Islamic Architecture

In India
Introduction
 Indian architecture took new shape with the advent
of islamic rule in India towards the end of 12th century
AD.
 New elements were introduced into Indian
architecture that include : use of shapes (instead of
natural forms); inscriptional art using decorative
lettering or calligraphy; inlay decoration and use of
coloured marble, painted plaster and brilliantly glazed
tiles.
 The islamic architecture is arcuate i.e, an arch or
dome was adopted as a method of bridging a space.
 The Indo-islamic monuments were typical mortar-
masonry works formed of dressed stones. It must be
emphasized that the development of Indo-islamic
architecture was greatly facilitated by the knowledge
and skill possessed by the Indian craftsmen, who had
mastered the art of stone work for centuries and used
their experience while constructing islamic
monuments in India.
The dome, plan form and its development

The dome is considered as one of the most

important architectural elements in the
architecture of mosques in particular, the
continued use of domes in Islamic
architecture, in its various forms, led to the
development of domes concept among
Muslim architects to become one of the most
important architectural elements in the
Islamic Architecture because of its
transcendental symbolism.

The style of construction

incorporated not only certain new modes and
principles but reflected also the religious and
social needs of the Muslims. The Muslim
style of construction was based on arches,
vaults and domes, on columns and pyramidal
towers or slender spires, called trabeate.
The Development of Islamic Architecture
 The development of Islamic
architecture mainly happened in the
medieval period.
 The structures of this period were
known as Indo-Islamic architecture.
 These were the combination of both
the Hindu and Islamic architecture.
 With the development of the Islamic
architecture in India two different
categories of Islamic architecture came
into being. They are the Imperial Style
and the Mughal Architecture.
 The first one was developed under the
Sultans of Delhi whereas the Mughal
architecture was the combination of
Hindu architecture with the Islamic
architecture of Central Asia.
 ..
The Imperial Style

 The Imperial style which evolved with the

development of Islamic architecture was
derived from the existing art of Persia and
formed under the Timurid rulers of the
15th and 16th centuries
 These can be understood by the
shape and treatment of the
essential element in building
construction-the arch.
 It was pointed horse-shoe arch,
decoratively attractive, however
its narrow compass was not
sufficiently satisfying when wider
spaces were to be spanned.
 It had abundant intervals
between the jambs, or side-posts,
of the openings.
 The application known as the
four-centered or "Tudor" arch, a
shape frequently used in the
building of the Timurids, solved
the problem.
Materials and construction
 Perfect or bilateral symmetry, red sandstone with white marble inlays, later pure
white surfaces, geometric ornament, domes which are slightly pointed instead of
hemispherical ones and garden surroundings are the features of islamic architecture.

 In addition to the fine cut stone masonry used for facades, rough rubble stone
construction was used for the majority of walls.

 For the construction of domes and arches baked brick was used that was covered
with plaster or facing stones.

 The design of gardens is one of the most important aspects of islamic architecture
which provided the setting for tombs and palaces and also helped for relaxation.

Buildings were decorated with ceramic tile work, pietra dura inlay with coloured
and semi – precious stones, carved and inlaid stonework.

The use of lime as mortar was also a major element distinct from the traditional
building style.

The buildings and other edifices are generally decorated richly in geometrical and
arabesque designs.
Chronology :
The arabs had first invaded India sometime during the 8th
century when they invaded & conquered Sindh.

The Delhi Sultanate (1200 to 1526)

The slave dynasty (1200 to 1246)

- quvat-ul-islam
-sultan garhi
-tomb of balban

The khilji dynasty (1290 to 1320)

-Qila raipithora
-Alai minar
-Alai darwaza

The tughlaq dynasty (1320 to 1414)

-Tughlaqabad fort
-Hauz khas
-Tomb of ghiasuddin tughlaq
- Tomb of firoz shah
Sayyid & Lodi dynasties (1414 to 1526)
-Tomb of mubarak sayeed
-Tomb of mohammad sayeed
-tomb of sikandar lodi
Mughal dynasty (1526 to 1857)

