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Islamic art and architecture philosophies and practices papers
4 characteristics of Islamic architecture
Brief essay on Islamic architecture
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In general, Islamic cities do not practice any large open central squares. It is the mosques with their courtyards that serve as an assembly point. The mosque court is one of the most public spaces within any Islamic society. According to Moustafa (2008), the significance of this preconceived notion of what is reasonable or possible is that the flow in and out of public/private, sacred/secular space is a distinctly Islamic characteristic, integrating public street life and cultural-religious landscape.
Courtyards are essential whenever the term ‘Islamic landscape’ is mentioned. Arab nomads first initiated the concept of a courtyard when they travel and had to stay in the desert. They would set up their tents allowing a central space to provide shelter and security to their cattle. Following the development of Arab-Islamic culture, the courtyard is distinguished as a fundamental typological element (Al Abidin, 2010).
The concept of paradise garden has been well known for ages and it changes from time to time according to their culture. The interpretation of paradise garden itself varies from one country to another country. The implementation of ‘paradise garden’ concept in the Islamic courtyard is familiar in Islamic landscape. Often the Islamic courtyard consist the elements of paradise garden within.
The word paradise derived from Old Persian word ‘pairidaeza’ that means ‘enclosure’ or ‘park’. It is later used to refer to a celestial garden or a paradise on Earth. The term paradise visualized as the ideal garden and portrayed as a state of blessedness (Lehrman J.B. 1980). The description of a paradise garden was also found in the Holy Book, the Quran where it described a garden in the paradise with beautiful scenery as a rewar...
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...oyal garden was in some way similitude of paradise”.
Ruggles (2008:40) stated that an early application of this garden planning dates back in 559 BCE at Pasargadae, the Achaemenid capital of Cyrus the Great in Iran. The rectangular courtyard suggested it had an intersecting watercourse function to irrigate water to the four quadrants garden. However the axial divisions are not necessarily design by watercourse. According to Ruggles (2008:41), Islamic gardens emulate the Roman model of a geometrical concept with the central axis in the form of pathways or watercourse. He also added that not all of these quadripartite layouts uses watercourse to achieve this pattern, as in some cases the use of a central pavilion and doorway openings can bring into the charbagh concept. The concept was soon after followed in other regions including Spain, India, Egypt and Marrakesh.
Another word for paradise is heaven. That is what it seems to represent, heaven. Or at the very least the heaven the flesh side of humanity wants.
The final plan of the garden by Le Nôtre was decided in 1668. The major axis of the gardens was traced following the sun path from east to west (Figure 7). This is also associated with Louis, expressing how his power as the Sun king is over nature. The axis created a great perspective going from the Water Parterre and finish at the Grand Canal. Similarly, a secondary perspective going from north to south orientation, from the Neptune Fountain and finished at the Swiss Pool (Figure 7). Along these two axes, fourteen groves are planted with palisades of clipped bushes bounded around it. Both the site layout of Versailles and the gardens are associated with the sun in some aspects. Consistently, both of them have the same implication of the king’s power over nature and the absolute monarchy of Louis.
Springfield, IL: Charles Thomas Publishers, 2009. Print. Necipoglu, Gulru. Muqarnas, Vol 25: Frontiers of Islamic Art and Architecture.
“Culture belongs to the imagination; to judge it rationally is to misunderstand its function” (Wilson 79). In “The Butterfly Mosque” by G. Willow Wilson, she acknowledges culture and explains why cultures can differ so greatly. She emphasizes why its highly inconclusive to try to find a meaning behind ones culture. As a young American Muslim women she is faced with cross cultural ironies as she tries to find her identity and where she fits in. Her conversion to Islam brings into light her internalized prejudice and the different perspectives of Westerners towards the Middle East and vice versa. In her memoir, she depicts both positive and negative aspects of both cultures and, her struggle to find a common ground between the two.
Bihzad has placed strong emphasis on the complexity of the palace’s architecture which he has adorned with colorful ornaments and emblazoned with gold. Each room is decorated with rugs and tiles featuring complex floral and asymmetrical patterns that cover each chamber from floor to ceiling. The palace appears to be three stories tall and features a balcony on the left and a zigzagging staircase on the right. The asymmetrical style of these two architectural features gives the impression of the work being 3-dimensional ...
seeing this compares it to the Garden of Eden because of the beauty that it
the ground” (2217). In the middle of the garden is a marble fountain. While it is in ruins, it is “sculptured with rare art” (2217). The fountain continues to flow and provide water for the plants of the garden. This fountain is comparable to the tree of life and the river that waters the Garden of Eden (Norford). Giovanni associates this fountain as an “immortal spirit” (2217). The shrub with the purple flowers that is growing at the base of the fountain can be equated to the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden (Norford 179). Within both gardens, the fall of man takes place. In Eden, it is the fall of...
