ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE

Ar.Asha Sreenivas.
SCMS School of Architecture
 Indo-Islamic architecture encompasses a wide range of styles from various backgrounds that helped
shape the architecture of the Indian subcontinent from the advent of Islam in the Indian subcontinent around
the 7th century.
It has left influences on modern Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi architecture.

Both secular and religious buildings are influenced by Indo-Islamic architecture which
exhibit Indian, Islamic, Persian, Central Asian, Arabic and Ottoman Turkish influences, many of which
themselves were influenced by Indian architecture through the spread of Indian culture before the advent of
Islam

India produced more notable buildings than all the other countries that came under the influence of Islam. Because of two factor .1.relatively later development of the
style. 2. remarkable genius of the indigenous craftsman. Most of the Islamic buildings are made of dressed stones, while in other countries it was made by brick, plaster
and rubble.
Islamic Architecture
a) Religious – Mosque and tombs
b) Secular – Buildings for public and civic
purpose , Houses, Pavilions, Town-gates,
wells, Gardens etc.
MOSQUE
-The place of Prostration.
Design derived from humble dwelling of the founder at medina in Arabia.
Basically an open courtyard surrounded by a pillared veranda.
Parts of Mosque
• Rectangular open space – Sahn
• Four sides being enclosed by pillared cloisters – Liwans
• Fountain or tank in the center
• To meet the demand for some focal point-west side(in india) of the courtyard were
expanded and elaborated into a pillared hall or sanctuary with a wall at back contain a
recess or alcove called a Mihrab indicating qibla or the direction of prayer.
• Right side of Mihrab – Mimbar or pulpit
• A portion of sanctuary is screened into compartment for women.
• Elevated platform from which the muezzin summons the faithful to prayer. Usually takes
the form of a high tower or Minaret

• In every large city there is one mosque known as Jamma Masjid (collecting mosque)
where faithful assemble for Friday ( Jum’ah) prayer
TOMB
Introduced into the country an entirely new kind of structure.(only the pyramids of pharaohs
and few other funerary monument have excelled in size and architectural splendour than
Islamic tombs of India).
In course of time, tomb-building especially in northern India introduced itself into the
landscape, much of the finest indo-Islamic architecture.

Parts of Tomb
• Tomb chamber- in the center cenotaph or Zarih. Whole structure being roofed by a
dome.
• In the ground underneath – resembling crypt –Mortuary chamber –Maqbarah or
Takhana with grave or Qabr.
• Western wall with Mihrab. larger mausoleums contains a mosque as a separate building.
• Whole being combined within an enclosure.-Rauza (got name from the Garden in prophets
tomb ar-rauza)
• Occassionaly important tombs are called -Dargahs
Architecture thus produced may resolved into Three main division
1. Delhi or Imperial
2. Provincial
3. Mughal

ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE UNDER IMPERIAL STYLE (1191-1557 AD)

• Architecture evolved under these dynasties was associated mainly with their rule at Delhi-capital city-
center of imperial power
• Maintained for a period of over three and a half centuries beginning in the last years of 12th cyn.
 Slave (1191-1246),
 Khalji (1290-1320),
 Tughlaq (1320-1413),
 Sayyid (1414-1444) and
 Lodi (1451-1557).
The first Islamic sultanate structures were built of disparate dismantled pieces of Hindu
temples, after which came an era of carefully planned structures and precincts, later assimilating and
incorporating Hindu elements and workmanship.
STORY OF ISLAMIC
ARCHITECTURE IN INDIA
• Story of Islamic architecture opens in the same region of Indus valley civilization
• In the beginning of 7th cyn A.D Qasim,young piracy of Arab fleet captured some hindu
cities of the sind.
• However his audacious spirit was restrained by the advice of moderation sent by the
governer of baghbad
• Earlier footprints of islam in the sind valley have been obliterated either through natural
calamities or by subsequent looting of ghaznavids and ghorids.

