Deck 7: Islamic Architecture

Question 1

Islamic armies pressing east into France from Spain in 732 were repulsed by:

A) Visigoth kings.
B) Charles Martel.
C) Charlemagne.
D) Ostrogoth kings.
E) All of the answers are correct.

Answer 1

Charles Martel.

Question 2

Islamic prayer is practiced at the level of the:

A) entire populace of a small city.
B) individual or small groups.
C) whole Muslim world.
D) neighborhood congregation.
E) All of the answers are correct.

Answer 2

All of the answers are correct.

Question 3

Islam prescribes that ornamentation be aniconic, meaning:

A) traceable in form to the dreams of Mohammed.
B) symbolic or suggestive rather than literally representational.
C) traceable to patterns established at the Dome of the Rock.
D) based on animal forms.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Answer 3

symbolic or suggestive rather than literally representational.

Question 4

The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem is:

A) circular.
B) square.
C) cross-shaped.
D) octagonal.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 5

A famous goal of Islamic pilgrimage is the:

A) house of Mohammed in Medina.
B) Ka'ba in Mecca.
C) Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
D) holy waters of the Bosporus in Constantinople.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 6

All of the following are part of a typical mosque plan EXCEPT the:

A) haram.
B) qibla.
C) mihrab.
D) minaret.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 7

Iwan mosques include a rectangular court:

A) flanked by large, often-vaulted spaces.
B) with multiple ablution pools.
C) with multiple prayer halls.
D) flanked by large towers covered with aniconic ornaments.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 8

The Great Mosque at Córdoba includes:

A) arches atop columns.
B) horseshoe-shaped arches.
C) polychrome arches.
D) stacked arches.
E) All of the answers are correct.

Question 9

The earliest Mosque about which there is reliable archaeological information is the:

A) Masjid-I-Shah in Isfahan.
B) Friday Mosque in Isfahan.
C) Bibi Khanym Mosque in Samarkand.
D) Great Mosque of al-Mutawakkil in Samarra.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 10

Which of the following is true about the Taj Mahal?

A) It was built with an emphasis on trigonal symmetry.
B) It is raised on a square platform, the corners of which are marked by minarets.
C) It is covered by a dome formed by boldly interlacing arches.
D) It has a single domed chamber supported by four squinch arches.
E) It has small domes composed of interlaced arches in the bays to either side.

Question 11

Koca Sinan designed all of the following EXCEPT the

A) Friday Mosque in Fatehpur Sikri.
B) Sehzade Mosque in Istanbul.
C) Mosque of Süleyman the Magnificent in Istanbul.
D) Selimiye Mosque in Edirne.
E) All of the answers are correct.

Question 12

In the context of Islamic architecture, a caravanserai refers to:

A) a hospice for the infirm.
B) a mosque for traveling merchants.
C) accommodation and markets for foreign merchants.
D) training and school for young children.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 13

In the context of Islamic architecture, a Külliye is a:

A) Muslim holy man.
B) type of tomb built for Turkish Pashas.
C) type of Muslim university.
D) vast complex with multiple functions adjacent to a mosque.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 14

In his design for the Sehzade Mosque, Koca Sinan placed the haram:

A) under a large dome.
B) in a large open court.
C) between multiple lobed arches.
D) inside a large rectangular court.
E) All of the answers are correct.

Question 15

The dome atop the Tomb of Ismail the Samanid in Bukhara sits on:

A) squinch arches.
B) pendentives.
C) multiple piers.
D) an arcade.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 16

The plan of Isfahan is unusual among the plans of other Islamic cities in having:

A) a long, straight grand avenue.
B) double curving main streets following two rivers.
C) an upper and lower city, each with a rigid grid plan.
D) the Taj Mahal at its center.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 17

All of the following are part of a tradition Islamic house design EXCEPT:

A) earth-sheltered rooms.
B) roof terraces for summer sleeping.
C) interior courtyards.
D) screens covering projecting windows that overlook the street.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 18

In many traditional settlements located from North Africa to the Middle East, a bazaar is a:

A) strange form of Islamic bathing facility.
B) street linking merchants' stalls and small shops.
C) type of Islamic merchant caravan.
D) section in an Islamic city devoted to cafes.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 19

The Nasrid Dynasty in Spain was dislodged by:

A) Charles Martel.
B) King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella.
C) the emperor Justinian at the head of Spanish armies.
D) Christopher Columbus before he made his famous voyage.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 20

Which of the following is true about the Alhambra in Granada?

A) The Alhambra's exterior walls are made of white marble.
B) The Alhambra's interiors are quite plain.
C) The Comares Tower is present in the center of the Alhambra.
D) The Patio of Myrtle Trees is present in the center of the Alhambra.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 21

In Arabia, North Africa, and Spain, the most popular mosque form is:

A) iwan.
B) columnar or hypostyle.
C) domed, centrally planned.
D) domed, linear.
E) All of the answers are correct.

Question 22

The Great Mosque of al-Mutawakkil in Samarra is notable for its:

A) spiral minaret.
B) minarets with tombs in their bases.
C) multiple octagonal minarets.
D) minarets made of stone imported from Africa.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 23

The Sehzade Mosque in Istanbul is modeled on:

A) Hagia Sophia.
B) the Dome of the Rock.
C) the Taj Mahal.
D) the Ka'ba.
E) None of the answers is correct.

Question 24

The wall-facing material at the Taj Mahal is:

A) sandstone.
B) stucco.
C) ceramic tile.
D) white marble.
E) stucco or white marble.

Question 25

Discuss the architectural components and spatial arrangements of a typical mosque.

Question 26

Discuss the differences between the architectural styles of iwan mosques and multi-domed mosques.

Question 27

Describe the influence of Islamic architecture on urban planning in Islamic societies.