When walking around a city, you may notice that the architecture and art look similar to other works. Many of these designs have changed along the course of history and time whilst others have not. The designs that many people still see in society and day to day living is from two of the many cultures of the old civilizations, Roman and Islamic. The art and architecture forms from the Islamic and Roman cultures have many comparisons and contrasts between them. They, the Islamic and Roman nations, have both adopted from other cultures and have made their own discoveries in the art and architecture worlds. The Roman and Islamic architecture and art vary drastically from each other and yet have varying comparisons between the two.
In the following essay, I will be comparing and contrasting to architectural pieces by the Indians. The first is the Taj Mahal, a building constructed from white marble that took seventeen years to build in honor of Shah Jahan’s wife, Mumtaz Mahal (Z. Haq). This piece of architectural beauty belonged to the Mughal’s, the Muslim emperors in India (Z. Haq). The second is the Great Stupa at Sanchi, a holy, dome shaped structure that covers the body of the Buddha in honor of him and his contributions to Buddhism (Fischer, Julia). Furthermore, this structure was made of ruins, rocks, mud, and covered in bricks (Fischer, Julia). Both pieces of architecture are significant to the Indians, however they do contrast in some ways.
The Ancient Land of Iraq From the ancient land of Iraq emerged complex irrigation systems and
Many non-muslims after 9/11 have judged and criticized Muslims for their ethnic, religion, and the Islamic terrorist groups in America. (4) Surprisingly, most Muslim Americans in our population are completely against Isis. Together as a country, we must create more unity and peace within Muslim communities in the United States. Building Mosques for Muslims is a great way to bring communities together! A Mosque is a Muslim place of worship like a church. (1) The first Mosque structure built in America, was in North Dakota, 1929.”The number of Mosques built in the United States has risen up to seventy-four percent since 2000 and there are over two-thousand Mosques built today. (1) “Mosques help Muslims integrate in U.S. society, and in fact have a very productive role in bridging the differences between Muslims and non-Muslims in the United States.” Mosques encourage social and political speech. (5) “Many American Muslim leaders and non-Muslim organizations have spoke out against terrorism and extremist violence.” Working together to prevent terrorism plays an important factor in uniting Muslims and non-Muslims. American will continue to help increase unity with Muslims and non-Muslims across our
The biblical story centering around the Garden of Eden and man’s fall from God’s grace is not only a tale interpreted numerous times throughout literary history but is also the core historical beginning of the Christian faith. Within the first few pages of the Bible, people can read of a creative and loving God who crafted the universe and all life within it in only a few days. This same God took special care to then create man, the woman, and made them a lovely home within the Garden of Eden. It is this Garden of Eden that many Christians refer to as “Paradise.” This biblical tale has been repeated told and interpreted throughout history, such as in John Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” but one story takes these themes from the Adam and Eve story
Although this extremely close connection of the individual with nature, the basic principle of Japanese gardens, has remained the constant throughout its history, the ways in which this principle has come to be expressed has undergone many great changes. Perhaps the most notable occurred in the very distinct periods in Japanese history that popularized unique forms of garden style—Heian (781-1185), and the Kamakura (1186-1393). Resulting from these two golden ages of Japanese history came the stroll garden from the former period and the Zen garden from the latter. As we shall see, the composition of these gardens was remarkably effected by the norms of architecture and the ideals of popular religion in these eras. Therefore, in understanding each garden style in its context, it is essential to also take into account the social, historical, and theological elements as well as the main stylistic differences.
This chapter explores the idea of landscape in an anthropological construct. Hirsch aims to move away from the western ideals of understanding of landscape, and deconstruct it in an attempt to understand the local interoperation of landscape to prove it is part of a cultural process. Landscape has been used as a “standard framing device” (p1) by those looking from the outside in across anthropological history. Hirsch is looking to explore the landscape through the cultural understandings of the local people. (p1-5)
A city has to be beautiful, though the definition of “beauty” is so vague. The beauty can be physical, such as enjoyable parks, streetscapes, architectural facades, the sky fragment through freeways and trees; or it can be the beauty of livelihood, people, and history. As landscape architects, we are creating beautiful things or turning the unpleasant memorial.