For centuries, left-leaning historians, especially Muslims have been blowing their own trumpet about their so-called Islamic architecture. They claim to have built numerous historical monuments across the globe. In India, they claim to have built thousands of architectural marvels throughout the world. But how true is their claim?
The use of stars in Islamic architecture, considered to be one of the most famous Islamic architectural symbols, has been borrowed from Byzantines. The pre-Islamic cultures of Byzantium, Coptic Egypt, and Sassanid Persia would use stars as a decorative motif. They included their use as either individual motifs within a decorative schema or as constellations. The plethora of stars offers the preliminary character of the design. The Umayyads of the seventh and eighth centuries readily co-opted the geometric aesthetic conventions of their conquered subjects.
The tomb of Humayun in Delhi is the first distinct example of proper Mughal architecture inspired by Persian architecture. His wife Begha Begum had built the tomb. Later on, it became the prototype for the Mausoleum of Jahangir at Shahdara, Lahore, as well as the celebrated Taj Mahal, at Agra.
In this article, you will get to know how Islamic architecture is nothing but an amalgamation of different styles of architecture including Byzantine, Sasanian, and Hindu, etc. Let’s begin with the Byzantine architecture and the features that were adopted by Islamic architecture:
Salient features of Byzantine architecture
The Eastern Roman Empire influenced early Islamic architecture heavily
For instance, the Umayyad Great Mosque of Damascus and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
Original Byzantine churches are square-shaped with a central floor plan.
To increase the height of domes, Byzantine engineers turned to the structural use of pendentives.
Making use of this technique, a dome can grow from the top of a vertical cylinder, like a silo, giving height to the dome.
Talking about pendentives, a good example seen from the inside is the interior of the Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) in Istanbul
Salient features of the Sasanian architecture
The circular dome on a square building
An arch is built across each corner of the square, thereby converting it into an octagon on which it is simple to place the dome.
The height of the arch varies in Sassanid buildings from about fifty to eighty−five feet; it is generally plain and without ornament
The height to which they rise from the ground is not much above 70 feet. A single building will have two or three domes, either of the same size or occasionally of different dimensions.
Sassanid architecture influenced Byzantine and Islamic architecture
Sasanian architecture resuscitated those traditions and forms which were peculiar to Persia. These new traditions reached the shores of the Mediterranean in the Islamic period. Sassanid architecture had a unique influence on Byzantine architecture and Islamic architecture. In fact, Islamic architecture borrowed heavily from Persian architecture. For instance, Baghdad was based on Persian models such as Firozabad in Persia. What’s interesting is that the two designers who were hired by al-Mansur to give the prototype of the city were Naubakht, an erstwhile Persian Zoroastrian, and Mashallah, a former Jew from Khorasan, Iran.
Talking about another example of Sasanian influence, we have the Great Mosque of Samarra where the spiral edifice was based on Persian architecture. It looks quite similar to the spiral tower in the center of Firozabad, a former Sassanid capital.
The great influence of Iranian art and architecture (more so from the Sassanid era) can be found in Afghanistan at Bamiyan. Here we can see the remnants that are 1200-1600 years old. Frescoes and colossal Buddhas adorn Bamyan's monasteries. It unearths an amalgamation of Sassanid-Iranian and Greco-Buddhist elements.
When it comes to the most crucial Sasanian contribution to Islamic architecture, historians believe that it could be none other than the use of squinches to position the dome on top of a square structure.
According to the UN cultural body, the architecture of the Sassanid monuments elaborates preliminary examples of the construction of domes having squinches on squarespace. For instance, chahar-taq buildings wherein the four sides of the square room display arched openings. This type of architecture became the most known form of Sassanid religious architecture. It continued during the Islamic era due to its usage in religious and holy buildings such as tombs and mosques.
Going by the excavations at Firouzabad and Bishapur, the palaces there were occupied into the early Islamic period. Recent survey work at Samarra has unearthed a large Sasanian palace close to the Qasr al-Jafari of al-Mutawakkil.
It is quite likely that the rulers of specific Iranian dynasties of the early Islamic period had a special interest in Sasanian palace architecture. For example, 'Adud al-Dawla’ rebuilt the Sasanian capital of Gur and renamed it Firouzabad.