Babur (1526 to 1531)

-Manmandir & gujari mahal
-Jami masjid at Sambhal
-kabuli bagh at panipat

Humayun (1531 to 1556)

-Sher mandal at purana qila
-Humayun`s tomb
-Tomb of atagh khan (prototype for taj mahal)

Akbar (1556 to 1605)

-palaces at agra, lahore, allahabad & ajmer
-jami masjid, fatehpur sikri
-panch mahal & jodha bhai palace, fatehpursikri
Jahangir (1605 to 1627)
-Tomb of akbar
-mughal gardens
-Tomb of jahangir
-Tomb of itmad-ud-doula, agra

Shahjahan (1627 to 1658)

-fortress palace, agra
-lal qila & shah jahanabad
-Jami masjid, delhi
-Taj mahal, agra

Aurangazeb (1658 to 1707)

-fortress palace, delhi
-Moti masjid
-Badshahi masjid,lahore
-Bibi ka maqbara, aurangabad
Main elements in islamic architecture
Arches
Beams and
lintels
Rectangular open courtyards
Minarets
Domes
Tombs
Decorative carvings and sculpture
In simple terms islamic architecture
in India can be divided into :

 religious
 secular

Mosques and tombs represent

the religious architecture,
While palaces and forts are examples
of secular islamic architecture.
Mosques of India
Mosques
The mosque or masjid is a representation of Muslim art in its
simplest form. The mosque is basically an open courtyard surrounded
by a pillared verandah, crowned off with a dome. A mihrab indicates the
direction of the qibla for prayer. Towards the right of the mihrab stands
the mimbar or pulpit from where the Imam presides over the
proceedings. An elevated platform, usually a minaret from where the
Faithful are summoned to attend the prayers is an invariable part of a
mosque. Large mosques where the faithful assemble for the Friday
prayers are called the Jama Masjids.
Typical characteristics of
mosques:

Ornamental decoration
Colonnades
Minarets
Open courtyards
Cloisters (liwans)
Mihrab (recess)
Arches
Vaults
Domes
Pyramidal towers
Slender spires
 The first mosque in India

 The first Indian mosque was built in 629 A.D, at the behest of Cheraman
Perumal, during the life time of Muhammad (c. 571–632) in Kodungallur
by Malik Bin Deenar.
 This mosque was the second in the world, where Juma prayers were
started.

The mosque as it originally looked.

Quwwat al-Islam at the Qutb complex, Delhi.

 Quwwat al-Islam Mosque in Delhi,

was built as a series of arches and
domes. But Indian craftsmen who did
not know the principles of true arch
and true dome and how to construct
them took another method of
corbelling, which is to pile up ashlars
horizontally to protrude upper layer
one after another.
 Consequently, most of those
unstable corbelled arches and domes
have been collapsed, leaving a few
arches and cloisters constructed in
an Indian traditional manner intact up
to the preset.

Quwwat al-Islam Mosque with its five corbelled arched screens, and
the Iron Pillar in its courtyard
 Tomb
Architecture,
India
The earliest tomb in India..
Sultan Garhi tomb
Tucked away in the
wilderness that characterizes
the area opposite Sector C
Pocket 9, Vasant Kunj, is the
first Islamic mausoleum to be
constructed in India by the
Sultanate rulers of Delhi in 1231
AD

