Great Mosque of the Masjid-I-Jami Isfanhan, Iran 1088 - Essay Example

? Mosque of the Masjid-I-Jami Isfanhan, Iran 1088 Contents Contents 2 of the Building 3 The Influence of the Environment 9 The Influence of the Society 11 The Influence on Technology 11 The Influence of the Artistry 12 Conclusion 13 References 13 Mosque of the Masjid-I-Jami Isfanhan, Iran 1088 Description of the Building Mosque of the masjid-I-Jami Isfanhan is located in the capital city of the Seljuks which is about 340 kilometers south of Tehran. This is the city of Khwarazm and Transoxiana tribes whose homeland is the continent of Asia. This mosque has an age of 800 years. The Seljuks authority was well known for very brilliant buildings and thus the architectural activities carried out were of high standards (Oleg, 1990). The capital city was planned to be near the Friday mosque and due to Seljuks rich authoritative powers, they situated the city to the northern side of the mosque. Figure 1: The Masjid-i Jami, Isfahan According to Oleg (1990), the present mosque was rebuilt again after the destruction by earthquake and fire. It was begun by the Ghurid ruler between 1162 and1202. The mosque was constructed to bring forth the present appearance and design on how to construct mosques. This mosque has been of great concern since there has come times when the mosque was to be demolished by fire from the capture by the Tughril Beg. This capture was accompanied by riot and religious conflicts which led to the destruction of the building before it reconstruction. There were two sects in the riots which included the Hanafite and the Shafi'ite. These riots were the cause of fire which destroyed the ornamental look of the great building. During its construction the mosque was planned and the structure was to be rectangular, inner diameter of a length of 65 meters and a width of 55 meters. There are walls which are used for prayers and cover a large area with several bays. To the west are 7 bays. 4 bays are in the southern side of the mosque and 3 bays to the North West (Oleg, 1990). There are also additional four chambers to the existing bays. The mosque fits the city settings with variety of gates and entrances which allows mass entrance within a short time. The mosque covers a speculated area distinct from the city square. It fits the requirements in construction of a mosque which ensures that it should cover its special area distinct from the main city. The mosque has been the visual landmark to the city of Isfahan with large domes to the northern and the southern side of it. The other neighboring buildings are situated in a manner to show that they give space to the holy mosque. Recently, they have situated a gate to the south eastern side of the mosque. There is an inscription to the space between the building and the gate which mentions Muzaffarid sultan Mahmud who used to rule isfanhan during the year of 1358 to1374.There is another gate to the south which mentions abbas rule and this was designed in the year 1590.A northern gate which is no longer in use describes the eternal rest from Quranic Surah 76 which was constructed in 1366 (Oleg, 1990). A unique forth gate is designed which is no longer in use. It is decorated using bricks unlike the other gates which are colored and has attractive tiles. This gate explains how the mosque was reconstructed after its destruction with fire in the year 1121. The mosque court is well decorated with colored tiles of variety of colors which are; blue, yellow, white and other dark colors. This shows how the residents are united and the degree of harmonious relationships within that area. Bunce (2008) asserts that there are screens installed in the four courts on the passage way of the mosque leading to the sacred places of worship. The doomed chamber has also been constructed with an area of 15 side meters and a height of 30 meters. It was the work of architect Abul fath who did this after the fire tragedy. The southern dome carries inscription of the famous Abu Malik Shah and Nizam al-Mulk. According to Bunce (2008), there is also the northern dome which was constructed in 1088 by Taj al-Mulk.This construction was made for the purpose of accommodating Terkan Khatun who was Shah's wife and daughter of sultan tamghack khan. It has been reserved for women to hold their special prayers and a place to do their studies. It is usually small in size with small columns. There are also ten ribs which protrude up and are believed to be the architectural skills of Taj al mulk to challenge the work done in the southern dome. When comparison was made between the two domes, it was evident that the northern dome with a pentagon roof was well structured and this was termed as intellectual mathematical calculations. It was highly appreciated by many (Bunce, 2008). There is perfect harmony between the horizons both the vertical and the horizontal direction. The finishing and the fittings are well installed thus qualifying to the standards of architecture in France. When taking into consideration the ornamental bit of it, the southern dome is decorated using the tucco and some parts of situ while the northern end uses the latest integration in the use of bricks to portray physical beauty. The reason as to why the southern dome does not attractively portray its beauty is due the fact that it was designed from an already existing structure and that the overall design could only portray the unity characteristics and appearance of that structure. This means that no unity between the structure and the previously existing one (Bunce, 2008). There are also the four iwans which do not serve the same purpose. This is described by how they are decorated, their size and the nature of construction. The mostly used iwan is the southern one which is adjacent to the chamber having mirhab. It is seen to be between the two towers and therefore given the name ‘high space of the master ‘.In design, it resembles the ancient art of constructing a palace. The three other iwans