Fatimid architecture

The Fatimid architecture that developed in the Fatimid Caliphate (909–1167 CE) of North Africa combined elements of eastern and western architecture, drawing on Abbasid architecture, Byzantine, Ancient Egyptian, Coptic architecture and North African traditions; it bridged early Islamic styles and the medieval architecture of the Mamluks of Egypt, introducing many innovations. The wealth of Fatimid architecture was found in the main cities of Mahdia (921–948), Al-Mansuriya (948–973) and Cairo (973–1169). The heartland of architectural activity and expression during Fatimid rule was at al-Qahira (Cairo), on the eastern side of the Nile, where many of the palaces, mosques and other buildings were built. Large-scale constructions were undertaken during the reigns of al-Mui'zz (953-975) Al-Aziz Billah (975-996) and al-Hakim (996-1021). The Fatimid caliphs competed with the rulers of the Abbasid and Byzantine empires and indulged in luxurious palace building. Their palaces, their greatest architectural achievements, are known only by written descriptions, however. Several surviving tombs, mosques, gates and walls, mainly in Cairo, retain original elements, although they have been extensively modified or rebuilt in later periods. Notable extant examples of Fatimid architecture include the Great Mosque of Mahdiya, and the Al-Azhar Mosque, Al-Hakim Mosque, Al-Aqmar Mosque, Juyushi Mosque and Lulua Mosque of Cairo. Although heavily influenced by architecture from Mesopotamia and Byzantium, the Fatimids introduced or developed unique features such as the four-centred keel arch and the squinch, connecting square interior volumes to the dome. Their mosques followed the hypostyle plan, where a central courtyard was surrounded by arcades with their roofs usually supported by keel arches, initially resting on columns with leafy Corinthian order capitals. They typically had features such as portals that protrude from the wall, domes above mihrabs and qiblas, and façade ornamentation with iconographic inscriptions, and stucco decorations.

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Concepts associés (8)

Abbasid architecture

Abbasid architecture developed in the Abbasid Caliphate between 750 and 1227, primarily in its heartland of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq). The great changes of the Abbasid era can be characterized as at the same time political, geo-political and cultural. The Abbasid period starts with the destruction of the Umayyad ruling family and its replacement by the Abbasids, and the position of power is shifted to the Mesopotamian area.

Architecture mamelouke

thumb|Carte du Caire par Hartman Schedel datée de 1492 L'architecture est une activité particulièrement développée dans le monde syro-égyptien à la période mamelouke, entre 1250 à 1517. La ville du Caire, capitale pendant près de deux siècles, a été bouleversée par les nombreux apports des Mamelouks, qui ne se contentent pas de construire des monuments, mais réorganisent la ville et poursuivent une politique active de restauration. Le sultan An-Nâsir Muhammad ben Qalâ'ûn (1285-1341) notamment œuvre beaucoup pour l'urbanisme, avec un programme dense de constructions.

Mosquée al-Aqmar

La mosquée al-Aqmar (en arabe : مسجداقمر) est l'un des plus anciens sanctuaires islamiques de la ville du Caire, la capitale de la république d'Égypte. Bâtie en 1125 sous le califat d'al-Amir Bi-Ahkam Allah, le dixième calife fatimide du Caire, elle est l'une des premières mosquées de la ville à intégrer une façade suivant l'alignement de la rue, par opposition au plan traditionnel marqué par une façade parallèle à la qibla. Son nom signifiant « Clair de lune » devrait son origine à la luminosité de sa pierre grise.