Islamic

Mohammad is the main figure-head of the Islamic Religion.  He lived from 570-632 CE.  Islamic religion was the foundation of Islamic design and there was a great variety in their designs in accordance to the region.  Mosques were the central facility for prayer and worship.  Mohammad's farm was the first mosque and was a prototype for the future mosques.  Some features of the mosque were covered halls of columns, a courtyard, and a perimeter wall.  It served as a place of prayer where worshipers would come in and pray to God on their knees, all while facing Mecca.

One of the prayer halls was the Great Mosque of Kairouan, built some time between 820-836 CE.  It contained classic capitols with Islamic arches, including a horseshoe arch.  It was the most famous ancient mosque in Tunisia, North Africa.  Other examples of mosques were that of Persian architecture, including ones from Istanbul, Turkey, and Constantinople.  The mosque of Sultan Ahmed, also known as the blue mosque, was built between 1609-1617.  It consisted of one main dome, six minarets, and eight secondary domes.  The patterns found in the architecture were a result of patterns that originated in textiles such as carpets.  In addition, there are over 20,000 hand made tiles in the mosque and over 50 tulip designs.  It is also made up of 200 stained glass windows and geometric decoration.

Indian architecture was very elaborate as well and one excellent example of their grand and ornate designs can be seen in the Taj Mahal.  It was ordered to be built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahanupon the death of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The white, domed, marble moswas built from 1632-1648 CE.  The Taj Mahal was seen as an earthly replica of the house of Mumtaz in paradise.

Alhambra is a large palace and fortress complex built in 1250-1360 CE in Granda, Spain.  It was built by Ibn Ahmar and incorporates an arabesque design which is seen through the Acanthus leafs and vines.  The most notable feature of the Alhambra are the muquarnas-filled arches and domes found throughout the palace.

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Present

Extra Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdzTuMbH2LM