Islamic Design

During this time, Mohammed was the head figure of the Islamic religion. He lived from 570 to 632 C.E. It is said that Islamic religion was the foundation of the Islamic design. They were heavily influenced by religion because it was an important aspect of almost everybody's life. Instead of focusing their worship through a church, their central facility for prayer and worship was a mosque. The first mosque that was utilized was Mohammad's farm. It was the first prototype for many mosques to come. Some features of the mosque were: perimeter wall, covered hall of columns, and a courtyard. The main purpose was so that the people of Islamic religion could have a place to worship and pray to God by kneeling on a carpet and facing Mecca. An example of a mosque is the Prayer Hall of the Great Mosque of Kairouan. It came about in 820-836 C.E. The architectural elements of the mosque included classic capitols with Islamic arches. A new architectural element was also shown within the interior as well; the horseshoe arch. The horseshoe arch was used extensively to show off the great details within the interior. There were a lot of columns and supports, as well, due to the heavy structure of the overall mosque.

Islamic Design was known for their mosaics. They used glass, tiles, and stones for the designs. Their mosaics were demonstrated in geometric shapes and patterns. This took part in a lot of their design elements. They also used carpet extensively; on the floors and even walls. Carpet was popular throughout this time because the people would kneel for prayer in the mosques. It provided comfort while they worshiped.

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