Earliest Mosque in India (Bhambore) –remains of a mosque built during A.D 727
• Paved courtyard- 23m x 18m
• Outer dimension -39m x 37m
• Cloisters on three sides with two rows
of pillars
• West side – 3 rows with 33 pillars
• May destroyed in natural calamity-
earthquake of AD 893
• Multiple invansions of the turks and Afghans
• Ghor Succeeded the Ghazhavids continued to lured by the riches of india
• Mohammed Ghori -Defeated prithviraj Chauhan.Rajput ruler of Ajmer
and Delhi in the battlefield of Tarrain
• Slave dynasty started in india
SLAVE DYNASTY
 SLAVE DYNASTY - 1191-1246
First Muslim dynasty to rule India.
• Muhammad Ghori
• Qutub-ud-din Aibak descended the throne.
The first ruler of the slave dynasty was Qutub-ud-din Aibak who ruled from 1206 to 1210. He established his
capital at two places, first at Lahore and then shifted it to Delhi. It was during his reign that the construction of the
famous Qutub Minar started. He was succeeded by his son Aram Shah but due to his incompetence, he was
defeated in just one year by Iltumish.
Iltumish - 1211 to 1236.
Under his strong governance, the slave dynasty was able to find a strong footing and establish itself as an
important kingdom. It was during his reign that the construction of Qutub Minar got completed. After ruling
successfully for a period of 25 years, he died, but nominated his daughter Raziya Sultan as the heir to the throne.
She was an able ruler, but since she was a woman, she faced stern opposition from nobles who got her
murdered.
Ghiyasuddin Balban
The last effective emperor of the slave dynasty was Ghiyasuddin Balban. He ruled from 1266 to 1286. During his
reign, the administration was strengthened and he paid much attention to governance in his empire. The army
was trained effectively to use weapons and the production of arms and other war weaponry was at its peak. This
is what helped them fight against attacks by the Mongols. He died in 1286 and after him the slave dynasty
collapsed.
QUTUB- UD-DIN AND SLAVE DYNASTY

• Qutub-ud-din Aibak ,turkish slave of Mohammed Ghori was appointed as the

viceroy of all his conquered territories
• In rapid succession conquered- Ajmer,Gwalior,Delhi,Kanauj etc
• Soon declared himself independent of Ghorid supremacy
• Choose Qila Rai pithora built by Prithviraj Chauhan of delhi as his imperial
capital
• Quote-“He who holds delhi holds india”
• Delhi was ideal location for defending against foreign invansion and center of trade and
commerce.
• Quwwat-ul-Islam (Power of Islam) Mosque, was built by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak in AD 1195.
earliest extant mosque built by the Delhi Sultans.
• It is the

• Mosque within the fortified city of Qila Rai pithora

• 66m x 46m –outer dimension
• Built around a paved courtyard
• It consists of a rectangular courtyard enclosed by cloisters, erected with the carved columns and architectural
members of 27 Hindu and Jain temples which were demolished by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak as
recorded in his inscription on the main eastern entrance.
• Extra height was achieved by superimposing the column over the other
• Intelligent piece of architecture adorned with dome located over the corners of the courtyards and over the
entrance canopy
• Qutb- Minar in red and buff sandstone is the highest stone tower in India.
14.32 m at the base and about 2.75 m on the top with a
• It has a diameter of
height of 72.5 m.
• Qutbu'd-Din Aibak laid the foundation of Minar in AD 1199 for the use of the mu'azzin (crier)
to give calls for prayer and raised the first storey, to which were added three more storeys by
his successor and son-in-law, Shamsu'd-Din Iltutmish (AD 1211-36).
• Base – 47ft diameter
Top – 9ft
Central staircase – 360 steps
All the storeys are surrounded by a projected balcony encircling the minar and supported by
stalactite pendentive stone brackets, which are decorated with honey-comb design, more
conspicuously in the first storey.
• Iltutmish constructed the tomb for his son Nasir-ud-
din Mohammed - the so-called SULTAN GHARI or
'Sultan of the Cave'.
• This is probably due to the subterranean tomb chamber.
• The octagonal platform above was probably intended to
support a pillared pavilion, the whole of which has
disappeared or was never built.
• For the first time in India a strange and novel way of
laying the dead to eternal rest - burying them with a
tomb as a monumental cenotaph.
• The crypt or the tomb is implanted in a Ghari (cave),
approached by winding steep stairs made of stone, and
supported by pillars and flooring.
• The cave is covered by an
unusual octagonal roof slab.
• The exterior of the tomb structure built in Delhi
sandstone with marble adornment exhibits a walled
area with bastions (towers) on corners, which impart it
the look of a fortress in aesthetic Persian and Oriental
architecture.
• The other tombs inside the Ghari have not been identified
• This platform was surrounded
by a square masonry arcade on
a high plinth, and according to
Percy Brown, it has "such a grim
and martial appearance that one of
its more remote purposes may have
been to serve as some kind of
advanced outwork to the main
fortress of the capital"

