Safavid Architecture

Ever since man began building structures and settling land, art has manifested itself in our architectural creations. Whether it be to celebrate or worship a God or Gods, a grand sculpture to bury a powerful leader or remember them by, or to show a culture’s dedication to specific values, our architectural constructions have led to some of the finest art this Earth has ever seen. The Taj Mahal and Palace of Versailles are two great examples of such art. By examining each of these individually, and then comparing and contrasting them, it will become clear that no matter how different looking these buildings may be, they still serve the same purpose to the civilizations that erected them.

HVIII. ARCHITECTURE: Mosques in the old days were decorated beautifully with calligraphy and tile. They also had their own kind of domes that they used on the most important buildings. Used minarets. The specific geometric forms decorating the walls (known as Arabesque) represent the infinite.

bright arabesque patterning that decorates the exterior of the building, not only catches the eye,

Bihzad places strong emphasis on the complexity of the palace’s architecture which he has adorned with colorful ornaments and emblazoned with gold. Each room is decorated with rugs and tiles featuring complex floral and asymmetrical patterns that cover each chamber from floor to ceiling. The palace appears to be three stories tall and features a balcony on the left and a zigzagging staircase on the right. The asymmetrical style of these two architectural features gives the impression of the work

Two buildings, the Hagia Sophia and the Great Mosque of Cordoba, can show us two separate peoples and their approach to constructing architecture that was devoted to their religions. However, while religion played a huge role, there are similarities as well between the two that show that the rulers who commissioned these buildings were interested in mimicking beauty and showing the world that their building was the most beautiful and perhaps the most elite of its time as well as proving their divinity as a ruler of a great nation.

In this essay, I will compare and contrast two sacred spaces; Ise Jingu of Japan and the Great Stupa in India. First I will describe the sacred spaces and their artistic features, values and importance. Afterwards, will come the analysis comparing the two in architectural design and decisions, rather than the difference of religious belief or purpose.

In this week’s chapter, it discusses a lot about the rise and fall of the Ottoman and Safavid Empires. In many dynasties, it is critically important to have a well balanced society and economy. Anderson displays many of the reasons why these two empires were so great during their time, but evidently loss of power and control of government can be a major turning point and, eventually, led to the decline of these empires. This specific chapter focus on the systems of governance that was established in each empire.

The Alhambra is considered to be one of the most important buildings constructed in its time. The palace city gained its status as an international monument in the 1870s, and is now the most visited tourist attraction in Spain, surpassing both La Sagrada Familia and El Prado, with 2.4 million people visited Granada’s Moorish palace in 2014. However its popularity and beauty were hard fought as it survived wars, takeovers, destruction and disrepair. It is this history that gives the complex its significance beyond the superficial beauty that made it famous.

A common Islamic art masterpiece is the use of tiles, more so the Iranian Star-shaped tile (Necipoglu 174). This is a 15th century artwork, probably made during the time when the Timurids ruled over Iran (Doak 136). This star-like tile; as illustrated in Figure I below, has a decoration of geometric shapes leaves and flowers on it, with a major flower being positioned right at the center of the tile. These tiles were made to cover outer walls of buildings, with designs and colorful patterns, to make such structures more beautiful. The tiles were fitted together using mortar on the walls of structures to create a mosaic design that adorned the outer walls of the structures.

The most effective architect that represented a cultural life based on Shiite religious principles and Persian royal absolutism was Shah Abbas I. He chose to display the wealth and royal power of his country, the Persian and Shiite heritages, and the abundance of artistic sensibility at the new capital city of Isfahan. In order to accomplish this, the shah hired many highly skilled artists and architects to design and build a city that would dwarf even Delhi and

Islamic art and architecture, works of art and architecture created in countries where Islam has been dominant and embodying Muslim precepts in its themes. They are explored with calligraphy, which considered one of the important parts of Islamic arts. Almost all Islamic buildings have some type

The most beautiful building among these is the Mosque. The Mosque was built in early 1990's and is American built, almost entirely by local architects and local artists. There is a fountain in front of the Mosque and a second fountain inside the vestibule. These fountains have come from as far away as Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia and are merely for decoration though in older times fountains were used for washing before prayer.

The mosque can be identified by its elaborate squinch-supported domes. The Great Mosque of Cordoba is one of the finest surviving examples of Umayyad architecture in Spain. The mosque has marble capitals and columns in the hypostyle prayer hall. A person enters the hall through an open courtyard called a sahn. Its famous horseshoe arches have an alternated pattern of pale stone and red brick voussoirs

Centered in the house is a ramp that takes you on a journey from the underbelly of the house on the ground floor to the main body on the first floor and then on to a roof garden. Throughout the house views of the surrounding nature are framed, your mind is free marvel, as the forms evoke a sense of exploration and delight. Villa Savoye is better experienced than viewed through an image, only then can you understand the greater meaning and purpose that informs its beauty. One might argue that this is not beautiful architecture and a poor example, however upon visiting this house you cannot deny that the house is beautiful in its own right, evoking a response from the occupant. Le Corbusier’s masterpiece is moving; therefore achieving what he believed architecture to be about. This experience and the emotion that is felt can only be described in words. Shapes play a big role in the architecture but clearly the meanings behind are more important.

His description of the inclusion of sport, schools, public baths, markets, soup kitchens and places for travellers within the courtyard of the mosque to stay reveals that Istanbul was tolerant of outsiders and truly was the jewel of the Ottoman empire . This description of the Süleymaniye Mosque, while not outright describing the people of the main city of Istanbul, reveals the pride that Çelebi has for Istanbul.