1. Jordan University of Science and Technology
College of Architecture and Design
Department of Architecture
Islamic Architecture
Islamic Architecture
Cities
Dr. Raed Al Tal

2. The expansion of Islam

3. The conquests of Arab Muslims outside Arabia
brought a new vision of architecture that replaced
the simple vernacular architecture of the Arabs
As a result of this expansion that began in 632
Muslims established new cities such as Busra and
Kufa and built mosques in these cities

4. The creation and transformation of Islamic cities
Georges Marcacais , the French urbanist , 1945, saw the
first Islamic cities as camping grounds for travellers and
soldiers
He divided the first developed Islamic cities into:
Spontaneous ,created next to existing
settlements
or cities
Created, where the choose the site and boundary

5. Edmond Pauty , another French scholar agreed upon the
work of Marcais
His attribute to the creation of Islamic cities :
1- they were sometimes camping grounds for the soldiers in the
newly converted Islamic regions and developed into full cities over the
time
2- they were sometimes established as fortified settlements or
Rabat
3- they were rival towns that competed with existing towns
4- ruler or prince towns that were developed as fortified
settlements for the protection of the ruler
Spontaneous cities were developed out of the four created cities,

6. For Marcais and Pauty Islamic cities
lack to :
any professional planning
To political, municipal , and urban institutions with
comparing with the existing Greco-Roman cities of that time
characterized :
Simplicity of planning , therefore for them they were characterized as
settlement camps rather than fully functioning cities
Islamic cities emphasized community needs at the expense of
individual need
Other scholars also argued that :
climate , ( narrow streets as wind tunnels , courtyards)
precise patterns, (Khitat and Kitaat- sectors)
Muslim social life,
agreement with Shariah or Islamic principles

7. Other scholars also argued that :
Islamic cities are integrated cities - physically,
socially , and culturally
Physically by the existence of the Mosque, Al-Souq or market and
other public buildings that existed in the central space of the city,
socially through sharing the public facilities and common spaces
Based on individual needs and movement
division between public and private

8. Fustat or Armed Towns
were created for the soldiers to dwell in during battles while waiting
for reinforcements or for soldiers
or for shelter from a harsh season between battles
Examples:
Al Basrah, Al Kufa in Iraq
Al Qyrawan in Tunis
Alrabat or fortress Towns
were created as a first line of defense on the border with an adjacent
empires
Examples:
Al Rabat in Morroco
Susah in Tunis

9. Transformed cities
Cities that existed prior to their Islamic conquest and have
shown dramatic changes, physically and socially
Examples:
Jerusalem
Damascus and Alepo, Muslims did changes on these cities to
fit the new religion
Churches were changed to be mosques, in many examples
like the Umayyad Mosque, it was consisted of two parts ,
church and mosque at the same time
The prayer could be performed anywhere

10. Al Basrah
14 Hijrah ( 635) Muthanna ibn Haritha , Kalifah Omar Ibn
Al- Khattab sent Otbah ibn Ghazwan toward Al Basrah to
reinforce Muthanna
Omar ibn Al Khattab granted the permission to create a
settlement, a site near grass and water
Al Kufah
14 Hijrah ( 635) the situation in Iraq intensified , Kalifah Omar
sent Saad ibn Aby Waqqas ,
In 17 Hijrah (637) Kufa was founded
specifications for material, height , width or roads ,

11. Basrah and at Kufah mosques were very simple
The area thus designated was surrounded by a ditch
(khandaq) and in the qibla side a portico (zulla)
the side of the qibla organized into five aisles and the others
arranged into two.
A good way to determine a visualized space
In the mosques of Barsah and Kufah the Dar al-Imara
(governor’s palace) first appeared, the jail and governmental
offices

12. Al Basrah mosque was rebuilt by Zyad ibn Abeeh

13. The Mosque of Basrah during
the time of Abu Musa Al Asharay ‫العشعري‬ ‫موسى‬ ‫ابو‬
The mosque was built of sun dried mud brick and clay

14. Zyad ibn Abeeh 45-53 Hijrah- 665-672
Increased the area which included five bays of columns along Al
Qiblah wall
The mosque had a courtyard , side colonnades and an end
colonnade the material of construction chosen by Zyad to be
the most durrable and best available , was kiln baked brick with
gypsum mortar
And the ceiling was made of teak wood
the columns were made of stones brought from Al Ahwaz
mountains
Also he constructed a minaret of stones and built Al Mihrab
He moved Dar Immarah next to the Jami
Pebbles were spread on the ground to counteract the dust in the
interior

15. Al Kuafah Mosque
According to Tabari the first mosque of Kufa had a square
plan established by a man throwing an arrow from the center
towards each four cardinal points
100 meter each side
Was defined by constructing a trench around it to prevent the
immediate groups of houses from encroaching

16. Marble columns were taken from the buildings of al-Hira
supported a wooden roof
Pebbles were spread on the ground to counteract the dust
in the interior
No walls were indicated , nor was there a mihrab since the
whole zulla faced the kiblah
A combination of congregational mosque and governor’s
palace
The maqsura: separated or screened place for private
prayer, it was an innovation of the early Umayyad period,
introduced by Mu’awiya

17. 638-639
The mosque of Kufa and the Dar al-Imara
(governor’s palace)
670

18. The mosque of Kufa