Great Mosque of Herat
description: The Great Mosque of Herat consists of a four-iwan courtyard design which uses brick construction and blue and turquoise glazed tiles to create star patterns and calligraphic and arabesque designs on its exterior walls. The northern iwan leads visitors to the open courtyard which leads to prayer halls with vaulted roofs and domed chambers that experience changing light effects between outdoor brightness and indoor dimness. The mosque serves religious purposes through mathematical ornamentation which directs worshippers to prayer areas while displaying political and cultural power through its large tile decorations. The mosque maintains its status as a living heritage site through its traditional color scheme and geometric designs which were restored during the twentieth century.
creator: Original patron: Ghurid Dynasty
creator: Principal later patronage: Timurid rulers (especially during reign of Shah Rukh)
creator: Architects/Builders: Unknown
source: Image 1: https://www.nomadsland.travel/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_zoom/public/2023-01/jami-masjid-of-herat.jpg?itok=gawYtRpA
source: Image 2: https://www.nomadsland.travel/sites/default/files/styles/gallery_zoom/public/2023-01/jami-masjid-of-herat-right.jpg?itok=qupAQQJR
date: Begun: 13th century (Ghurid period)
date: Major reconstruction: 15th century (Timurid)
date: Tile renovation: 20th century
contributor: Mursal Abdullah
language: Herat, Herat Province, Afghanistan
type: Religious
coverage: N/A

Great South Gate
title: Nandai-mon
title: 南大門
description: A colossal wooden gate, one of the biggest in all Japan, that functions as the southern threshold into the todai-ji complex. Ancient wooden pillars form three gates into the complex, these entrances are flanked by the guardian kings. Two statues in the alcoves on either side of the temple facing the entrance. Above is the double tiered slopped roof in a style inspired by Chinese Song Dynasty architecture.
creator: Edict: Emperor Shoumu (741 -752)
creator: Rebuilt: Chougen (1203)
creator: Statues: Unkei and Kaikei (1203)
source: Image 1: IMG_17168.PNG Image 2: IMG_1771.PNG Image 3: IMG_1773.JPG
date: Original Built: 752
date: Destroyed: 962
date: Rebuilt: 1203
contributor: Waldemar Barrios
format: 25.46 meters tall
language: Nara,Japan
type: Religious

Great Zimbabwe

Gur-e-Amir Mausoleum, Samarkand
description: The dynastic mausoleum of Timur exists at Gur-e-Amir in Samarkand with its tall ribbed turquoise dome resting above a brick chamber which is accessed through a monumental iwan entrance. The interior design of the space features marble walls and muqarnas transitions and fine blue tile decorations which showcase Timurid artistic elements while leading viewers toward the dome. The building design leads visitors through its entrance portal to reach a single domed room which functions as a dedicated funeral area for Timur and his family members. The mausoleum served as a royal burial ground during the early 1400s to showcase political power and ceremonial functions while developing architectural elements which became central to Timurid and Central Asian sacred building design.
creator: Patron: Timur (Tamerlane) Builders/Architects: Unknown (Timurid court workshops)
source: Image 1:https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e95d9b13e6b2f7f177b574b/1611598559510-C0U7DBK4HNOBWLIU5T6S/12.+Amir+Timur+Mausoleum.jpg?format=1500w
source: Image 2:https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e95d9b13e6b2f7f177b574b/1611598473712-92PPO9BCA7OWQI7F9D2A/8.+Amir+Timur+Mausoleum.jpg?format=1500w
source: Image 3:https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e95d9b13e6b2f7f177b574b/1611598592585-QSCVK4TQOG9C78C0IQ6X/2.+Amir+Timur+Mausoleum.jpg?format=1500w
source: Image 4:https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e95d9b13e6b2f7f177b574b/1611598639647-BE4Q2N4RGKFEWQNQIWUO/3.+Amir+Timur+Mausoleum.jpg?format=1000w
date: Built: 1404
contributor: Mursal Abdullah
format: Architectural type: Mausoleum
language: Samarkand, Uzbekistan
type: Religious
coverage: N/A