Colonnade inside Sultan Ghari

 TOMB OF ILTUTMISH
• North-west of the enlarged mosque at the Qutb, built a little before A.D. 1235.
• A square 42 feet in side and with a height of almost 30 feet, its plain and unadorned exteriors
• its interior - the whole of which is covered from top to bottom on all four sides by rich carvings almost
rivaling Hindu temple sculpture on the sandstone-clad walls.
• The cenotaph and the three arches of the Mihrab towards the west(marking the direction of Mecca) are
both in marble, again a garland of inscriptions from the Quran.
the first attempt in
• Architecturally speaking, Iltutmish's tomb is interesting as it reveals quite clearly
India to solve the 'dome on a square' problem - a 'squinch' was employed - a half-arch/dome
spanning across the corners of the square base and making the square an octagon.
• This can be repeated to transform the octagon into a sixteen-sided figure on which the base of the dome
may rest. That the dome, if ever fully built, subsequently collapsed was a testimony to the fact that the it
was imperfectly constructed - however an important start had been made and future attempts in this
direction were to grow ever more confident.
First time the indian builders attempt
to make a structural language of
islamic building.. A methode of installing
a dome that is essentially circular in plan
over a cubic component.

Geometrical solution lay in increasing the

four side of the square to eight of an
octagon and progressively to sixteen and
thirty two sided polygons gradually
approximating the infinite sides of a circle
TOMB OF BALBAN, MEHROULI
• Ghiyas ud din Balban‟s Tomb (12th Century)
at Mehrauli has great architectural
importance since it is the first true arch ever
built in India.
• Balban was the third sultanate ruler of importance.
He was a brilliant administrator and is known in
history as a dynamic ruler who consolidated
territories.
• Balban’s tomb has a multi-chambered tomb
and key stone was used for the construction
of the arches, making it very unique.
• To the evolution of Islamic architecture in india it
is a building of greater significance than
even the Qutb. For the unobtrusive true arches
built with radiating voussoirs symbolize the
confidence with which subsequent islamic
dynasties were to continue to embellish the
subcontinent with an architecture that was
essentially indian.
KHALJI DYNASTY
 KHALJI DYNASTY 1290 - 1320
• Firoz Jallal –ud – din Khalji (1290) – ascended the throne of Delhi at the age of 70
• Ala-ud-din Khalji – murdered Jallal-ud-din – crowned himself the King
• He stamped out the last embers of Hindu rule (by annexing Gujarat, Ranthambor and Chittoor
Architectural projects – marks the evolution of another innovative feature in the Indo-Islamic architecture.
• Alai Darwaza at Qutb complex (Darwaza near the Qutub Minar which served as an entrance gateway to
the mosque at the Qutub complex )
• Alai Hauz at Hauz Khas (reservoir at Hauz Khas around 1311AD)
• New city of Siri fort (second city of Delhi )
• Alai minar
• Jamat Khana Masjid near Nizamuddin in Delhi
• Ukha Masjid in Bharatpur in Rajasthan were also built during this period.
ALAI DARWAZA
• Blend of red sandstone and white marble as facing
materials
• 56 ft (17m) square base
• Dome – 34ft (10.3m)
• Squinches constructed of true arches
• Indian carver effortlessly carved Quranic inscriptional
bands
• Horse shoe shaped arch
• Slender pilaster works
• Intrados of the arch – spear head fringe (garland of buds)
• treatment of outer façade as two storeyed building with
blind windows in its non existent upper storey – enticing
technique
• Star and hexagon jaalis – create intricate and complex
pattern – forerunner to what mughals later elevated to great
works of art
• Jaali – sensible architectural device (illumination and
ventilation) – contrast to dark interiors of hindu temples
• Quwat-ul-isam mosque – Iltumish enlarged the size by
three times- while Ala-ud-din by six times by adding
another cloister around the existing one
• Northern side - added Alai Minar – 21.3 m high rubble
stump exists today – he envisaged the minar to be higher
than qutb minar.
 8 CITIES OF DELHI
7
1. Lalkot
2. Siri
5 3. Tughlakabad
4. Jahanpanah
8 5. Firozabad
6
6. Purana Quila
7. Shahjahanabad
8. New Delhi

