This book contains papers presented at the 1st International Conference on Islamic Heritage Architecture and Art. The papers deal with the design of many types of buildings in Islamic countries and the influence that these structural forms have had in non-Islamic countries. Coverage will also include construction materials. There is much to learn from past experiences to arrive at solutions that are environmentally sound and sustainable in the long term. As conventional energy resources become scarce, the Islamic design heritage can offer invaluable lessons on how to deal with difficult and extreme environments in an efficient manner. Traditional architecture and urban environment in most Islamic countries is now being eroded by overemphasis on global type of architecture and city planning. As a consequence, many regions are losing their identity. The Conference will aim to review these developments in the light of what the classical Islamic urban designs and architectures have to offer modern society. There will also be coverage of conservation techniques appropriate to the materials and structural forms used. Topics covered include: Architectural heritage; Archaeological studies; Historical aspects; The Islamic urban environment; Types of buildings (e.g., Mosques and minarets; Mausolea; Citadels and fortifications, Baths and caravanserais; Bridges and dams; Cisterns and quants; Earth-sheltered architecture; Irrigation systems; Wind towers); Climate adaptability; Arches and vaults; Domes and squinches; Double shell dome; Geometry and orientation; The use of light; Design and nature; Vernacular architecture; Construction materials (e.g., Masonry and mortars; Wood, Metals; Tiles, Adobe); Structural analysis; Earthquake resistant structures; Calligraphy, painting and patterns; Architectural conservation. The contents will be of interest to all researchers, practitioners and government employees actively involved with Islamic Heritage Architecture.

This book contains papers presented at the 1st International Conference on Islamic Heritage Architecture and Art. The papers deal with the design of many types of buildings in Islamic countries and the influence that these structural forms have had in non-Islamic countries. Coverage will also include construction materials. There is much to learn from past experiences to arrive at solutions that are environmentally sound and sustainable in the long term. As conventional energy resources become scarce, the Islamic design heritage can offer invaluable lessons on how to deal with difficult and extreme environments in an efficient manner. Traditional architecture and urban environment in most Islamic countries is now being eroded by overemphasis on global type of architecture and city planning. Consequently, many regions are losing their identity. The Conference will aim to review these developments in the light of what the classical Islamic urban designs and architectures have to offer modern society. There will also be coverage of conservation techniques appropriate to the materials and structural forms used. The papers in this book cover such topics as: Architectural conservation; Architectural heritage; Architecture in Malaysia and Indonesia; Climate adaptability; Conservation and restoration; Historical aspects; Houses and gardens; Islamic art and globalisation; Mosques and minarets; Ottoman Istanbul; Schools; The African Coast; The Islamic urban environment; The Mediterranean region; The use of light; Vernacular architecture; Wood and wooden roofs. The contents will be of interest to all researchers, practitioners and government employees actively involved with Islamic Heritage Architecture.

The essays in this book represent an up to date research and investigation into the various aspects of heritage and sustainability in the Islamic Built environments with an analysis of the problems that these cities face, as they confront the forces of globalization and new development. The authors in the book aim to the need for knowledge and understanding of Islamic society which is crucial for comprehending their rich architectural heritage and urban form with their intended meanings and uses. The book embraces a wide array of principles, strategies and precedents that are instrumental to the design of cities and communities in Islamic regions in order to sustain their cultural and environmental vitality. The subject matter in this book will provide an important body of knowledge, not only to the design professionals and students of architecture and planning, but also includes useful information across disciplines, such as social sciences, planning, urban geography and more.

Puglia is one of the most extraordinary parts of Italy. Inhabited for over 8,000 years, this region has experienced almost every type of civilization known to the European world. This book focuses on the little known but important Islamic contribution to the architecture of Puglia, a contribution which was centered in the once Muslim city of Lucera and subsequently came to be of significance for the building of Christian cathedrals and churches in this beautiful region, little known to the outside world.

