ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE QUWWAT –UL – ISLAM MOSQUE AND QUTB MINAR

PRESENTED BY ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AISHWARYA G . K.

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INDO ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

3 MAIN DIVISIONS OF INDO ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE ARE THE

IMPERIAL

PROVINCIAL

MUGHAL

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INDO ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

IMPERIAL STYLE OR THE DELHI STYLE (1200 TO 1246 AD)

STYLE MAINTAINED FOR OVER 3-1/2 CENTURIES BEGINNING IN THE LAST YEARS OF THE 12TH CENTURY

5 MOHAMMEDAN DYNASTIES DELHI( 8 CITIES) BEING THE FOCAL POINT

STYLE MAYBE DIVIDED INTO 5 PHASES 1) SLAVE (1191-1246)

2)KHALJI (1290-1320) 3) TUGHLAQ ( 1320-1413)

4)SAYYID (1414-1444) 5) LODI (1451-1557)

SLAVE DYNASTY

NOT OF ROYAL BLOOD; THEY HAD NO STIGMA ATTACHED TO NOMENCLATURE, THEY WERE PEOPLE OF GREAT INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER

QUTB –UD –DIN AND SON-IN –LAW ILTUTMISH ARE NOTABLE CONTRIBUTORS TO ARCHITECTURE

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INDO ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

IMPERIAL STYLE OR THE DELHI STYLE

FIRST MOSQUE QUWWAT UL ISLAM

BUILT BY QUTB-UD-DIN , FIRST KING LOCATED IN QUTB COMPLEX SOUTH OF MODERN DELHI

PURPOSE – TO CARRY OUT MOHAMMED`S DICTATES OF LAYING OUT A PLACE OF WORSHIP ON INDIAN SOIL

WORK PACE WAS HURRIED (COULD NOT WAIT TO IMPORT ARTISANS , MASONS AND ARCHITECTS FROM NATIVE COUNTRY)

RESULT WAS A SORT OF JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN LOCAL HINDU MASTER BUILDERS AND MUSLIM OVERSEERS

LACK OF MATERIAL READY MADE BLOCKS FROM EXISTING HINDU AND JAIN TEMPLES REMOVED AND REORGANIZED TO FORM ESSENTIAL RUDIMENTS OF THE MOSQUE.

GRADUAL FUSION OF TWO SEEMINGLY OPPOSITE IDEALS TURNED INTO ONE OF THE RICHEST PERIODS OF INDIAN ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY.

.6 http://www.terragalleria.com/asia/india/delhi/picture.indi38629.html

INDO ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

IMPERIAL STYLE OR THE DELHI STYLE (1200 TO 1246 AD)

QUTB –UD-DIN QUWAAT – UL –ISLAM

CAPTURED THE FORTRESS, AND ON THE SITE OF QAL’ A –I- RAI PITHURA HINDU TEMPLES IN THE CENTER OF THE CITADEL WERE DISMANTLED

THEN A MOSQUE WAS PLANNED “CHABBUTRA” OR PLINTH OF TEMPLE WAS RETAINED

THIS STONE BASEMENT WAS ENLARGED TO DOUBLE IT`S ORIGINAL SIZE STYLOBATE( CONTINUOUS UNINTERRUPTED BAND (FLAT) OR PAVING ON WHICH BASES OF ROWS

OF COLUMNS ARE SUPPORTED) WAS ESTABLISHED COVERED A RECTANGLE 212’ X 150’ WIDE.

THE WHOLE ENCLOSED BY A WALL AND WITH CLOISTERS AROUND IT`S FOUR SIDES. 27 TEMPLES WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD DEMOLISHED MATERIALS OF THESE USED TO ERECT THE MOSQUE.

MATERIAL WAS DRESSED STONE MOSQUE CONSISTED OF A COURTYARD SOME 141’ X105’

MOSQUE SURROUNDED BY PILLARED CLOISTERS – 3 AISLE DEEP. SHORT PILLARS FROM THE TEMPLES PLACED ONE ABOVE THE OTHER IN ORDER TO SECURE THE

NECESSARY HEIGHT ON THE WEST OR MECCA SIDE OF COURTYARD

THE ARRANGEMENT OF PILLARS WAS MADE MORE SPACIOUS AND ELABORATED INTO A SERIES OF BAYS WITH SHALLOW DOMED CEILINGS TO FORM A SANCTUARY.

IN FRONT OF CENTER OF THE SANCTUARY WAS THE FAMOUS IRON PILLAR(BUT NO GARUDA, THIS PILLAR WAS FROM MATHURA WHERE IT STOOD FOR 600 YEARS)

THIS MOSQUE WAS AN ARCHEOLOGICAL MISCELLANY RATHER THAN A WORK OF ARCHITECTURE

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INDO ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

IMPERIAL STYLE OR THE DELHI STYLE (1200 TO 1246 AD)

QUTB –UD-DIN QUWAAT – UL –ISLAM

FIRST ORIGINAL WORK

WALL WAS 50’ HIGH AT CENTER IT`S WIDTH 108’

THICKNESS OF 8-1/2’ 5 OPENINGS

ONE LARGE CENTRAL ARCHWAY MEASURING 45’ HIGH AND A SPAN OF 22’ FLANKED BY 2 ARCHWAYS ON 25’ HIGH ON EITHER SIDE

ABOVE THE SIDE ARCHES WAS A KIND OF CLEARSTORY HAVING A SERIES OF SMALLER ARCHED OPENINGS , ONE OVER EACH OF THE SIDE ARCHES.