2
4
1
3
TUGHLAQ DYNASTY
 TUGHLAQ DYNASTY(1320-1413)
• The rulers of the Tughlaq Dynasty also undertook
considerable construction activities, including
building three of the seven ancient
cities of Delhi.
• Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq (1320-1325 AD) built
Tughlaqabad, the third city of Delhi, in 1321-
23 AD.
• The Tomb of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, built of red
sandstone, is an irregular pentagon in its
exterior plan and its design is of the pointed
or "Tartar" shape and is crowned by a finial
resembling the kalasa and amlaka of a Hindu
temple.
• Tughlaqabad
• Tomb of Giyas-ud-din Tughlaq
• Feroz Shah Kotla
• Khirki Masjid
• Hauz Khas
• Tomb of Telangani
• Tughlaqabad Fort is a
ruined fort in Delhi, stretching across
6.5 km, built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq,
the founder of Tughlaq dynasty, of the Delhi
Sultanate of India in 1321.
• Its a massive structure that lies along the
Mehrauli-Badarpur road.
• The pentagon shaped like plan is
guarded with parapet walls that support
massive cone-shaped bastions at every
intersection.
• The borderline walls are inclined inward
and stand tall at a height of 11.75 meters
seen with continuous battlements furnish
with crenels.
• The arch shaped corridors and concave
chambers stretch along the interiors of the
courts borderline wall.
 to build a capital that was strong enough to
• One of the primary concerns of Ghiyas-ud-din was
repulse Mongol attacks and provide security to its citizens. Hence, in a short period of four years,
the massive Tughlaqabad Fort was constructed.

• The crumbling ruins of the Tughlaqabad Fort convey a sense of lost grandeur. The massive ramparts,
battlements, and the mammoth stonework of this fort speak highly of the engineering skills of the
workers who constructed it. The fort served the dual purpose of a defensive structure as well as
the imperial capital of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty. There are a
number of monuments within the precincts of this massive fort.

Rampart Leading to the Fort Entrance Pointy Barbicans Surround Circular Bastion with Defensive
the Tomb Complex Barbican-like Parapet
 PARTS
• Tughlaqabad is divided into three parts :
1. A Palace section
2. A Citadel and
3. A Residential city.
 TOMB OF GIYASUDIN TUGHAQ

south of the fortress of Tughlaqabad

• is situated in the
• built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq in AD 1325 within an unusual
irregular pentagonal fortified enclosure
• The structure of this simple but elegant building
• Walls made an angle of 75degree with ground (multan influence)
• Plan based on the contours of the site
• Tomb is connected to the fortress by a 250 yards (228.6m)
causeway, built over what at one time would have been a sheet of
water, today dry land
• Square tomb – 61 ft side
• Height – 80 ft
• Arch and lintel construction – mixed attitude of the hindu
builders to arched and lintel and beam method
• True arch + redundant stone lintel installed just below the Tomb of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq
springing of the arch (foreground) and Zafar Khan (small
dome in background)
• The most characteristic of these is the mixed attitude of the Hindu
builder to the arched form of construction and the lintel and beam
method.
• In spite of using true arch to span the openings, a redundant stone
lintel was installed just below the springing of the arch.

• The Dome is crowned with the KALASA pinnacle and hence

depicts Hindu architectural influences as seen in Hindu Temples
across Delhi.

Here lie the remains of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, his wife , Begam

