Umayyad architecture

Umayyad architecture
Top: Dome of the Rock (688–692); Middle: Great Mosque of Damascus (705–715); Bottom: Qasr Al-Kharanah (7th-8th century)
Years active661–750 CE

Umayyad architecture developed in the Umayyad Caliphate between 661 and 750, primarily in its heartlands of Syria and Palestine. It drew extensively on the architecture of older Middle Eastern and Mediterranean civilizations including the Sassanian Empire and especially the Byzantine Empire, but introduced innovations in decoration and form.[1][2] Under Umayyad patronage, Islamic architecture began to mature and acquire traditions of its own, such as the introduction of mihrabs to mosques, a trend towards aniconism in decoration, and a greater sense of scale and monumentality compared to previous Islamic buildings.[1][3][4] The most important examples of Umayyad architecture are concentrated in the capital of Damascus and the Greater Syria region, including the Dome of the Rock, the Great Mosque of Damascus, and secular buildings such as the Mshatta Palace and Qusayr 'Amra.[1][2]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference :243 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0522 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Ettinghausen, Grabar & Jenkins-Madina 2001, p. 24.
  4. ^ Bloom, Jonathan M.; Blair, Sheila S., eds. (2009). "Mihrab". The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture. Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. p. 515. ISBN 9780195309911.