Entrance to the Sultan Garhi tomb

It was constructed for Raziya Sultan's
brother and Shamsuddin Itutmish's
eldest son - Nasiru'd-Din Mahmud; the
abode of the heir apparent of Sultan
Iltutmish, the second sultanate ruler of
Delhi.
The fort-like appearance of the tomb probably gave it its name - Garhi in Hindi
means a small fort
The elaborate tomb which adorns the burial chamber is of a strange architectural
style.
The overall structure is that of a small fort with a flight of high stairs leading to the
entrance and bastion-like projection on all the four corners of the enclosure wall.
The structure is a one of its kind in Delhi. There are visible amalgamation and
intermingling of architectural styles that can be noted.
The moment one enters the tomb, one is greeted by
an octagonal raised platform, which is actually the roof
of the crypt. It is entered through a small opening on
its southern side.
Once, out of the crypt we notice the western wall has
been clearly demarcating Kaaba with a profusely
decorated white marble mirab at the centre of a fluted
pillared verandah.
It is quite interesting to see the scale of use of white
marble, simply because that during this period the use
of marble was a very limited affair.
Sher shah suri Tomb
Sasaram, birth place of Sher Shah Suri in the state of Bihar, under the
audacious Sher Shah Suri between 1530 and 1540, where a group of tombs
were erected, which took the Lodi style to its ultimate expression.

the tomb of Sher Shah Suri, is an

extraordinary building, an
architectural masterpiece, a huge
and noble composition set in a
beautiful tank approached by a
causeway. This remarkable
monument, constructed of the finest
Chunar sandstone, had a major
impact on the architectural evolution
of Indo-Islamic funerary architecture
and Sher Shah Suri`s tomb at
Sasaram in Bihar demonstrate how
brilliantly the torch of architecture
burned in the hands of Sher Shah
Suri.
The magnificent five-storey Tomb of Sher Shah Suri, situated on the west edge

Constructed by him to the designs of his architect, Aliwal Khan, it

stands on a stepped square plinth on a terrace approached through
a gateway via a bridge placed across a large lake.

The tomb, an immense pyramidal pile of masonry ordered in five

distinct stages, rises over forty six meters and is a sophisticated
development of earlier Lodi prototypes in Delhi.

The dome bears a twenty two meters span. It comprises an

octagonal chamber surrounded by an arcade, which forms a
gallery.
The domed canopies in each corner of the platform, the ubiquitous
kiosks and delicate merlons, and the octagonal drum coalesce to
form a highly accomplished design and a remarkably powerful
silhouette.
 Tombs
Although not actually religious in nature, the tomb or maqbara introduced an entirely
new architectural concept. While the masjid was mainly known for its simplicity, a tomb could
range from being a simple affair (Aurangazeb’s grave) to an awesome structure enveloped in
grandeur (Taj Mahal).
 The tomb usually consists of solitary
compartment or tomb chamber.
 This entire structure is covered with an
elaborate dome.
 In the underground chamber lies the
mortuary or the maqbara, in which the
corpse is buried in a grave or qabr.
 To this general tomb architecture, the
Mughals added a new dimension by
introducing gardens all around the tomb.
 The Mughal tombs are generally placed at
the centre of a huge garden complex, the latter
being sub-divided into square compartments,
the style is known as char-bagh.
 The Mughals also built large gardens in various levels and terraces on the char-bagh
pattern. Scholars trace the evolution of the char-bagh pattern of gardening to the original land
of the Mughals, the Kabul Valley, where depending upon the landscape and terrain, gardens
and residential complexes were laid out.
The Mughals inherited this garden type and superbly transformed it according to the new
terrains in India. Thus, evolved a transformed style of char-bagh pattern of gardening.
 The tomb is just one component
of a large complex that sets the
stage for this beautiful structure.

Taj Mahal Site Plan

From the main entrance all one sees is a lawned
forecourt surrounded by a red sandstone
colonnade, other gates, and the Main Gate or
darwaza, which rises to a height of 90 feet

Darwaza or Main Entrance to Taj Mahal

The surface decorations of the darwaza provide a hint
of what is to come
 Once inside the main gate, the mausoleum sets at the end of a long
reflecting pool which is just one of four pools that create the chahar
bagh, a four-square garden design symbolizing paradise that
originated in Persia.  The central chamber
of the mausoleum is
an octagonal room. It
is flanked on each wall
by outer chambers
that create a layout
used frequently in
Mughal architecture.
This layout, referred
to as the 'hasht
Calligraphy and Herringbone bihisht', a nine-fold
Stonework on Darwaza plan, was derived
from Persian
architectural
precedents

