Islamic architecture: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos

Abu Darweesh Mosque

Badshahi Mosque

The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque) with its distinctive ensemble of six minarets, Istanbul.

Jerusalem: Dome of the Rock

Great Mosque of Damascus: courtyard

Djenné, Mali: mosque

Two large eyvans with pointed arches and intricate tilework at the Imam Mosque in Isfahan, Iran, with a blue-tiled dome and minarets rising above the main entrance.

Mosque in Kashgar, Xinjiang, China, with a large dome and four tall minarets decorated with colorful green, blue, and yellow tiles.

The Prophet's Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia, with its green dome and tall minarets illuminated at dusk as people walk across the expansive marble courtyard.

Samarkand, Uzbekistan: Shirdar madrasah

See All Images →

Topics

8 Masterpieces of Islamic Architecture mosque Türbe külliye eyvān jawab qasaba Turkish Baroque muqarnas muṣallā Western architecture Latin American architecture Japanese architecture Chinese architecture Egyptian art and architecture African architecture Korean architecture Classical architecture Southeast Asian architecture Mesoamerican architecture

Hagia Sophia. Istanbul, Turkey. Constantinople. Church of the Holy Wisdom. Church of the Divine Wisdom. Mosque.

Architecture: The Built World