Hagia Irene
creator: Patron: Constantine I (272-337)
creator: Patron: Justinian I (482-565)
source: Image 1: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hagia_Irene,_Istanbul_(52112279404)_(cropped).jpg
date: Construction completed: 337
date: Destroyed by fire in Nika Revolt: 532
date: Church reconstruction ordered by Justinian I: 548
date: Damaged by Constantinople Earthquake: 740
date: Church enclosed within walls of Topkapi Palace: post-1453 (fall of Constantinople to Mehmed II) Used by Janissaries as arsenal, warehouse for military equipment, and repository for trophies of arm and military regalia taken by the Ottomans during conquest: until 1826
date: Converted to National Military Museum during the reign of Sultan Ahmet III: 1726
date: Made into military antiques museum by Ahmed Fethi Paşa, Marshal of the Imperial Arsenal: 1846
date: Turned over to Turkish Ministry of Culture: 1978
contributor: Brittany Lumanlan Martin
language: Istanbul, Turkey
type: Religious
type: Commercial
type: Public

Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque
description: The Hagia Sophia is a classic example of Byzantine architecture. The mosque stands at 182 feet (55.6 m) tall. Its most prominent feature is its large central dome, surrounded and supported by four towering columns, known as minarets. Forty arched windows line the base of this large dome, but more than 200 windows light the structure overall, some of them fitted with stained glass. Smaller half-domes and a variety of columns also line the building’s facade, the latter of which were primarily recycled from older Roman structures. At its base, the structure takes a rectangular shape. Brick, mortar, wood, and metal comprise the outer and supportive structures, while marble, pumice stone, and glass were used for interior decorative features. Carved relief panels and mosaics depicting religious scenes can be found all along the interior. Other Byzantine-style motifs, such as acanthus leaves and palm fronds, can also be found carved into columns and marble panels.
creator: Architect: Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus Patron: Emperor Justinian I
source: Image 1: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Hagia_Sophia_Mars_2013.jpg/2560px-Hagia_Sophia_Mars_2013.jpg
source: Image 2: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Hagia_Sofia_%2814193941907%29.jpg/2560px-Hagia_Sofia_%2814193941907%29.jpg
source: Image 3: https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.12084479
source: Image 4: https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.18119327
source: Image 5: https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.18127412
source: Image 6: https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.12289773
source: Image 7: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Deesis_mosaic_Hagia_Sophia.jpg
date: 532 - Construction begins 537 - Construction is completed 1453 - Constantinople falls to Ottoman forces and is converted from an Orthodox Christian church to a mosque 1919 - While under occupation during World War I by the British, French, Italian, and Greek forces, a Divine Liturgy is performed and the mosque is converted back into a church 1935 - Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkish President and founder of the Republic of Turkey, converts the building into a museum 2020 - Hagia Sophia is reclassified as a mosque
contributor: Brittany Lumanlan Martin
format: Byzantine Architecture
language: Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey
type: Religious

Haji Yakoub Mosque, Dushanbe
description: The Haji Yakoub Mosque in Dushanbe features a modern mosque complex, which includes a central prayer hall with pointed arched windows and a prominent dome and tall minarets that create its distinctive urban shape. The building exterior features stone walls with decorative tile elements and its entrance section presents a symmetrical design through its arched doors and geometric pattern repetition. The main prayer area beneath the dome receives direct access from the interior paths, which allow natural light to highlight the elevated design of the space. The mosque built in recent times uses traditional Islamic architectural elements, including arches and domes and calligraphy, and patterned ornamentation to display religious heritage and national pride in contemporary Tajikistan. The design unites modern urban growth with the Islamic heritage of the region through its use of traditional elements to create new religious spaces in the capital city.
creator: Architect/Builder: Unknown Patron: Local Islamic community of Dushanb
source: Image 1: https://dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/26/eb/e3/87/haji-yaqub-mosque.jpg?w=1400&h=-1&s=1
source: Image 2:https://dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/12/d7/d1/ec/1-mevlana-yakub-charki.jpg?w=2000&h=-1&s=1
source: Image 3: https://dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/0d/2e/75/8b/peace-and-classic.jpg?w=600&h=-1&s=1
source: Image 4: https://dynamic-media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-o/26/eb/e4/50/haji-yaqub-mosque.jpg?w=1400&h=-1&s=1
date: Built: 1990s–early 2000s
contributor: Mursal Abdullah
language: Dushanbe, Tajikistan
type: Religious
coverage: N/A