Makhdima Jehan, and his son and later Sultan, Muhammad bin
Tughlaq.
FIROZ SHAH KOTLA
• Built by the famous ruler, Sultan Firoz Shah
Tughluq in the year 1354, it is a typical structure of
that era.
• Sultan Feroz Shah Tughlaq established Ferozabad
and Feroz Shah kotla.
• Feroz Shah Kotla was the grand and opulent royal
citadel of the city.
• The walls of the citadel are as high as 15 metres high and have a slight slope on the outside. The top
parapets or merlons have now disappeared but the arrow slits can still be seen.
• The entrance has a huge iron gate
with a board that bears the name of Feroz
Shah Kotla.
• The boundary walls of the fort, built as a
stone masonary, are as high as 15
metres.
• Inside the fort there are a number of ruined
structures, of which the Mosque and
the Baoli (step well) are still recognizable.
• The Ashoka Pillar which stands tall on the
top of a pyramidal three-tiered structure.
The 13 metres high pillar, which was
brought by Feroz Shah Tughlaq from
Ambala to Delhi, bears the edicts of
Ashoka’s principles.
 PYRAMIDAL STRUCTURE
• It is a three-storey building which was specially commissioned by Feroz Shah to support the
Ashoka pillar.
• The pillar had several edicts regarding Ashoka's principles of government inscribed on it.
• This monolith pillar is 13 metres high, with a diameter of 65 centmetres at the top and 97 centimetres at the
bottom.
• It was crowned by a capital of coloured stones and a golden globe with a crescent on top.
 JAMI MASJID
• Built inside Feroz Shah’s Kotla, Jami Masjid
used to be one of
the largest mosques of the Tughlaq period. However, most
of the structures such as the prayer hall and walkways have
vanished.
• It was built on a series of underground cells and made of
quartzite stone covered with lime plaster and surrounded by a
huge courtyard with cloisters and a Prayer Hall.
• The entrance of Jama Masjid lies on the northern side and was
connected by a causeway to the pyramidal structure of the
Ashokan Pillar.
 BAOLI
'step well', lies towards
• The circular Baoli, which means
the north western side of the Ashokan Pillar and in the
heart of a large garden constructed in the form of
subterranean apartments and a large underground canal built
on its eastern side through which the water runs into the well.
Baoli served as a summer retreat for the
• This
Royalties where they spent time cooling off and bathing in
the water of this well.
 KHIRKI MASJID
.
• The word 'Khirki' prefixed to masjid is an Urdu word that
means "window" and hence is also called "The
Masjid of Windows"
• The Masjid, which is in a quadrangular shape, was built
as a fortress with an unusual fusion of Islamic and
traditional Hindu architecture.
• Entrance of khirki masjid in south
• Instead of a one big open courtyard, the mosque has four
smaller square courtyards measuring 30 Ft x 30 Ft.
Due to the modern day construction found all around, little
sunlight filters in through the lattices on the upper floors.
• Another interesting aspect of this mosque is its design of
the terrace.
• ( Partitioned into 25 squares of equal size, each square
has 9 domes on each side, measuring 81In all & these
square blocks are alternated by 12 flat roofs, giving a very
distinct shadow upon the interiors. One can take the
eastern flank stairs to reach the roof & a visit is imperative
to comprehend the mathematical beauty of its design.)
• It is a small quadrangle-shaped mosque, and the only one
of its kind-a mosque, which is closed on top!
• Mosques usually have an open courtyard where the faithfuls
offer their prayers to God.
• Khirki Masjid has elaborate latticework on its windows
(carved stone screens), but compared to the intricate
patterns of the later-day Mughal buildings, it is simple.
• The pillars and brackets in the mosque show a high
degree of indigenous influence.
• The roof of the Khirki Masjid is divided into squares through
which sunlight streams in. Most of the squares, however,
sport groups of domes on them.
• The mosque, which is built with rubble masonry covered
externally with plaster, has majestic steps leading up to it.
 HAUZ KHAS
• The name Hauz Khas in Urdu language is derived from
the words -
• „Hauz‟: “water tank” (or lake) and
„Khas‟:“royal”- the “Royal tank”
• The notable structures built by Firuz Shah
on the eastern and northern side of the reservoir
consisted of the Madrasa (Islamic School of Learning
– a theological college), the small Mosque, the Main
tomb for himself and six domed pavilions in its
precincts, which were all built between 1352 and 1354
A.D.
• The madrasa complex measures 76 metres N-S by 138
metres along the E-W.The six individual domed
pavilionsare all scattered in the gardens of the eastern
part of the complex.
• The passage wall is raised on a plinth which depicts the
shape of a fourteen phased polyhedron built in stones.
• Three horizontal units laid over eight vertical posts that
are chamfered constitute the plinth.
The large water tank or reservoir was first built by Khalji [the plaque displayed (pictured in the
gallery) at the site records this fact ] to supply water to the inhabitants of Siri.
It was part of Siri, the second medieval city of India of the Delhi Sultanate of Allauddin
 FIROZ SHAH‟S TOMB
• Entry to the tomb is through a passage in the south leading to the doorway.
• The passage wall is raised on a plinth which depicts the shape of a fourteen-
faced polyhedron built in stones.
• Three horizontal units laid over eight vertical posts that are chamfered constitute
the plinth.
• Squinches and muqarnas are seen in the solid interior walls of the tomb and these
provide the basic support to the octagonal spherical dome of the tomb.
• The dome with a square plan – 14.8 m (48.6 ft) in length and height – has a
diameter of 8.8 m (28.9 ft).
• The tomb, a square chamber, is made of local quartzite rubble with a
surface plaster finish that sparkled in white colour when completed. The door,
pillars and lintels were made of grey quartzites while red sandstone was used
for carvings of the battlements. The door way depicts a blend
of Indian and Islamic architecture.
• Another new feature not seen at any other monument in Delhi, built at the entrance
to the tomb from the south, is the stone railings.
• There are four graves inside the tomb, one is of Feruz Shah and two others are of
his son and grand son.
• The maximum height of the tomb is on its face overlooking the reservoir.
• The domed gateway on the north has an opening which has height equal to two–thirds the height of the tomb.
• The width of the gate is equal to one-third of tombs' width.
• The entrance hall has fifteen bays and terminates in another doorway which is identical to the gateway at the
entrance.
• This second doorway leads to the tomb chamber and cenotaph, which are accessed from the gateway through
the L–shaped corridor. Similar arrangement is replicated on the western doorway of the tomb leading to the open
pavilion on the west.
• The ceiling in the dome depicts a circular gold medallion with Quranic inscriptions in Naksh characters.
• Foliated crenellations are seen on the outer faces of the base of the tomb. Interesting features seen on the
northern and southern sides of the tomb, considered typical of the Tuglaq period layout, are the ceremonial steps
provided at the ground level that connect to the larger steps leading into the reservoir.
• The tomb, a square chamber, is made of local quartzite rubble with a surface plaster finish that sparkled in white
colour when completed. The door, pillars and lintels were made of grey quartzites while red sandstone was used
for carvings of the battlements. The door way depicts a blend of Indian and Islamic architecture. Another new
feature not seen at any other monument in Delhi, built at the entrance to the tomb from the south, is the
stone railings.
• There are four graves inside the tomb, one is of Feruz Shah and two others are of his son and grand son.
• The main impression is one of solidity and lack of decoration(typical of Tuglaq style).
TOMB OF TELENGANI
• Firoz shah‟s prime minister Khan-e-jahan Telengani built in
Nizamudin auliya area
• Octagonal plan
• Over this circular dome was installed – leaving aside the
cumbersome process of arching across the right angular
corners
• Builders were inspired by the similar octagonal plan of the
sacred Mosque of Oman in Jerusalem
• Crypt with verandah on all its eight sides
• Huge dome and side smaller domes
• Triple arched facades
• Typical Hindu chajjas to provide for sun breakers – light and
shade in the interiors
KALAN MASJID

