iraq architecture

8/14/2019 Iraq architecture

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DESCRIPTION -Republic of Iraq

-Mesopotamia (Greek: "between therivers")

It was home to the world's first knowncivilization, the Sumerian culture,followed by the Akkadian, Babylonian,and Assyrian cultures, whose influenceextended into neighboring regions asearly as 5000 BC. These civilizationsproduced the earliest writing and someof the first sciences, mathematics, lawsand philosophies of the world; henceits common epithet, the "Cradle ofCivilization".

RELIGION Iraq is a Muslim-majority country;

Islam accounts for an estimated 95% ofthe population, while Christianity orother religions for just 5%.


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GEOGRAPHY Iraq, a triangle of mountains,

desert and fertile river valleyis bounded on the east ofIran, on the north by Turkey.On the west by Syria and

Jordan and on the south bySaudi Arabia and Kuwait.

The country has arid desertland west of Eupharates, a

broad central valley betweenthe Eupharates and the Tigrisand mountains in thenortheast.


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The basic structureof the Baghdaditown-house containsan entrance hall(majaz) which opens

on to a courtyard,carried by pillars(tarma). It had onlyfew and simplerooms, best a liwan

(or iwan), placedaround the centralcourtyard.
http://www.brainworker.ch/Irak/architecture.htmhttp://www.brainworker.ch/Irak/architecture.htmhttp://www.brainworker.ch/Irak/architecture.htm


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With the time the houseswere not only divided in apublic (male) part(diwankhane) anda haram for the women, butthe whole house turned itsfocus inward. Privacy in theIslamic culture always had ahigher value than theoutside appearance.

The ground-plan, right, of arich family, is traditionallyseparated into a public area

left and a private area(harem) right. The rooms areplaced around the centralopen courtyard.


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Tarma : open balcony with pillarsUrsi : most probably from russi,

russian. The most important roomof the house, as at the same timeyou may see, but not been seen asmuch as in a tarma, ivan or talar. Its

separated from the tarma by awindow-wall from colored glasses,without door. Those were themasterpieces of Baghdadi carpentry.

Talar, a usable open room behindthe tarma. The difference to theiwan is, that it can't be entereddirectly from the rooms beside it. I'sseparated from the tarma byadditional pillars.


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wan (or Liwan), a roombehind the tarma or adjacent

tot the inner courtyard, that ison one side open.

osh, the central courtyard,often with a fountain in the

middle.

sirdab , the cellar, that did notonly serve as store, but ascooling hall and for theprovision of cool air through

the badgir-sirdab-system.


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neem , a cellar that isonly half buried. Mostlywith one window.

During the hot summernights the roof was

and is used in Baghdadfor sleeping. The highvalue of privacydemanded, that nohouse was higher thanthe others, so thatnobody was able tolook down on hisneighbors roof.


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kabishkan :ThePenthouse,from whereone is able to

control all thehouse. Oftenthose roomshave beenplaced like

eyries in allfour cornersof the innercourtyard.


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The old and naturalclimatization system of Iraq,with badgir and sirdab.

With clay-construction not only the art andclimatological advantages disappeared, butfurther architectural uses of naturalconditions, especially the use of thenorthwest-trade-wind, that blows allthrough the summer, as natural andsustainable climatisation-engine.

The system badgir-sirdab was a cheap,environmentally friendly and energy savingsolution to create an acceptable climateinside Baghdadi houses. Not an easyendeavor with outside temperatures ofover 50C during summer.

The badgirs caught the wind and led itthrough the cool cellar into the house.

Not presented is here a second system,where the wind is not led into the cellar bypressure, but is sucking the hot air out ofthe living rooms, whereby replacing it bycooler air sucked in through the cellar.


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The sketch on the right side

shows the large differences intemperature that may beproduced using the naturallygiven conditions of thetraditional house. More than

those 20 are even nowadays,in the times of air-conditioning, considered asunhealthy. Those conditionsturn the house dwellers intobeduins, using different placesduring day and night as duringwinter (south side, mainlyclosed rooms) and summer(north side, cellar and roof)


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oofs

In public areas, as herethe suq, the scorching

sun has been kept outby shading. Suchsimple roofconstructions can stillbe seen in Yemen.

