Islamic architecture

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Architecture is one of the greatest Islamic art forms.An Islamic style
is seen in mosques but also in Muslim houses and gardens.
Some of the typical features are:
*. It's hidden - another term is "the architectureof the veil"
*. A traditional Islamic house is built around a courtyard, and shows
only a wall with no windows to the street outside
*. It thus protects the family, and family life from the people
outside,and the harsh environment of many Islamic lands - it's a
private world
*. Concentration on the interior rather than the outside of a building
- the common Islamic courtyard structure provides a space that is both
outside, and yet within the building
Another key idea, also used in town planning, is of a sequence of spaces.
Muhammad Ali mosque, Cairo ©
*. The mechanical structure of the buildingis de-emphasised
*. Buildings do not have a dominant direction
*. Large traditional houses will often have a complex double structure
that allows men to visit without running any risk of meeting the women
of the family
*. Houses often grow as the family grows - they develop according to
need, not to a grand design
Buildings are often highly decorated and colour is often a key feature.
But the decoration is reserved for the inside. Most often the only
exterior parts to be decorated will be the entrance and the dome.
Religious buildings in particular will often use geometry to symbolic effect.
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