• Built over a platform or basement often raised more than

12ft (3.6m) above ground level
• Imposing flights of steps leading from ground level upto
the entrance gateway
• Dominating gateway
• Central courtyard

• Lower periphery of the erected basement became deep

arched niches, big enough in size to use either as living
rooms or the attendant priests, or hops or even dormitories
for pilgrims on festive occasions
SAYYID DYNASTY
 SAYYID DYNASTY (1414-1444)
• In the 14th century under the Timurid rulers, Islamic architecture underwent a change.
• The narrow horseshoe arch was replaced by the true arch, an idea imported directly from Persia. However, Indian
masons weren’t completely convinced of its holding power.
• They began using wooden beams as supports, and eventually the four-centred arch minus the beam support
came into vogue.
• Duringthe Sayyid and the Lodi Dynasties, more than fifty tombs of different sizes were
constructed.
• The Tombs of Mubarak Sayyid (d. 1434 AD), Muhammad Sayyid (d.1444 AD) are of the octagonal type.
TOMB OF MUBARAK SAYYID

• The Mubarak Sayyid Tomb is octagonal in

plan with a massive dome and eight
octagonal roof kiosks (chhatri) on each
side.
• The roof kiosks occupy the middle of the
sides and stone buttresses are set at the
vacant corners of the structure.
• This design gives the tomb a pyramidal
effect as a whole.

• The funerary mosque stands near the

tomb, and it is assumed that the tomb and
mosque once stood within precinct walls.
• This is the only mosque built by the
Sayyids.
TOMB OF MUBARAK SAYYID (1434 AD)
• Enlargement and refinement of the proportions of Tughlaq
prototype
• 9 m long side of octagon with arched colonnade
• The merlons on the parapet and kiosks above the verandahs
• 15 m high dome squatly placed over 21 m wide octagonal base
– improved in tomb of Muhammed Sayyid a decade later
• This beautiful octagonal maqbara (tomb) of
Muhammad Shah Sayyid is located near the south- TOMB OF MUHAMMAD SHAH SAYYID
west corner of the Lodi Garden.
• The tomb was built in 1444 for the third Sayyid sultan
Muhammad Shah.
• The architecture follows the style of the Khan-i-Jahan
Telangani maqbara and the Mubarak Shah Sayyid
maqbara with some modifications.
• It has a fuller dome on a raised seat surrounded by
chhatris.
• Each of the octagonal side has a three-arch
opening, bordered by inclined columns at each
corner. This is arguably the best example of Sayyid
monuments.
• The tomb is beautifully ornamented and some of the
orginal coloured plaster-work is still visible.
LODI DYNASTY
 LODI DYNASTY (1451-1557)
• The Lodis introduced the concept of double domes built one upon the other,
leaving some space in between.
• Two different types of tombs with octagonal and square plans respectively began
to be constructed.
• The Tombs of Sikander Lodi (d.1517 AD) is of the octagonal type.
• The square tombs are represented by such monuments as the Bara Khan Ka
Gumbad, Chota Khan Ka Gumbad, Bara Gumbad (1494 AD), Shish Gumbad, Dadi Ka
Gumbad and the Poli ka Gumbad.
• The Tomb of Isa Khan (1547 AD), the Tomb of Adham Khan (1561 AD), Moth ki Masjid
(c.1505 AD), Jamala Masjid (1536 AD) and the Qila-i-Kuhna Masjid (c.1550 AD)
belong to the final phase of the Delhi style of architecture.
 GUMBADS OF THE LODIS
• Gumbads – Domes
• These are tomb structures
• Large and impressive boat keel profiled domes crowning the tombs – outstanding architectural
features