As rains are scares inIraq, but all the heavierwhen they happen, itsvery wise to takeprecautions, leadingthe water away fromany clay construction

to protect them frombeing washed away.:


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BrickOrnaments Bricks do not

only produce anice climate,but are veryuseful for thecreation ofdecorativeornaments:


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Nestled between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates (Dijla and Furat in Arabic),modern Iraq lies on fertile land that includes ancient Mesopotamia. Long beforethe great civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome, advanced cultures flourished inthe Mesopotamian plain. Cobblestone streets, city building, and architecture itselfhave their beginnings in Mesopotamia. Indeed, some archaeologists believe thatthis region is the site of the Biblical Garden of Eden.

Because it lies at the cradle of civilization, the Mesopotamian plain containsarchaeological and architectural treasures that date back to the beginning of

human history. In the busy city of Baghdad, exquisite medieval buildings tell thestories of many different cultures and religious traditions.

In recent years, the architectural treasures of Iraq were jeopardized by war.Military facilities were often placed dangerously close to great structures andimportant artifacts, making them vulnerable to blasts. Also, many monumentssuffered due to looting and neglect.

Whether or not the war in Iraq could be justified, there is no doubt that thecountry holds priceless architecture that must be preserved. Follow the linksbelow for photos from Baghdad and Babylon.


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The Shrine of Husayn ibnAli is a holy site of Shi'aIslam in the city of Karbala,Iraq. It stands on the site ofthe grave of Husayn ibn Ali,the second grandson ofMuhammad, near the placewhere he was killed during

the Battle of Karbala in 680Hundreds of Shia Muslimsgather around the HusaynMosque in Karbala aftermaking the Pilgrimage onfoot during Arba'een.Arba'een is a forty dayperiod that commemoratesthe martyrdom of Husaynbin Ali, grandson of theProphet Muhammad, andseventy-two of hisfollowers at the Battle ofKarbala in the year 680AD.


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Kadhimain ShrineAl-Kadhimeyya is one of the oldest towns in Iraq. Before the construction ofBaghdad, Al-Kadhimeyya was known as Shoneezi, an Arab name meaning theBlack Grain. When the Abbasid Caliph Abu Ja'far Al-Mansour started theconstruction of the Round City of Baghdad in 762 AD (145 AH), he made that areaa cemetery named the Qureish cemeteries; containing the bodies of his family.

Imam Musa bin Ja'far who died in 799 AD (183 AH) was buried in this cemetery. Hewas known as Al-Kadhim, which means the person whom can control and

suppress his anger. Afterwards, his grandson, Imam Mohammad Al-Jawad whodied in 834 AD (219 AH) was buried there. The two are descendants of theProphet Mohammad (pbuh).

Kadhimain Shrine was constructed on the site of the shrines of the two Imams in1515 AD. It is a world famous shrine and one of the most important mosques inthe Islamic world, with a huge gilded dome on a circular drum, four minaretsrising above its courtyard all coated with gold, Kufic inscriptions, canopiedbalconies, glinting mirror mosaics, lustrously glazed tiles, and floors of marble.

Entering Kadhimain Shrine, one is overwhelmed by a feeling of majesty andamazement, as soon as he/she sees the galleries and cloisters. These galleries aredecorated by ceramic tiles with their geometric engravings and Qur'anic verses.


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Plan and Isometric

reconstruction
http://www.islamic-architecture.info/WA-IQ/31.jpg


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The Mosque of the Caliph al Moutawakkel ala Llah is considered as theoutstanding monument of the city of Samarra, and it still occupies the majorposition as far as splendour, architectural exactitude, and beauty are concerned,among all ancient mosques in the Islamic world, as it remained intact despite thehuman and natural destructions throughout the centuries.


