The Muqarnas: a Key Component of Islamic Architecture
Overview
The muqarnas, a Muslim variety of stalactite vault, is a primary characteristic of Islamic architecture. Developed during the mid-tenth century in both northeastern Iran and central North Africa, two ends of the sprawling expanse that constituted the Dar al-Islam, the muqarnas, with its honeycomb texture, became a common feature in palaces and temples. Indeed, it became a prominent feature in nearly all Islamic structures from the eleventh century on, persisting as a key element of the Islamic architectural vernacular until modern times.
The muqarnas is a form that embodies the ideals of Islamic civilization: its physical form, characterized by fluidity and replication, is based as much on Islamic theological principles as it is on the more mundane principles of structural engineering.
Background
There are four main attributes of the muqarnas that distinguish its appearance. First, it is three-dimensional, thereby providing volume in built structures. Second, the degree of this volume is variable. As a result, this variability allowed architects to implement the muqarnas as a purely architectonic intended to provide support to a structure, or as an ornamental device. As a third characteristic, the muqarnas knows no logical or mathematical boundaries.
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