The Taj Mahal stands on two bases: a sandstone terrace topped

by a 313-square-foot marble plinth.  Since the tomb sits on the
raised marble platform at the end of the gardens with only the
river behind it, the only backdrop is the sky.
Note the red sandstone base beneath the square marble plinth
Chhatris atop Main Gate
Chhatri atop Taj Mahal

Corner of Taj Mahal

At each corner of the platform are 137-foot-
tall, ornamental minarets, which were built at
a slight tilt away from tomb.
Geometric designs, especially
in a herringbone pattern, are
used extensively to
demarcate space on the
exterior.
According to one source there are 22
different Qur’anic quotations on the Taj
Mahal.
Calligraphy Inlay
Flower Inlay
 The main dome is really two domes—an outer shell that is 200-feet high and an inner
shell that is only 81-feet high.  The four large chattras balance the dome which is higher than
the minarets.
A single one-inch flower has 60 pieces.  Some of the gems used are: yellow amber from
Burma; lapis lazuli from Afghanistan; jade from Chinese Turkestan; cornelian, agate, amethyst,
jasper, green beryl, chalcedony, onyx and coral from different regions of Indian subcontinent. 
   

The gleaming marble surfaces are decorated

with inlaid calligraphy together with floral
arabesques and motifs in colorful stones.
Pierced marble screens, or jalis, allow light to
filter into the chamber

Two recessed arches on two stories define

each of the white marble walls, with an
expansive dome creating an atmospheric,
echoing space
 Surrounded by a marble screen, the cenotaphs of the
Emperor and his wife lie in the centre of the room.
Mumtaz Mahal's body was buried in the Taj Mahal after
her death in 1631; Shah Jahan laid to rest at his wife's
side in 1666 after a battle with fever us dysentery. The
actual tombs lie directly below in the rather gloomy
crypt. It would appear that original plans for the
mausoleum did not include Shah Jahan's cenotaph,
which was added after his death three decades later.
This would explain the asymmetrical position of his
cenotaph in an otherwise entirely symmetrical plan.

In Mughal times, the interior would have been

swathed with embroidered awnings, with lavish
carpets and copious cushions providing a
comfortable environment for visitors. Combined
with the flickering light of oil lamps that hung
from the ceiling and the echoes from the dome, a
truly spiritual atmosphere would have been
created in which visitors could relax and
meditate.
Entrance gateway of
tomb of sikandra

The entrance to Akbar's tomb in

Sikandra is under a huge arched
gateway, similar to the Buland
Darwaza at Fatehpur Sikri. There are
beautiful calligraphic inscriptions on
the white marble front of the gate.
Itmad-ud-doulah tomb Mosaic and Inlay work has been widely
used in the tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah.
 The white marble interiors are adorned
with prolific, graceful and convoluted
stylized inlay and stucco designs.
 The main gateway showcases white
marble inlay work on red sandstone.
Geometrical designs and wine vases are
depicted frequently.
 The red sandstone platform has bands of
highly stylized floral patterns and creepers.
 The tomb marks the use of dados in
their fully developed forms as a distinct
feature of architectural embellishment.
The sides of entrance arches above the
dados have superb inlaid work too with the
designs characteristic of the times of
Jehangir such as vases with serpentine
handles and cypress motifs
Delhi’s Red Fort Lal Qila or the Red Fort was built by Shah
Jahan, starting in 1639 at the core of his
new capital Shahjahanabad. 
At one time about 3,000 people lived
within the walls of the fortified city. 
Built next to the Yamuna River

The main entrance is called the Lahore

Gate.  A barbican was added by Shah
Jahan’s son Aurangzeb. 
Another gate is called delhi gate.
Provincial Architecture
The provincial style of Islamic architecture includes the introduction
of the Islamic architectures and their gradual developments in the
Indian subcontinent region in the medieval period.

 These Indo-Islamic architectures in India were introduced during

the Islamic rules in different provinces which made tremendous
growth especially in this field.