LITTLE ARTICULATION AS MOSQUE COMPOSITION AS A WHOLE THE SCREEN WAS ALMOST AN INDEPENDENT OBJECT IN ITSELF

CLEAR STOREY REDUNDANT AT FUNCTION (MAYBE USED TO REDUCE WEIGHT ON LOWER ARCH) SCREEN WAS OF RED SANDSTONE

POINTED ARCHES WITH OGEE CURVES PRODUCING THE EFFECT OF LIGHTNESS NECESSARY IN SUCH MASSIVE VOLUME

RICH PATTERN OF CARVING WITH WHICH IT`S ENTIRE SURFACE IS COVERED INGENUOUSLY BORDER OF SPIRAL FORM HAVING FLORAL DEVICE WITHIN EACH COIL OF IT`S CONCLUSIONS

UPRIGHT LINES OF DECORATIVE INSCRIPTIONS (ISLAMIC ORIGIN) UPRIGHT LINES INDICATIVE OF ‘GOING UPTO HEAVEN’ OR ‘COMING DOWN FROM HEAVEN’

EARLIER CENTURIES TRUE ARCH USED ; IN QUTB THE ARCH WAS AN OGEE CURVE

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http://www.kamit.jp/02_unesco/11_qutub/qut_eng.htm

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INDO ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

QUTB MINAR

IN THE FORTRESS QAL’A -I – RAI PITHAURA(FIRST OF THE 7 HISTORICAL CITIES OF DELHI) BUILT IN LAST YEAR OF THE 12TH CENTURY

LOFTY TOWER ORIGINALLY 238’ IN HEIGHT

BUILT TO PROCLAIM PRESTIGE AND AUTHORITY OF ISLAM SIGNIFYING A POLE ; AXIS; PIVOT OF JUSTICE ;SOVEREIGNTY AND FAITH

TOWER OF VICTORY

MINAR OF THE MOSQUE WHERE MUEZZIN MADE HIS CALL TO THE FAITHFUL SITUATED OUTSIDE THE ORIGINAL MOSQUE ENCLOSURE TO THE LEFT OF MAIN ENTRANCE

SEPARATE FROM THE MAIN BUILDING ORIGINALLY 4 STORIES DIMINISHING AS THEY ASCENDED

PROJECTING BALCONIES 3 LOWER STORIES UNTOUCHED

4 UPPERMOST STOREY WAS COMPOSED OF A CIRCULAR KIOSK WITH WINDOW OPENINGS DOMICAL ROOF CROWNING ENTIRE STRUCTURE RENOVATIONS HAVE PRODUCED UPPER STOREY

IN PLAN THE TOWER IS A CIRCULAR BASE BEING 46’ DIA AND TAPERS TO A WIDTH OF 10’ AT THE SUMMIT

EACH OF IT`S FOUR STAGES IS A DIFFERENT PATTERN IN SECTION THE LOWEST HAVING STELLATE OR WEDGE- SHAPED FLANGES

ALTERNATING WITH ROUNDED FLUTES THE SECOND HAS CIRCULAR PROJECTIONS

THIRD IS STAR SHAPED FOURTH IS SIMPLY ROUND

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INDO ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

QUTB MINAR

ON THE NORTHERN SIDE IT IS ENTERED BY A DOORWAY , WITHIN WHICH A STAIRWAY SPIRALS, IT`S WAY UPTO EACH BALCONY;

ENDS IN PLATFORM ON THE UPPERMOST STOREY BALCONIES ARE MOST ELEGANT FEATURES AND METHOD DESIGNED FOR THEIR SUPPORT ARE

ALSO ELEGANT ORIGINALLY THE BALUSTRADE AROUND THE BALCONIES TOOK THE FORM OF STEPPED

BATTLEMENTS OR MERLONS CALLED “KANJURAS” STALACTITE BRACKETING UNDERNEATH BALCONIES SUPPORTING PROJECTIONS AND

TRANSFERRING THE LOAD STALACTITE VAULTING ( IS RARE IN INDIA) IT IS PRESENTED BY A CLUSTER OF MINIATURE ARCHES

OR SMALL ALCOVES WITH BRACKETS IN BETWEEN INFLUENCED BY CUSPED TRACERY IN THE INDIGENOUS DESIGNS OF TEMPLE DESIGNS OF

TEMPLE CEILINGS LITTLE ALCOVES ARE PATTERNED WITH HONEYCOMBING LIKE NETWORK

RED SANDSTONE USED GIVING IT VIVID COLOUR CHANGING TEXTURE ON IT`S FLUTED STORIES

OVERLAY OF INSCRIPTIONAL BANDS CONTRAST BETWEEN ALTERNATING SPACES OF PLAIN MASONRY AND RICH CARVING

THE SHIMMER OF SHADOW UNDER THE BALCONIES ALL COMBINE TO PRODUCE VITALITY THE TAPERING CYLINDRICAL APPEARANCE WAS DESIGNED IN ORDER TO GIVE THE WHOLE

UPWARD IMPULSE AND ILLUSION OF INCREASED HEIGHT EXHIBITS QUALITY OF STABILITY, ABSOLUTE AND IMMUTABLE.

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http://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitxategi:Q_Minar.jpg

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http://soaringseagull.blogspot.in/2008/04/travelogue-delhi-qutub-minar.html

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THANK YOU