History Of West Asia

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.

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 Arabasthanwhich 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 be Butshikan (idol breaker).

Buddha at Bamiyan, 53 and 35 metres tall, imprinted out of cliffs that no longer stays

because of Butshikan.

Islamic ArchitectureEncompasses 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 MosqueFaisal mosque,

Pakistan

Example of tombTaj Mahal,

India

Example of Palace,Al Hamra Palace,

Spain.

Example of fort,Allahabad fort,India.

Tribes & Dynasties ruled in West Asia

Summerians

Assyrians

Babylonians

PersiansHellensic

Period

Arab

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Influences nd style

Islamic Architecture

Persian

Roman Egyptian

Byzantian

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

Examples of Islamic Architecture

Dome of Rock,Jerusalem

Examples of Islamic Architecture

Mosque of Samarra,Iraq

Examples of Islamic Architecture

Examples of Islamic Architecture

Hagia Sophia,Istanbul.

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.

Contemporary ArchitectureGeometric pattern on Light house tower, Dubai.

Inspired from desert flower Hymenocallis,Burj, Dubai.

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

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

Element - SahnSahn 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

Element - Gardens As an analogy of

paradise

Element - Arabesque Application of repeating

geometry forms that echo

to form plants, shapes and

sometimes animal

Element - CalligraphyArabic calligraphy is

linked with geometric

Islamic art

Found on walls and

celings of mosques and

tombs

Contemporary artist

uses the inheritence of

calligraphy