Finding the Patterns of Indian Mosques Architecture

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Abstract

Abstract
India is one of the countries that has had diverse civilizations from the distant past, so in architectural
standpoint, this country is rich and varied. The arrival of Islam in India and the formation of Islamic
governments led to the formation of a certain type of Islamic architecture in this subcontinent. The
architecture of Indian mosques is evaluated as a prominent model of Islamic architecture of subcontinent.
This study is based on the assumption that the pattern of Indian mosques architecture is a combination
of early Iranian-Islamic architecture of mosques and Indian vernacular architecture. Finding the roots of
Architectural features of Indian mosques is the subject of this article. In this paper, the influence of early
Islamic mosques’ architecture and rich and historical architecture of India on Indian mosques architecture
before the arrival of Islam and the architecture of developed Islamic civilizations in the Indian neighborhoods
such as Iran, is studied. Generally Indian mosques architectural features include prayer-hall in the Qibla
direction, existence of courtyard, Four-Iwan pattern, crusts odd divisions, especially triple ones, presence
of mosque in plaza and its position on a Soffeh (in height), access to the mosque entrances by wide stairs,
triple divisions of Gonbad Khane in the Qibla direction and the use of transparent porticos around courtyard
(Half of the outer crust that has external view). Finding the roots of features of above architecture in this
paper will lead to a discovery of Indian mosques architectural patterns.

Keywords


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