Intricate Islamic architecture can be found the world over. The delicate mix of art, space concepts and construction styles have combined to give it a unique identity.

MENTION Islamic architecture and the familiar dome and minarets come to mind, two structures which define and identify a faith embraced by over a billion people all over the globe.

When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) fled to Medina in 622 AD, the first thing he did was to establish a meeting point for the Islamic ummah (unity) — this was the start of the concept of the mosque.

Hence, the mosque has been synonymous with the faith. From Spain’s great mosque of Cordoba and India’s Taj Mahal mosque to Malaysia’s Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz mosque in Shah Alam, Islamic architecture has made its mark all over the world.

When you are in a country like the United States, where Islam is a minority religion, you can be sure of finding a mosque once you spot the familiar sight of the Islamic dome.

The first mosque was built in the seventh century in Mecca, now the Masjidil Haram, which surrounds the holy Kaabah. The early models of the modern mosque came from the Prophet’s house in Medina.

The earliest architectural work in Islam, which retains its original form, is the famous Dome of the Rock (Qubbat al- Sakrah) in Jerusalem, which was constructed in 691AD.

Its mosaics snake up the walls depicting scrolling vines, flowers, jewels and crowns in greens, blues and gold. Similar styles can also be seen at the great mosque in Damascus, built by the warrior, Khalid Al-Walid.

Islamic architecture is not only identified by the mosque but by the madrasahs, caravansarais, palaces and mausoleums spanning the centuries during the Umayyah, Abbassid, Spanish and Ottoman ages — and even now.

The most striking feature of Islamic architecture is the focus on interior space as opposed to the outside or facade. This is typical of the Muslim house anywhere in the world.

A case in point is the mosque, where the huge interior extends high “into the heavens” so as not to restrict the worshipper communicating with God.

Rectangular dwelling units are typically organised around an inner courtyard. The facade of this house offers high windowless walls interrupted only by a single low door.

In What Is Islamic Architecture, (from Architecture of the Islamic World, 1978, Thames and Hudson), Ernst J. Grube writes that the dominant form of true Islamic architecture is this “hidden” architecture.

In other words, it is architecture that must be experienced by entering the structure and seeing from within.

He said Islamic architecture does not strive for the same balance that European architecture does.

Thus, it is easy to make additions to original plans for Islamic structures.

For example, as families grow, it is simple to add new dwellings to the traditional courtyard-house complex.

The complex can become an organic maze of structures accumulating around and totally engulfing the nucleus of the original design.

Although the Arabs had little architectural tradition of their own, they borrowed extensively from the materials, styles, forms, and methods of traditions such as the Roman and Byzantine styles.

Muslim architects adapted the styles and gave it new meaning.

Although the mosque, in principle, needs to only provide a place for prayer and submission, it has evolved into a more complex structure.

Mosques were constructed by combining a number of standard elements — outer walls, courtyard, water, prayer hall, minaret, and mihrab.

Yet within this unity, we find variety in the different mosque designs, which are the Arab, Iranian, and Ottoman styles, each with its own unmistakable identity. The minarets also have many styles, such as the Ottoman, Qairawan, Taj Mahal, Al-Mutawakil, Seville and the Yemeni.

The Arab hypostyle, the Iranian courtyard with iwans, and the massive Ottoman domes and slender minarets are distinct variations that represent different regional histories

In Malaysia, Islamic art is prevalent in its architecture. This is due to the high number of decorative and elaborate mosques, many of which date back to the early 1800s. These were commissioned by the sultans.

The interiors and exteriors of mosques have wonderful examples of Islamic calligraphy, with local calligraphers sometimes working side by side with the architects to ensure the best results.

The carpets and rugs in mosques have geometrical patterns on solid background colours. These can be seen in many of the mosques of Malaysia such as the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque in Selangor.

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