those of Romance.