Hestercombe Gardens
description: The main part of the garden is square in shape. The garden is lined with a small stone wall, with steps on each corner leading into the center part. There is one large band of grass following the inside of the lawn, with benches along each wall. On the opposite side of the grass, the garden is then separated with more pathways, portioning it into four triangular sections. In each of the sections, an abundance of plants grow, filling the garden with different colors and various textures. In the center of the square is a small stone structure, similar in resemblance to a water fountain. Outlining the various grass sections are small stone strips, which add dimension and aesthetic to the garden. The role of this garden is to not only be a place of beauty and aesthetics, but also to be one of social interactions, evoking sight and movement.
creator: Designed by: Coplestone Warre Bampfylde
source: Image 1: Hestercombe Gardens (6097257589).jpg (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Hestercombe_Gardens_%286097257589%29.jpg)
source: Image 2: Hestercombe House and gardens.jpg (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Hestercombe_House_and_gardens.jpg)
source: Image 3: Hestercombe Gardens - formal gardens - geograph.org.uk - 3146305.jpg (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Hestercombe_Gardens_-_formal_gardens_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3146305.jpg)
date: Garden Built: 18th century
date: Changes to Garden: 1873
date: Changes Finished: 1878
date: Redesign started: 1904
date: Redesign ended: 1909
date: Restored to original design: 1992
contributor: Hannah Demory
format: Georgian
language: Cheddon Fitzpaine, Somerset, England
type: Garden

Himeji Castle
title: White Heron Castle
description: Formal Description A beautiful, fascinating house that looks like it is standing tall right in the sky above all other houses, like it is floating in the sky like clouds without any base. Makes you wonder what it feels like to be up there. This house has many layers of walls, and the gates that surround the central tower. The layout is fascinating but also complicated and mysterious. It feels like a maze. It is mostly designed to confuse enemies. The paths of the house are twisted and turned, leading uphill through courtyards, towers, and narrow passageways. Each area is built to slow down attackers and protect the center. The highest tower is 152 feet tall. From the outside, it looks like it has five levels, but actually it has six levels inside and also a basement. Each level gets smaller as it goes up. The entrance of the house is made up of a large wooden gate at the very bottom of the hill. It moves through the paths and multiple gates, which lead to the main tower. The building material is a wooden post and lintel structure. Beams and columns support each floor. There are no vaults or domes, just stacked wooden levels with steep tiled roofs. The Surfaces are smooth white plaster over wood and stone. Roofs have repeating curved tiles and family crest tiles at the edges. Decorations are simple but elegant, with fish-shaped roof ornaments for protection. The light of this house comes through small windows and slits in the walls. The house is made of wood, stone, and white plaster. The base is made from a strong stone, and the towers and walls are mostly made out of wood, with plaster to help prevent fire.
description: Interpretive Reading This house was designed to protect, impress, and show power. The maze paths, tall stone base, and strong wooden structure were chosen to be a military defense, to make it hard for enemies to attack. At the same time, is elegant white walls and layered roofs gave it a beautiful, almost floating look, which signaled wealth, power, and control. In its historical context, it likely showed the strength of the ruling family and helped to keep the peace. The use of wood and plaster helped keep it light and flexible, which is good for earthquakes, and the stone base gave it the strength to keep it together. It may have felt like walking toward the sky and heavens. The whole structure can be seen as a metaphor for a mountain, with many levels rising to the peak, and the main tower is its hierarchy, where power is held.
description: Contemporary Resonance or Reflection Today, this house is a rare example of a large wooden structure that has survived for centuries, so it raises questions about how this building has lived for centuries that not even in modern times, with a lot of technology, we are unable to build such a building. It also reminds us to think about how power and beauty were shown through architecture, and how a design and an idea will still live on even after the architect dies.
creator: Patron: Akamatsu Norimura (1333)
creator: Builder: Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1581)
creator: Builder: Ikeda Terumasa (1601–1609)
source: Image 1: Himeji-Castle-01.jpg https://www.remotelands.com/travelogues/app/uploads/2019/07/Himeji-Castle-01.jpg
date: Original construction: 1333 by Akamatsu Norimura
date: Expanded: 1581 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
date: Completed: 1609 by Ikeda Terumasa
contributor: Mursal Abdullah
format: Azuchi-Momoyama Style
language: Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
type: Palace-Castle
coverage: UNESCO World Heritage Site (since 1993)
coverage: National Treasure of Japan

Hisham's Palace (Khirbat al-Mafjar)
contributor: Markeita Durham-Brinkley
type: Palace-Castle