are situated at the middle of each court. They have inscriptions of the past leaders and there are also quranic quotes embedded on them and messages which give glory to their spiritual king. The walls have statements derived from the safavid architecture. Their pavements have elements of the bases and columns of the past mosques (Bunce, 2008). The iwans in the southeast and northwest have identification which contains safavid statements. Their structures are relatively different from each other. Their naming is of illustrations known as pedagogical which the sacred duties which a Muslim should perform are. The North West iwan has been brought back to its function in the recent years of 1940 and 1950.It is constructed of small sized bricks whose sides have special blue lines with dark colors. These muquarnas units poses a star like form in which a band which is blue coloured and dark is geometrically inscribed. Yellow and white lines of band are placed horizontally on the wall lying over a dark blue background. This is done on the walls of the three iwans which is constructed by bricks (Bunce, 2008). The ‘sofe of the student’ which is the south eastern iwan has majority of tiles work done on it. This is in accordance with the safavid nature of construction. It has large muquarnas units as compares to the eastern iwan. Its faces have decorations of dark blue colors and points are used and lines which have a geometric illustrations done in blue color. In addition, there are prayer areas in the mosque. There is a colored area in between the four iwans comprising of small domes. These domes differ in shape and size. There are open and closed spaces in those walls .There are light in the open vaults and there is darkness in the closed spaces. The structure of closed spaces is known to resemble those of the great mosque of Cordoba. The arrangement of the building materials used is of various styles. Some brick are laid vertically, others are diagonal and the rest are laid horizontally to portray a particular meaning. It is argued that it’s an architectural style of construction. The mosque was recently expanded within its rectangular base. The first extension was the muzaffarid madrassa on the south east (22 by26 meters).This followed the prayer hall of tamurid to the southwest with a length of 32 and a width of 32 meters. The large hall is the safavid prayer hall which covers lengths of 48 meters and widths of 32 meters (Bunce, 2008). Their vaulting is different from the others since they are huge and they start from the ground and moves upwards. Installation of mirhaib oljaytu in the year 1310 is of great interest. It is situated in the north western part of the mosque (On the outer side of the northeastern wall of the iwan in the North West direction). This one was designed by the architectural works of carving from the originally existing walls of the mosque. There are two arches in the mirhab whereby the first arch has certain frames and columns which according to the nature and purpose of construction do not have a relevant function. It I only bear decorations and a variety of patterns. The inscription band is written convex to the wall and thus it looks as if it is hanging in the air (Bunce, 2008). According to Marilyn (2007), the muzaffarid madrassa is well known for its beautiful decorations in the southeastern side of the great mosque of masjid. It is attracting as compared to the architectural design and decorations of Tamurid court. Historically, the Friday mosque is well known for the well employed use of brick in coming up with a well pleasing building with proper decorations This is based on the comparison between that specific mosque with that of Syria and Cordoba (Marilyn, 2007). Construction of the great mosque was an architectural work of art and design which was developed in Herat the largest city in the western side of Afghanistan. Its construction was mainly for the purpose of Islamic worship. The destruction of the mosque was due to the war which started when the British were intending to take the city through armed forces. People usually go to the mosque to pray gather socialize and also rest from the sunny day. This plan was executed, designed and then implemented by making the use of Tamurid decorations which involved use of variety of colors to bring about a splendid, dramatically graceful background. The building is constructed using fragments of ghorid decorations. To begin with, it is a well constructed building that portrays physical attraction. Individuals usually perceive an inner experience of pleasure from a building structure which is well constructed. The principal fact of being in harmony with that particular architecture, technically placed structure should exist before the eyes of the people (Marilyn, 2007). This attractiveness can be brought forth by both the proportionate nature of it and to some extend the ornamental bit. This means that the styles of art and craft were put into consideration based on the artistic specifications of Gheroid. In addition, the mosque satisfy’s the residents of the city of Herat. Citizens of that country derive maximum satisfaction from the usage of the services rendered by the mosque. Consequently the structure stands up strongly and it is known to be in a good condition to resist natural hazards such as earthquakes and fire. The Influence of the Environment The city of Isfahan is located in the plains of river Zayandeh and the warm temperate climate of mount Zagros (Marilyn, 2007). It experiences hot summers and thus the mosque was constructed considering the effects of these climatic conditions. The great mosque of masjid suits the hot climate of Middle East. People needed to shelter up in times of prayers and other social activities. Most historical buildings are constructed from the problems with security and natural beauty of a city. Religious beliefs of the country also contributed too much in the adaptation of structures to construct. This mosque gives the city of Herat