GARDEN TOMBS OF LODI

• Double Dome – outer dome to splendid heights, without allowing the inner chamber to appear un
proportionately tall.
• Inner and outer dome with void inside – perfect proportion in interior as well as exterior
• Ornamental garden – tombs in gardens, formal and elaborate arrangement.
 TOMB OF SIKANDER LODI (1518 AD)
• A copy of tomb of Mubarak Sayyid, the kiosks being removed and replaced by semi – minarets
called Gulsastas attached the base
• Placement of tomb within a garden, Lodi Gardens in New Delhi – a formal and elaborate arrangement
along with impressive gateways – clue for the development of “Garden and tomb” of the Mughals
 GARDEN TOMB OF SIKANDER LODI
• Sikandar Lodi was the second of the Lodi sultans, who had built
his capital in Sikandarabad near Agra. His maqbara (tomb)
was built in 1517-18 in the Sayyid-Lodi style of octagonal tombs.

This maqbara is similar in design to the Muhammad Shah Sayyid

maqbara in the South-West corner of the Lodi Garden,
• except that:
a) A large wall enclosure surrounds the tomb, of which the western
wall serves the purpose of a mosque
b) There are no chhatris around the dome
c) The dome is a double-dome
d) At the top of the dome, there is a lotus in stead of a small chhatri

• Further into the gardens, are remains of a watercourse connected to the Yamuna River to Sikander Lodi's
tomb.
• The tomb of Mohammed Shah, the last of the Sayyid dynasty rulers, the earliest of the tombs in the garden, was
built in 1444 by Ala-ud-din Alam Shah as a tribute to Mohammed Shah.
 BARA GUMBAD
• Bara Gumbad, or Big Dome, consist of a square tomb with a predominant white dome, built during
the Lodi period (1451-1526).
• it consists of a large rubble-construct dome, it is not a tomb but a gateway to an attached a three
domed masjid (mosque), both built in 1494 during the reign of Sikander Lodi, there is also a
residence surrounding a central courtyard, where the remains of a water tank can be seen.
BARA GUMBAD MOSQUE

• There is also Bara Gumbad Mosque, with three

domes and five arched openings.
• The interior of the mosque is heavily decorated with
florals, geometric designs and holy inscriptions.
• The hall in front of the mosque served as a guest
house.
• There are remains of a water tank in the courtyard.
BARA KHAN KA GUMBAD
 SHEESH GUMBAD

• Opposite the Bara

Gumbad is the Sheesh
Gumbad ("Glass dome")
for the glazed tiles used in
its construction, which
contains the remains of an
unknown family, this was
also built during the reign of
Sikander Lodi.
CHOTA KHAN KA GUMBAD
• Sited next to the larger Bara Khan Tomb, this
square-plan tomb has a double-storey division
on the exterior, with a central liwan projecting out
on each façade.
• The spandrels of the portal arch are decorated with
carved stucco.
• Its high dome is flanked by four hexagonal roof
kiosks (chhatri) at the corners.
• The interior has a mihrab niche on the western
side, decorated with a lamp motif.
MOTH-KI- MASJID (1505 AD)
 PAVILION TOMBS
• "Pavilion" tombs are open tombs also known
as chattris (literally "umbrellas") or twelve-pillared
tombs.

