Medieval Architecture I

Mosque of Sultan Sulleyman - Constantinople (Instabul), Turkey

Basilican churches were modeled after the Roman Basilica, the nave was often covered with a simple truss roof with clearstory fenestration on the walls, churches were oriented to the cardinal points with the entry facing west and the apse facing east.

Once Christianity became legal, Christians initially worshiped in abundantly available Roman temples.

a cross-axial porch between the atrium and the nave, a raised platform beyond the nave within the curved apse, a cross-axial space between the nave and the apse, an area where the catechumens congregated during restricted portion of the mass.

Like the Christian basilica that used columns to direct the worshiper forward towards the apse, the mosque used columns to direct the visitor towards the mihrab (prayer niche)

The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem exhibits features typical of Islamic mosque architecture.

Pope Sixtus III was reluctant to use classical orders or the Roman temple form for the churches.

Mosques were typically adorned with statues and intricate mosaics of Muslim prophets.

The general rule of thumb was that no visible surface of the exterior be left in a natural state, although the interior was more subdued to emphasize the structural elements.

accommodate a circular dome to an arrangement of supports that create a square plan