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The al-Askari Mosque, also known as the

Golden Mosque, serves as a mausoleumto 10th and 11th Imams, Imam Ali al-Naqi and Imam Hasan al-Askari. Thegolden dome on one shrine waspresented by Nasr al-Din Shah andcompleted under Muzaffar al-Din Shah in

the year 1905 A.D. Beneath the goldendome are four graves, those of Imam Alial-Naqi (10th Imam) and his son, ImamHasan al-Askari (11th Imam). The othertwo are of Hakimah Khatoon, the sisterof Imam Ali al-Naqi who has related at

length the circumstances of the birth ofImam al-Mahdi and the fourth grave is ofNargis Khatoon, the mother of Imam al-Mahdi, peace be upon him.


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The Fortress of Al-Ukhaidir orAbbasid palace of Ukhaider islocated roughly 50 km south ofKarbala, Iraq. It is a large,rectangular fortress erected in775 AD with a unique defensivestyle. Constructed by theAbbasid caliph's As-Saffah'snephew Isa ibn Musa, Ukhaidirrepresents architecturalinnovation in the structures of

its courtyards, residences andmosque. Excavations at Ukhaidirwere conducted in the late 19thcentury by Gertrude Bell.Ukhaider was an important stopon regional trade routes, similarto Atshan and Mujdah. Thecomplex comprises a primaryhall, a big Iwan, a reception halland servants quarters. Thefortress exemplifies Abbasid

architecture in Iraq bydemonstrating the "despotic andthe pleasure-loving character ofthe dynasty" in its grand sizebut cramped living quarters.


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The Ishtar Gate, one of theeight gates of the inner city ofBabylon, was built during thereign of Nebuchadnezzar II(604- 562 BC). Only thefoundations of the gate werefound, going down some 45

feet, with molded, unglazedfigures. The gateway has beenreconstructed in the PergamonMuseum, Berlin, from theglazed bricks found, so itsoriginal height is different insize. Reconstructed height is

47 feet.


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Photo of the remains from the 1930s of theexcavation site in Babylon, and reconstruction in Iraq.


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Nebuchadnezzar II (was kingof the Neo-BabylonianEmpire, who reigned c. 605BC 562 BC.

According to the Bible, heconquered Judah and

Jerusalem, and sent the Jews

into exile. He is credited withthe construction of theHanging Gardens of Babylonand also known for thedestruction of the FirstTemple. He is featured in theBook of Daniel and is also

mentioned in several otherbooks of the Bible.


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The arched iwan hall,open on the facadeside, was about 37meters high 26 metersacross and 50 meterslong, the largest vault

ever constructed at thetime. The arches of thevault were constructed,in fact, over emptyspace without the use oftemporary woodencenteringa techniquenot uncommon inMesopotamia, butamazing on such a scale


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Radwaniyah Palace (also known as Al RadwaniyahPresidential Complex) is a palace in Baghdad, Iraq, whichfunctioned as a presidential resort for the late Iraqidictator Saddam Hussein until it was taken over by UScoalition forces during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Inside itwas decorated with Italian marble, luxury furniture and

monuments dedicated to Saddam. Located in westernBaghdad, Radwaniyah Palace was the main presidential sitefor Saddam and was a typical Presidential site. It isbordered on the north by Qasr Tall Mihl and Al Urdun(Jordan) Street; on the south by sparse, outlyingneighborhoods; on the east by suburbs Al 'Amiriyah andHayy al-Furat; and on the west by Baghdad InternationalAirport. High walls surround the former resort;watchtowers contribute to more readily maintainingsurveillance and security for the site.


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Umayyad Mosque: The

first ever in the city, builtin 640 AD by Utba binFarqad Al-Salami after heconquered Mosul in thereign of Caliph Umar ibn

Al-Khattab. The only original part still

extant is the remarkablyelaborate brickwork 52mhigh minaret that leans

like the Tower of Pisa,called Al-Hadba (TheHumped).


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The minaret of the Mosul mosque


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iraq architecture

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