Minarets Islamic Architecture

No’man Bayaty Introduction

• Minarets are towers used for Adhan (call for prayer). • It was not an essential element, since early mosques used the roof to call the Muslims for prayers. • It has several names, each with a distinctive meaning: minaret, manara, sauma’a, mi’dhana. • The etymology of the terms related to this element sheds light on its origins and functions. Early Minarets

• As said before, early mosques didn’t have minarets. • The first minaret was built at time of Mu’awiya (the first Umayyad caliph), when his governor on Iraq added a high platform for Basrah’s mosque. • This was approximately in 45/665, and the minaret is lost. • The governor of Egypt added minarets to Al-Fustat mosque at 53/673, which are also lost. • Even though the early minarets appeared in Iraq and Egypt, the idea might have come from Syria, the center of the Umayyad dynasty. • According to this narrative, a political reason stands behind the appearance of these elements. Early Minarets

• Beyond the functional and political origin, there is a third theory. • Theorists believe that the idea behind the minarets was morphological. • Muslims used the minarets as a source of diversity in their architecture. • The minarets became an essential part of mosques’ architecture, and thus the Islamic architecture, even though it was not essential at all. • The rise of minarets’ architecture, and its rise in Syria especially, might also be a result of the towers of the Christian churches. • The complexity rises from the old descriptions. Resources say that the Basrah minaret was made of stone, giving it a morphological advantage. • Al-fustat mosque had four minarets (Sawami’) little bit higher than the original roof level (a box shape), with very little functional advantage. Minarets Forms Early Minarets (Syria)

• The bride (Al-’arous) minaret is the first minaret of the great mosque of Damascus. • It is said to be built by Al-Walid I, even though many sources point to its Abbasid origin. Several clues support its Umayyad origin. • This minaret had a symbolic presence, and had some pre-Islamic effect.

Aleppo great mosque minaret Early Minarets (Qairawan)

• Like the Damascene minaret it has a square shape. • Some say its shape is affected by the pharaoh's towers of Alexandria. • The stepped three tiers tower is not known in pre- Islamic Syrian architecture. • The location of the bulgy minaret in the opposite side of the sanctuary, tried to balance the huge emptiness of the courtyard with its big mass. Almohad Minarets

• There is strong similarity between the architecture of this state and the Syrian states. • The only thing that would explain the resemblance in spite of the huge geographical distance and the political disconnection, is the Umayyad rule in Spain. • They are different than the Syrian model in terms of the internal vaulting, and that they are much larger than the Syrian ones, and more decorated on their four sides. • They also used the Moorish decoration, such as the horseshoe and multifoil arches.

Kutubiya mosque minaret, Marakesh Almohad Minarets

• They also had single or paired windows on each story.

Giralda Tower, Seville

Hassan mosque minaret, Rabat Minarets in Iraq

• The Iraqi minarets represent a strong interruption with the Syrian tradition. • They are cylindrical towers made of mud brick. • Its material is baked brick. • Their location was also different, since they were standing isolated from the mosque. • Some, like the Malwiya and Abu Dulaf, start with a square base, and have an external ramp. • The origin of this shape is disputed, but the main theory references them to the pre-Islamic Iraqi architecture (Assyrian) or the pre-Islamic Persian architecture. Great mosque minaret, Samarra Minarets in Iraq

• This bizarre shape even traveled to other places showing its emphasis on the Islamic world.

Ibn Tulun Mosque minaret, Cairo

Abu Dulaf minaret, Samarra Iranian Minarets

• The Iranian minarets are the richest in their diversity, and were also cylindrical in shape, with the stairs inside the minarets. • Their cylindrical type became the base for many other styles in many countries. The Iranian minarets were also very decorative. • The sources of their shapes also vary from Chinese culture till the Indian architecture. • Some Iranian minarets had a square or octagonal base, with a cylindrical shaft. This effect comes from some Syrian minarets. • The Seljuk architects also introduced the paired minarets. • The Timurid minarets were larger than the Seljuk, while the Safavid didn’t add some significant contribution. Iranian Minarets

Erbil minaret Al-Hadbaa’ minaret, Mosul Daquq minaret Iranian Minarets

Ali minaret, Isfahan Kalyan minaret, Bukhara Sarban minaret, Isfahan Iranian Minarets

Mas’ud III minaret, Ghazna Iranian Minarets

Jam minaret, Ghor Indian Minarets

• Indian minarets’ function was different. • They were used as markers for the mosques, strengthening the corners. • Sometimes they had only a symbolic function, representing Islam’s power. • Their shapes were affected by the Iranian minarets, they mainly were with a cylindrical plan and tapered body (like a cone). • In many cases they also used a polygonal base for the minarets. • The red brick as a material had its effect on the overall shape. • They also utilized several balconies. • Later mosques used a hierarchy of minarets, depending on the position. Indian Minarets

Qutub minar, Delhi Indian Minarets

Juma’ masjid, Delhi Badshahi masjid, Lahore Indian Minarets

Badshahi masjid, Lahore Minarets in Turkey

• Early Turkish minarets were developed from the Seljuk Iranian minarets. • They began to appear as pairs, flanking the portals. • They then moved towards the single minaret system, with its materials ranging from the stone in the lower part and brick in upper parts. • The Ottoman minarets were tall and pencil-shaped, with several bowl- shaped circular balconies, and unlike most of the minarets, they didn’t end up with a dome, but a sharp pointy triangular end. • They had a square or a polygonal base, with a cylindrical body. • Their use completed the composition of the domical architecture. Minarets in Turkey

Yivli mosque minaret, Antalya

Great mosque minaret, Mardin Minarets in Turkey

Suleymaniya mosque minaret, Istanbul Minarets in Egypt

• Egypt is very richly diverse in terms of minaret architecture. • The main style of minarets architecture is the Mamluk minarets of Cairo. • The origin of their shape is unknown, but many propose the pre-Islamic Egyptian architecture of the Pharaohs. • Mostly they were made of a base, square or octagon. • The body either cylindrical or octagonal, and sometimes both. • The balconies would not be just an addition, but they would separate the body of the minaret into different styles. • The crowning (ends) were also various, domes or conical. • They also merged the columns, arches, decorations and muqarnases effectively into the design of the minarets. Minarets in Egypt Al-Hakim mosque minaret, Cairo

Abul-Hajjaj mosque, Luxor Minarets in Egypt

Ghanim Bahlawan minaret, Cairo Al-Azhar mosque minaret, Cairo Mughalbay mosque minaret, Cairo Minarets

• Countries and states copied the styles of the minarets which they found suitable, and when the rulers were same or close in political views. • This is why we find Egyptian minarets in Syria, Syrian minarets in Spain and Persian minarets in Iraq. • Minarets, even though with not an essential function, became an essential element of Islamic architecture.