a short presentation on west asian culture and its architecture

1. History Of West
Asia

2. West Asia is shaped out of Arab, Turkish and Persian cultures.
Iraq is the home off both Arab and Persian cultures.
 The Arabic culture is closely associated with Islam.
Arabic the most Ancient literary language originated in the 6th
Centuries.
The culture of Turkey is amalgamation of Ottoman, European and
Middle Eastern traditions.

3.  In 630C.E Muhammad’s army
reconquered the city of Mecca as
of the Banu Quraish tribe.
 in the 7th Century, Muslim by
time the religion extends
throughout the region.
The mosques and the simple
building were based on the copy of
the Prophet’s house or adapted
existing buildings of the region.
Icons, temples and scriptures are
evident recognizable leftovers of
the impression Hindu have left .
Mesopotamia – present day Iraq,
point the reation with Vedic Hindus.
The Syria was derived from
Surya-the Sun God.
Arabia stands for Arabasthan
which is an alteration of Sanskrit
word Asvasthan meaning the land of
horse.
 we don’t find much existence of
Hindu religion in West Asia today
because of Islam necessary them to
Buddha at Bamiyan, 53 and 35 metres tall,
imprinted out of cliffs that no longer stays
because of Butshikan.

4. Islamic Architecture
Encompasses both religious and seculiar
style from the foundation of Islam to the
present day influencing design and
construction of buildings and structures
within the speciality off Islamic Culture.
The principle architectural types of
Islamic architecture:
•The Mosque
•The Tomb
•The Palace
•The Fort
The expression of Islamic architecture
is derived and used for buildings of
slighter importance.
Example of Mosque
Faisal mosque,
Pakistan
Example of tomb
Taj Mahal,
India
Example of Palace,
Al Hamra Palace,
Spain.
Example of fort,
Allahabad fort,
India.

5. Tribes & Dynasties ruled in
West Asia
Summeri
ans
Assyrian
s
Babyloni
ans
Persians
Hellensic
Period
Arab

6. Sumerians
Believed to have originated from the
Persian Gulf
Began writing at around 3000 B.C
May be the first place to add Tin to
Copper to make Bronze.
They started making copper for tools
because of scarcity of stones.
Architecture :
•Zigguratz
•Mud brick walls
Began irrigation projects to bring water
from the rivers to the inland :
•Dug canals
•Dug ditches

7. Sumerians - Ziggurats
built for local religion
It was part of a temple complex which included other buildings.
Built in receding tiers upon a rectangular, oval, or square platform,
 the ziggurat was a pyramidal structure with a flat top.
Sun-baked bricks made up the core with facings of fired bricks on
the outside.
The facings were often glazed in colours and may have
had astrological significance.
The number of tiers ranged from two to seven.
The ziggurats were not places for public worship or ceremonies.

8. Akkadians (2300B.C)Sargon of Akkad gradually
conquered land between Tigris
& Euphrates.
Sematic language
According to Sumerian text:
•Sargon was born to a high
priestess and poor gardener
•Later was abondoned by his
mother in a reed basket and
floated in the river
•Rescued and brought to King’s court
•Grew up and built a new city at Akkad and made himself King of it
•Conquered the surrouding land
Brought the idea of King being suceeded by his Son
After him his two sons ruled and then his Grandson (Naram-Sin) and
then Great Grand son ( Shar-Kali-Sharri)
Shar-Kali-Sharribfailed to hold Akkadian Empire and felt apart into
small Kingdoms again in 2100B.C

9. Babylon (1700B.C)
Hammurabi (Ham-Oor-Ah-Bee) descendant from Amorites managed
to unify small cities under the Babylon Kingdom
He was concerned to umify
Made citizens feel like they are a part of new Empire, new Project
together.
Issued law code called, “Codes of Hammurabi”.
Under Hammurabi the empire was strong but during his Granson the
Empire grew weaker and eventually collapsed.

10. Phoenicians (1300 B.C)
Late Bronze age
Group of semitic people living on the Mediterranean coast (modern
day Lebanon)
They grew strong because Egyptians, Hittities and Assyrianswho
ruled them got weak
They built colonies all over Mediterranean
In 539 B.C Persians conquered Phoenicians and Phoeniia became main
part of Persian Navy.

11. Influences nd style
Islamic
Architecture
Persian
Roman Egyptian
Byzantian

12. Features of Islamic
ArchitectureOrdered repittion
Radiating structures
Rhythemic pattern
Fractal geometry for mosques
and Palaces
Columns, piers and arches are
interwoven
Irregular sequence of niches
and collonates
Use of dome

13. Examples of Islamic
Architecture
Dome of Rock,
Jerusalem

14. Examples of Islamic
Architecture
Mosque of Samarra,
Iraq

15. Examples of Islamic
Architecture

16. Examples of Islamic
Architecture
Hagia Sophia,
Istanbul.

17. Features of Persian
ArchitecturePointed brick pillars
Large arcades
Arches supported each by
several pillars
In South Asia, elements of
Hindu architecture were added
but were later superseeded by
Persian designs.

18. Contemporary Architecture
Geometric pattern on
Light house tower,
Dubai.
Inspired from desert flower
Hymenocallis,
Burj, Dubai.

19. Element - Form
Forms
•Early Abbasid buildings (T-type
mosque)
•Central dome mosque
•Arab style or Hypostyle mosque
– original
oSquare or rectangular in plan
oEnclosed courtyard
oCovered prayer hall
oMost have flat roofs
•Ottoman Turkish introduced
central dome mosque

20. Element - Iwan
Iwan means domed space,
walled on 3 sides and one end
exclusively open
Trademark of Persian
architecture and later
introduced into Islamic
architecture
Typically it opens into the
central courtyard
Today Iwan mosques are no
longer built

21. Element - Sahn
Sahn is the courtyard
It is surrounded on all
sides by rooms
Usually features a
centrally situated pool,
Howz
In mosques it is used for
performing, ablution
In houses it serves for
aesthetic purpose as well
as cooling

22. Element - Gardens
As an analogy of
paradise

23. Element - Arabesque
Application of repeating
geometry forms that echo
to form plants, shapes and
sometimes animal

24. Element - Calligraphy
Arabic calligraphy is
linked with geometric
Islamic art
Found on walls and
celings of mosques and
tombs
Contemporary artist
uses the inheritence of
calligraphy