Impact of Hindu architecture
The hierarchical use of red sandstone and white marble in the Taj Mahal holds numerous symbolic values. The Mughals copied concepts based on Vishnudharmottara Purana, an ancient Hindu scripture. According to the ancient scripture, white stones were recommended for buildings for the Brahmins (priestly caste). On the other hand, red stones were recommended for members of the Kshatriyas (warrior caste). Mughals tried to relate themselves with the two prominent classes of Indian social structure by building structures that employed such color-coding. By doing so, they tried to define themselves as rulers in Indian terms.
Lahore Fort
In buildings of the Lahore Fort, the use of elephant-shaped column brackets displays Hindu influences on Mughal Architecture during the rule of Akbar.
Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque
Like most of the early Islamic buildings, Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque re-used elements such as columns from destroyed Hindu and Jain temples. This also consisted of one on the same spot whose platform was reused. Although the style was Iranian, the arches were still corbelled in the traditional Indian way. The ornamental decoration was very vital to Hindu architecture. Later on, this was adapted and copied by Muslims in their architecture. There is evidence to suggest that the true arch used in the architecture may have been known in India earlier. Muslim invaders of India were merely armed horsemen who had come into the country to loot and plunder
The building material obtained from the destruction of other buildings was used for new improvised buildings such as Quwwatul-Islam Mosque in Delhi and the Adhai din-ka-Jhonpra at Ajmer. Therefore, the arrival of the Muslims in India did not lead to a great impact on Indian architecture. Qutub-ud-din Aibak built the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque around 1197 A.D. Within the Rajput citadel of Lalkot, he demolished 27 Hindu and Jain temples as well as the Quila-Rai Pithora and their carved columns, lintels, and ceiling slabs. There were Hindu gods and goddesses, Purnaghatas, and temple bells hanging by chains. Broken columns, lintels, and ceiling slabs were utilized to construct the mosque known as the “Might of Islam".
The ornamentation of the screens displays peculiar Hindu decorative floral elements, serpentine tendrils, and undulating leaves. This is because the entire work was carried out by native Indian craftsmen. Four miles west of the Qutub is the Sultan Ghari tomb. In India, it is the first example of a monumental Muslim tomb. This also consists of numerous carved lintels, stone pillars, and other pieces actually used in temples. They were re-utilized by chipping off the Hindu decorative elements.
In Delhi, the buildings constructed by the Tughlaqs such as the fortified town of Tughlaqabad are yet another example where we see Muslims using parts of Hindu temples. Hindu trabeated construction is still in use to some extent.
Talking about the "Bengal" roof with sloping cornices, it was adopted by the Muslims and later it spread widely, even in other regions. Apart from this, the use of stone was limited mainly to pillars which were primarily obtained from demolished temples. The only new thing introduced by the Muslims is the Arabic inscription.
How architecture in Kashmir has had Buddhist and Hindu influences
When it comes to Buddhist and Hindu influences on Islamic architecture, there are examples of the pagoda-type construction of mosques such as Khanqah-i-Maulla (Great Khanqah) or Madin Sahab. The layout of the mosques looks similar to a Buddhist chaitya hall. On the other hand, the ceiling of the central chamber is aided by four wooden columns which we can also see in the temples of medieval Kashmir. In the middle, there is an open square pavilion (brangh). The brangh is crowned by a spire. This officially confirms the continuity of the Hindu and Buddhist building traditions. We can see this architectural style in all the Sufi/ Reshi shrines that adorn Kashmir’s cultural landscape.
Islamic architecture in Spain is all inspired by the Sasanian architecture of Iran
During the Sasanian era, the Persian architectural style reached its pinnacle in its development which came to be known as Sasanian architecture. Later on, fragments of Sasanian architecture were copied by Muslims that formed much of Islamic architecture.
The types and forms of large buildings required by Muslim elites, with mosques and tombs, were very different from those previously built in India. The exteriors of both mosques and tombs were very often topped by large domes. They made extensive use of arches. Both kinds of buildings mainly comprise a single large space under a high dome.
Conclusion
Islamic architecture was nothing but the tent in the desert with camels outside. Everything else has been acquired, not inspired or designed.
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