The Significance of Domes in Islam Architecture

A dome was commonly associated with royalty, not only in mosques, but in churches as well.

Domes are pieces of architecture found on many important buildings such as mosques, cathedrals, and even governmental buildings.Originally built by the Arabs and Romans, they are now built all over the world.

The first dome, the Dome of the Rock, was made by the Arab Muslims under the reign of Abd Al-Malik ibn Marwan. It was made with rotunda wood(an idea taken from the Byzantines) but later, Suleiman the Magnificent beautified it with marble pieces.

Domes built above mosques are commonly designed with Arabic calligraphy. There are no pictures drawn on them because Islam prohibits the drawing of living beings.

These domes also have meaning. For example, domes were built on top of mosques so that they would be above those observing prayer like the Heavens above.The domes built on the Taj Mahal are examples of "onion" domes. They are somewhat pointy and are shaped like bulbs.

The Significance of Domes in Islamic Architecture

The scalloped dome is different from the rest of the types of domes because of the fact that it not circular in shape. An example is Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Viginia.

The "drum" dome is the most commonly-built dome. It has a large, round circular base and can be seen on the Roman Pantheon.

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Igloos have been around for a long time but it is impossible to tell if they were the first domes that ever existed because the Inuit people were very isolated from other societies and always thought that they were the only people that existed in the world.

The geometrical aspects of design were very important to Muslim architects. They payed close attention to the designs in order to reach perfection.

The precise geometry symbolized how Allah perfected His creation. Molecules, cells, and vessels are all examples of what can be symbolized in the geometry of domes.

Types of Domes

As for Islamic architecture, the shapes designed on domes symbolized different things. A circle represented the sky, perfection, and eternity. A square represented the earth. A star symbolized the spread of Islam.