Islamic architecture
Domes and minarets
Islamic architecture encompasses the building traditions developed across Muslim-majority regions from the 7th century onward.
Distinctive features include minarets, domes, pointed arches, geometric patterns, and intricate tilework—ornamentation that favors abstract designs over human figures.
The style appears in mosques, palaces, madrasas, and gardens from Spain to Indonesia: the Alhambra's Islamic architecture, the geometric precision of Islamic architecture.
Enclosed open-air space
- iwanThree-sided vaulted chamber
- madrasaMuslim religious school
- caravanseraiTraveler's courtyard lodge
- hammamTurkish public steam bath
Curved spanning structure
- pointed archArch with angled apex
- horseshoe archOpening that bulges past semicircular
- ogeeS-shaped architectural curve
- keystoneArch's central locking stone
column · capital · pier · vault · iwan · portal · buttress · load-bearing
Flowing ornamental design
- filigreeDelicate twisted-wire ornamentation
- fretworkInterlocking ornamental design
- latticeOpenwork of crossed strips
- stuccoDecorative wall plaster
carving · inlay · gilding · floral · foliate · vine · scrollwork · tracery
Space for collective worship
- ablutionRitualized washing of body
- courtyardEnclosed open-air space
- imamMuslim religious guide
- salatIslamic obligatory prayer
haram · sanctuary · congregation · Friday
Openwork of crossed strips
- perforatedHaving holes throughout
- carvedCut to create form
- woodenMade from timber
- stoneSolid earth fragment
privacy · ventilation · shadow · geometric · projecting · bay window · grille
Gapless plane coverage
- arabesqueFlowing ornamental design
- octagonEight-sided polygon
- hexagonSix-sided closed figure
- symmetryInvariance under transformation
interlace · polygon · mathematical · repetition · radial · infinite · pattern · rosette
Small rooftop dome
- squinchCorner arch supporting dome
- drumStruck percussion cylinder
- ribbedWith raised parallel lines
- hemisphericalHalf of a sphere
lantern · finial · oculus · gilded · bulbous · stilted · pointed · rotunda
Medieval Islamic palace-fortress
- Taj MahalMarble mausoleum in Agra
- Dome of the RockIslamic shrine on Temple Mount
- Al-AqsaJerusalem Islamic sanctuary
- Hagia SophiaHistoric Istanbul religious structure
Inlaid pictorial arrangement
- ceramicFired clay material
- faienceTin-glazed earthenware tradition
- glazedCoated with shiny finish
- polychromeHaving multiple colors
underglaze · lusterware · turquoise · cobalt · revetment · dados
Member of Turkish dynasty
courtyard
Enclosed open-air space
- iwanThree-sided vaulted chamber
- madrasaMuslim religious school
- caravanseraiTraveler's courtyard lodge
hammam · bazaar · khan · mausoleum · tomb · garden · fountain · pool
arch
Curved spanning structure
- pointed archArch with angled apex
- horseshoe archOpening that bulges past semicircular
- ogeeS-shaped architectural curve
keystone · column · capital · pier · vault · iwan · portal · buttress · load-bearing · spandrel
arabesque
Flowing ornamental design
- filigreeDelicate twisted-wire ornamentation
- fretworkInterlocking ornamental design
- latticeOpenwork of crossed strips
stucco · carving · inlay · gilding · floral · foliate · vine · scrollwork · tracery · openwork
prayer hall
Space for collective worship
salat · haram · sanctuary · congregation · Friday
lattice
Openwork of crossed strips
- perforatedHaving holes throughout
- carvedCut to create form
- woodenMade from timber
stone · privacy · ventilation · shadow · geometric · projecting · bay window · grille
tessellation
Gapless plane coverage
symmetry · interlace · polygon · mathematical · repetition · radial · infinite · pattern · rosette
cupola
Small rooftop dome
hemispherical · lantern · finial · oculus · gilded · bulbous · stilted · pointed · rotunda · skylight
Alhambra
Medieval Islamic palace-fortress
- Taj MahalMarble mausoleum in Agra
- Dome of the RockIslamic shrine on Temple Mount
- Al-AqsaJerusalem Islamic sanctuary
mosaic
Inlaid pictorial arrangement
polychrome · underglaze · lusterware · turquoise · cobalt · revetment · dados
Ottoman
Member of Turkish dynasty
Arabic
Semitic language family member
- scriptWritten words for performance
- QuranicOf Islamic holy scripture
- inscriptionsWords carved into surfaces
sura · ayah · bismillah · verse · frieze · band · cartouche · medallion · epigraphy
muezzin
Islamic prayer announcer
gallery · tapering · cylindrical · octagonal · square · staircase · skyline · landmark · height · paired
- ArabiaSaudi Arabia, Mecca, Medina, Kaaba, Riyadh
- IraqBaghdad, Basra, Mosul, Fallujah, Kurdistan
- IslamAllah, Quran, Muhammad, Mecca, Ramadan
- Islamic cinemaQuran recitation, hijab, Ramadan, Eid, Mecca
- Medieval IndiaMughal Empire, Vijayanagara Empire, Akbar, Shah Jahan, Taj Mahal
- Middle Eastern artsArabic calligraphy, Islamic art, geometric art, miniature painting, oud
Islamic architectureGothic architecture
Medieval style with pointed arches
Christian architecture · Byzantine architecture · cathedral architecture
Islamic architectureminimalist architecture
Buildings stripped to essentials
modernist architecture · Brutalism · Bauhaus · industrial architecture