• They were present in Tughlaq architecture, such as in

Shah Alam's tomb enclosure and the Hauz Khas
madrasa and carried on into the Lodhi period.
•
Tughlaq-era pavilion tombs (second half of 14th c.)
at the Hauz Khas madrasa
THE SURIS (1540 – 1555 AD)
• An Afghan usurper, Sher Shah Sur seizes the throne of Delhi in 1540 AD for 15 years period –
results in Humayun’s exile to Persia
• Built Purana Qila or Old Fort (the sixth Delhi) – a walled enclosure of considerable size forming
citadel
• Inspired by Lodis – use of Lodi prototype
• The Old Fort is one of the most visited tourist places of THE HISTORY OF OLD FORT
Delhi. (PURANA QUILA)
• Purana Qila is a citadel which was partly raised by
Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri, who was temporarily
deposed Humayun.
• Sher Shah made a major contribution to public works,
built the Qila Kunha Mosque and the Sher Mandal
within the citadel in 1541 A.D.
• The purpose of the later is not quite clear though it is
thought that Humayun housed his library there.
• He fell on it's steep stairs while answering the call to
prayer, and died as a result three days later.
 SHER MANDAL
• Located at the highest point of the Old Fort in Delhi
known as Purana Qil'a, Sher Mandal may have been
built by Mughal emperor Humayun as an
astronomical library and pleasure tower during
his rule in Delhi between 1530 and 1556, which
was interrupted for fifteen years by the Afghan Suri
Dynasty.
• Some historians attribute it to Suri ruler Sher Shah
Sur (1540-1545) based on vague references to the
building in his biography Tarikh-i-Sher Shahi,
commissioned by Mughal emperor Akbar in 1579.
• There is no epigraphical evidence to support either
claim.
 SHER MANDAL
• In any case, Sher Mandal along with Qila-i-Kuhna Masjid,
is one of two surviving structures within the fort ramparts
from the mid sixteenth century.
• The building is a two story octagonal structure crowned
with a pillared and domed pavilion (chattri).
• Built entirely of local red sandstone, both stories are
punctuated with deeply recessed arched niches on
each side of the octagon.
• While the niches on the second story are connected to
form a verandah around a central chamber, those on the
lower story only allow for entry arches into the tower.
• The upper chamber is cruciform in plan and opens into
a verandah through four doors. Continuous eaves
(chajja) runs below the roof parapet.
 QUILA-I- KUNHA MASJID
• Inside the fort Qila Kuhna Masjid which is one of the
finest example of architectural style being used in those
days.
• The Masjid was built by Sher Shah in 1541 and it seems
that there was an attempt to build the whole structure
in Marble.
• But the scarcity of marble forced the use of Redsand
stone.
• This mixture was accidental forced or intended we do
not know, nevertheless the combination adds a different
look to the structure.
• The inner west wall of the Masjid has five arched
openings and which are richly ornamented in white
and black marbles.
 TOMB OF SHER SHAH SURI, SASARAM, BIHAR (CIR. 1540 AD)

• His tomb is an example of Indo-Islamic architecture, it was designed by the architect Aliwal Khan and
built between 1540 and 1545, this red sandstone mausoleum (122 ft high), which stands in the middle
of an artificial lake, which is nearly square.
• The tomb stands at the centre of the lake on a square stone plinth with domed
kiosks, chhatris at each of its corners, further there are stone banks and stepped moorings on
all sides of the plinth, which is connected to the mainland through a wide stone bridge.
• The main tomb is built on octagonal plan, topped by a dome, 22-metre in span and surrounded
ornamental domed kiosks which were once covered in coloured glazed tile work.
• The tomb was built during the reign of his son Islam Shah.
• An inscription dates its completion to August 16, 1545, three months after the death of Sher Shah.
TOMB OF SHER SHAH SURI, SASARAM, BIHAR (CIR. 1540 AD)
• Lodi prototype as base for design
• Octagonal in plan and raised to the height of 45.6 m up on the square base of 76 m side
• Huge pyramidal mass arranged in five distinct stages
• Pillared kiosks in each storey
• Located in the unique setting, as placed in the middle of 426.7 m sided artificially created water
body approached through a gateway along a causeway
• Advanced structure till date with great imaginative efforts
• The upper structure (tomb) being placed slightly off in diagonal way with the lower platform probably
due to the correction of error in the orientation of tomb
TOMB OF SHER SHAH SURI, SASARAM, BIHAR (CIR. 1540 AD)
REFERENCES
• Grover Satih, The Architecture of India (Islamic), Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.
• Indian Architecture-Islamic period – Percy Brown
• Nath, R. 1978. History of Sultanate Architecture. New Delhi: Abhinav Publications.
• Williams, John A. and Caroline. 1980. Architecture of Muslim India: The Sayyids and the Lodis 1414-
1526. Santa Barbara, California: Visual Education, Inc.
• Related sites.
• Slides- Dr.Binumol Tom.RIT kottayam.