the urban beauty being the largest in the western region. The building addresses many issues .To begin with there were the environmental factors which were be taken into consideration while attempting this structure (Marilyn, 2007). The climatic condition of the city was a very sensitive issue while situating the building. The direction with which the wind blows should also be considered. Figure 2: The Masjid-i Jami, Isfahan Consequently, the ventilation of the mosque has taken large space as compared to the entire wall of the building. Special openings are added to walls to make sure that special designs are adopted and most important achieve the need for ventilation. Herat is a relatively warm city. This means that the building is well ventilated. Its major purpose was to worship and socialize which requires effective ventilation (Marilyn, 2007). Consequently, convexity of roofing was a issue to consider since the high degrees of heat should be controlled by setting the structure high above the ground. The direction and strength of wind was also a major factor to consider since high roofing can be demolished by strong winds. Their direction was also taken into consideration since ventilation can allow excess of these pressurized winds to enter into the mosque. This is the reason why the roofing does not include easily destructed materials. The Influence of the Society Generally, the way of life is of great concern on how people construct their structures. This follows the activities and the practices carried by these individuals and their cultural beliefs. The rituals they perform on timely basis are major factors to consider in construction of building. In addition the way the residents do decorate houses differ in different communities (Marilyn, 2007). Houses are decorated according to the cultural background of residents, taboos norms, values and beliefs. The decoration displayed in the mosque specifically suits it but not any other structure including a church. When coming up with this structure they used the available materials in their country as well as in the entire continent. The Influence on Technology Mario Salvadori explained various reasons why buildings withstand the effects of earthquakes, floods and other natural calamities. In our case, the building has proper foundation which was set to resist natural disasters. This gives the reason as to why it resisted severe destructions by fire. Consequently there is a balance in the material usage since there is the natural tension that comes about among the construction materials like the beams, cables building steel and wood. This makes it appropriate for the building to enhance the compression effect and bending (Marilyn, 2007). In addition to this, there are special constructed frames of building the mosque. Arches and viable truss were also used in the construction of its foundation. During construction there was a variety of materials used. This includes stones, concrete, sand and ballast. Modernity has come with most changes in building industry. Art and construction of buildings has taken a new look and has therefore gone far beyond the ability of the ancient common man. It has grown to the extent of moving from the modern structures to the postmodern ones. It assumes that it is not taking into account the facts of criticality nature of some few individuals but looking forward to come up with favorable social, religious and business structures. Construction companies have diversified and taken a new look and has thus it has changed to be a field of certain professions. It has grown from being just a mere construction to architectural work since the 1900’s and thus strengths in buildings, purchasing power of architects, and adherence to the locally laid down legislation to enable respect of the human dignity. There has been the emergence of architectural firms and there has to be an account of every action and every amount spent in this building since proportionality of material factors is of great concern. There is the green building sustainable designs adopted and there are houses which have been considered to meet them and are thus known to be accomplished from what has now emerged as the architectural school. The Influence of the Artistry The most recent inventions and innovations have colored art and there is the need to ensure that there is the sense of harmony between the written art and the constructed art. The degree of proportionality in the building should have rhythmic designs and accuracy (Marilyn, 2007). The proportionality of the walls to the openings and decorations automatically shows that there is extreme use of art in the construction of the building. It is in this context that as the technology advances we grow to be the ambassadors of creativity art and innovation which will enable the diversity of art and its related characteristics. Conclusion In conclusion art and construction of buildings has taken a new look and has therefore gone far beyond the ability of the ancient common man. It has grown to the extent of moving from the modern structures to the postmodern ones. It assumes that it is not taking into account the facts of criticality nature of some few individuals but looking forward to come up with favorable social, religious and business structures. Construction companies have diversified and advanced to new levels and thus it has changed to be a field of certain professions. It has grown from being just a mere construction to architectural work since the 1900’s and brought strengths in buildings, purchasing power of architects, and adherence to the locally laid down legislation to enable respect of the human dignity. References Bunce Fredrick. The mosques of the Indian subcontinent: Their development and iconography. New York: D.K. Printworld, 2008. Marilyn Stokstad. Art: A Brief History (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc., 2007. Oleg Grabar. The Great Mosque of Isfahan. New York: New York University Press, 1990. Read More