Architectural and Urban Forms of the Islamic World

This sourcebook is a companion to a series of lectures prepared by Centre for the Study of Architecture and Cultural Heritage of India, Arabia and the Maghreb (ArCHIAM), on behalf of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme. This series of lectures aims to present a comparative picture of urban and architectural forms across the vast geographical region commonly referred to as the Islamic World. Examples from both the so-called 'high’ and ‘peripheral’ Islamic traditions are presented in the lectures, aiming at providing a thorough understanding of both the distinctiveness and diversity of outlying cultures and their established architectural practices. Alongside examples drawn from the great centres of Islamic culture, such as Aleppo, Cairo, Delhi, Herat and Isfahan, various sites from Oman in the Arabian Peninsula are presented here to highlight the richness of Islamic architecture and urbanism.