Building Analysis  -  The Umayyad Mosque

Name of Building : The Umayyad Mosque [The Great Mosque of Damascus ]
Location : Damascus, Syria
Year of construction : 705-715A.D./85-96A.H
Materials : Stone, Marble, Tile, Mosaic.
Building Type : Mosque [Jame' جامع]
Distinguished Feature : Vast central courtyard, three square minarets, small dome resting on the South facade [ the building as a whole is giving a feel for a mixed Christian and Islamic architectural design].
Basic Outline Geometry : Rectangle in plan.
Dimensions : 100mx 157m | Height : 36 meters, tallest minaret (77 meters)
Religious Importance: an Islamic architecture innovation in which it introduced what would be the standard and most distinguished features of Islamic mosque designs for later eras/periods to come, such as the minarets and the Sahn (courtyard).

The south Facade of the mosque - The Direction of the Qibla | toward Mecca

Architectural analysis for reference :

Mosque Dimensions

The Sahn | Courtyard

The three minarets of the Mosque

Courtyard Pathways

The Direction of the Qibla | towards Mecca

Interior Arcades

Central Arcade

Dome of Treasury Location

Photo of the Octagonal Dome of treasury

The Ummayad mosque Mosaic

The Ummayad mosque Mosaic

References :
-Islamic Art and Architecture, 650–1250
-Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad_Mosque

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Building Analysis  -  The Kaaba

Name of Building : Al-Kaaba Al-Musharrafa
Location : Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Year of construction : built or re-built by the prophet Abraham and  his son Ishmael on God's instructions. - Quran, Chapter 3 (Aale-Imran) verse 96.
Materials : Gold , Stone, Marble, Black silk and Gold curtain.
Building Type : Mosque
Distinguished Feature : The Kiswah, Which is an embroidered covering/curtain. made of black silk and gold  which is replaced annually during the Hajj pilgrimage. Two-thirds of the way up is a band of gold-embroidered Quranic text, including the Shahada, the Islamic declaration of faith.
Basic Outline Geometry : Cube
Dimensions : 10mx 15mx 12m | Height : 13 meters
Religious Importance: Qibla - The Qibla is the Muslims' name for the direction faced during prayer. It is the focal point for prayer. The direction faced during prayer is the direction of where the Kaaba is.

Kaaba Mecca HD Wallpaper, BY USMANAWAN68 http://travelhdwallpapers.com/kaaba-mecca-hd-wallpaper/

"Kaaba-plan" by Bjankuloski06en - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kaaba-plan.svg#/media/File:Kaaba-plan.svg

Architectural analysis for reference :











References :
-Islamic Art and Architecture, 650–1250
-Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaaba
-The Kaba in Makkah: It's size and history
http://www.soundvision.com/article/the-kaba-in-makkah-its-size-and-history
-Fly inside the Kaaba
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40SNX5wLntU

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