 These styles were neither Islamic nor Hindu but the fusion of both.
The Muslim rulers tried to reshape the Hindu architecture by adding
arch, dome and minar to their constructions as well as they also
borrowed several Hindu styles and applied to decorate their buildings.

 Due to this many new features were introduced in their building art.
The Muslims rulers during this period mostly created mausoleums,
mosques, minarets, forts and palaces.
Indo- Islamic Architecture in Punja
b
:
Punjab was the first province that
experienced the Islamic architecture in
Indian subcontinent.
 These architectures established in the
city of Multan. Arab invaded the city from
the Sindh region earlier in the eighth
century. But the province received a
permanent Islamic influence in the tenth
century.
 The Indo-Islamic architecture of
Punjab province was mainly of
brickworks and produced highly
decorated building arts.
 Their palaces were embedded with
brickwork and other wooden elements,
mainly their doorways, windows and
other hanging balconies. These buildings
were constructed in Islamic styles with
the fusion of Hindu culture.
Indo- Islamic Architecture in Bengal:
In the thirteenth century Arabs invaded
the Bengal province and introduced their
architecture for the first time in this region.
These Muslim rulers constructed several
new cities fortresses, palaces, free-standing
victory-towers, citadels, immense land
bridges and embankments, etc in this
province that included present day
Bangladesh and West Bengal in India.
 These architectures were maintained for
a period of two hundred and fifty years.
 They created the buildings with the
locally available building materials
combining the regional styles with the
typical Muslim features such as domes,
arches, the minaret and the mihrab.
 This amalgamation resulted into a new
and improved technique named as Indo-
Islamic architecture, enriched with
regional building tradition in Bengal.
Indo- Islamic Architecture in
Gujarat
:
 Early in the fourteenth century,
Gujarat developed the Islamic style
of architecture.
When Khalji dynasty of Delhi
established their Governors in this
province, they started to build their
architectures for the first time.
 They constructed and developed
their Islamic architecture until the
independent rule of the Ahmad
Shahi dynasty declined, and
absorbed into the empire of the
Mughals in the sixteenth century.
They constructed their several
mosques, tombs and other
buildings with the amalgamation of
Hindu culture
Indo- Islamic Architecture in Malwa:
 Malwa province experienced the Indo-
Islamic architecture in the late medieval
period with the invasion of Muslim invaders.
 This province which included the cities of
Dhar and Mandu also experienced a large
number of Islamic architectures during the
Muslim dynasty. Initially they constructed
new buildings on the ruins of Hindu and Jain
temple materials.
Gradually they developed their own style in
building art of Islamic culture. Their skilled
artisans constructed the buildings to its
distinctive appearance and decorated
wonderfully in which colour played an
important role in their architectural scheme.
 They obtained this colour sequence
partially by the use of various coloured stones
and marble, and partially by means of
encaustic tiles and used sand stone, marbles
and semi precious stones for the construction
of the buildings.
Indo- Islamic Architecture in
Bijapur:
This city came under Muslim rulers in
the medieval period. Allaudin Khilji was
the founder of the Islamic architecture
in the Bijapur province in the 13th
century.
 The golden period of Indo-Islamic
architecture in Bijapur was the period of
Adil Shahi dynasty.
 These rulers concentrated their
energies on architecture and their
related arts. Each member of this dynast
developed his predecessor`s
architectural projects in number, size or
magnificence.
 They constructed their buildings in
three different ways-mosques, tombs,
and palaces. They also created several
Citadels, palaces, gardens, and pavilions
and developed the city to its political,
cultural and territorial peak.
Indo- Islamic Architecture
in Kashmir
:
 The Islamic architecture of
Kashmir is known for its
famous woodwork, beautiful
gardens and wonderful
mausoleums to the holy
mosques and shrines.
 These all represent the
previous glorious saga of
Islamic architectures in the
valley.
 Major wooden constructions
in Kashmir were done by
deodar trees in the earlier
years of the Muslim regime but
later apart from the wooden
architectures, Mughals also
tried to establish stone
buildings in that province.