The buildings erected in the Deccan region of India belonged to a number of pre-Mughal kingdoms that reigned in the Deccan from the middle of the 14th century onwards [to the 18th century]. The monuments testify to a culture where local and imported ideas, vernacular and pan-Islamic traditions fused and re-interpreted, to create a majestic architectural heritage with exceptional buildings on the edge of the Islamic world. Many are still standing - yet outside this region of peninsular India, they remain largely unknown.General publications on Indian Islamic architecture usually devote a single chapter to the Deccan. Even specialist monographs can only cover a portion of the region, due to the sheer number of sites. While it is impossible to encompass the full breadth of the subject in a single volume, this book aims to embrace the visual diversity of the Deccan without sacrificing the rigour of academic study. Structures of historical or architectural significance are placed in their context, as the authors discuss building typologies, civic facilities and ornamental techniques, from plaster and carved stone to glazed tiles and mural painting. A chapter is dedicated to each principal Deccan site, interweaving the rise and fall of these cities with a pictorial journey through their ruins, and each building is accompanied by an overhead plan view.

The book examines the destruction of the architectural heritage in Mosul perpetrated by Islamic State between 2014 and 2017. It identifies which structures were attacked, the ideological rationale behind the destruction, and the significance of the lost monuments in the context of Mosul’s urban development and the architectural history of the Middle East. This methodologically innovative work fills an important gap in the study of both current radical movements and the medieval Islamic architecture of Northern Iraq.

Papers presented at the 2nd International Conference on Islamic Heritage Architecture and Art are contained in this volume. The conference attracted important research highlighting the significance of Islamic heritage architecture and art to the world and its influence across different regions. The papers deal with the design of many types of buildings in Islamic countries, including not only the better known public buildings like mosques, mausolea, citadels and forts, but also houses and gardens, engineering works such as bridges and dams, irrigation systems and many others which have also had a profound impact on society. Traditional architecture and urban environment in most Islamic countries is now being eroded by overemphasis on a global type of architecture and city planning. As a consequence, many regions are losing their identity. The included studies review these developments in the light of what classical Islamic urban design and architecture has to offer modern society. Research contained in this book provides an analysis of the materials employed and the types of structural elements used, particularly those unique to Islamic architecture. Associated topics covered include music, textiles and ceramics, which are essential parts of the architectural fabric. Also looked at are construction materials, including not only stone and brick but also more perishable materials like adobe, wood and reeds. The preservation of heritage features also requires the development of appropriate conservation techniques in response to the different materials used and the ways structural forms work, including under extreme conditions, such as earthquakes. Academics, researchers, practitioners and government employees actively involved in the topic of Islamic heritage architecture and art will find this publication of interest.

This book discusses architectural excellence in Islamic societies drawing on textual and visual materials, from the Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT, developed over more than three decades. At the core of the discussion are the efforts, processes, and outcomes of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA). The AKAA recognises excellence in architectural and urban interventions within cities and settlements in the Islamic world which are continuously challenged by dramatic changes in economies, societies, political systems, decision-making, and environmental requirements. Architectural Excellence in Islamic Societies responds to the recurring question about the need for architectural awards, arguing that they are critical to validating the achievements of professional architects while making their contributions more widely acknowledged by the public. Through analysis and critique of over sixty awarded and shortlisted projects from over thirty-five countries, this book provides an expansive look at the history of the AKAA through a series of narratives on the enduring values of architecture, architectural and urban conservation, built environment sustainability, and architectural pluralism and multiple modernities. Architectural Excellence in Islamic Societies will appeal to professionals and academics, researchers, and upper-level students in architectural history and theory and built environment related fields.

This richly illustrated book provides an unsurpassed overview of Islamic art and architecture from the seventh to the thirteenth centuries, a time of the formation of a new artistic culture and its first, medieval, flowering in the vast area from the Atlantic to India. Inspired by Ettinghausen and Grabar’s original text, this book has been completely rewritten and updated to take into account recent information and methodological advances. The volume focuses special attention on the development of numerous regional centers of art in Spain, North Africa, Egypt, Syria, Anatolia, Iraq, and Yemen, as well as the western and northeastern provinces of Iran. It traces the cultural and artistic evolution of such centers in the seminal early Islamic period and examines the wealth of different ways of creating a beautiful environment. The book approaches the arts with new classifications of architecture and architectural decoration, the art of the object, and the art of the book. With many new illustrations, often in color, this volume broadens the picture of Islamic artistic production and discusses objects in a wide range of media, including textiles, ceramics, metal, and wood. The book incorporates extensive accounts of the cultural contexts of the arts and defines the originality of each period. A final chapter explores the impact of Islamic art on the creativity of non-Muslims within the Islamic realm and in areas surrounding the Muslim world.