University of Baghdad
Collage of engineering
Department of architecture
Lecture 7:
The architectural thought during the history
(The middle Ages and the European Renaissance)
2024-2025
Prepared by
Lecturer: Ammar Salim
Dr: Amna Bassim
Introduction:
In the previous lecture, the student learned general information about
Greek and Roman architecture and analyzed some of architectural models
through the design elements and principles.
In this lecture, the student will complete the historical knowledge about
architecture and art in the middle Ages and the European Renaissance.
Medieval architecture
Medieval architecture refers to the architectural style prevalent between
350 and 1400 A.D. Architecture during that period encompassed various
architectural styles such as:
Byzantine architecture, Islamic architecture, Romanesque
architecture, and Gothic architecture."
Byzantine architecture features are:
1- It is characterized by its lightness, free planning, and minimizing the
sizes and dimensions of load-bearing supports for roofs.
2- Domes were utilized over square and octagonal shapes in the floor plan.
Smaller domes were employed compared to the massive and heavy
domes in Roman architecture."
3- Mosaics were used in Byzantine architecture.
Left: Hagia Sophia by architects Anthimos and Iso Divos 532-537 AD
Right: Church of San Apollinare Nuovo, Italy
Mosaics were used in Byzantine architecture
Islamic architecture:
Mosques are considered one of the most important features of the arab
and Islamic architecture, and the scholars of Islamic architecture
classified mosques into styles and schools to:
-Early Islamic mosque architecture.
-Umayyad style, like the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
-Abbasid style, as seen in the Mosque of Samarra.
-Fatimid style, like the Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo.
-Seljuk style, represented by the Great Mosque of Isfahan.
-Moroccan-Andalusian style, like the Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba.
-Safavid style, it is found in many mosques in Iran.
-Mughal style, such as the Taj Mahal.
- Ottoman style, including mosques like the Ahmedia and Süleymaniye
Mosques in Istanbul."
Let's analyze the design elements and principles as well as describe the
architectural spaces in it:
THE GREAT MOSQUE OF DAMASCUS
Some decorative details in Islamic architecture
Romanesque architecture:
Romanesque architecture, influenced by Roman architecture, persisted
until 1150 A.D. It emerged in Italy, France, and England. "In Italy, for
instance.
The huge scale found in Roman architecture was reduced,
compositions became lighter, and the level of artistic skill increased
significantly.
Let's analyze the design elements and principles as well as describe the
architectural spaces in it:
Pisa Cathedral 1063 AD - Italy - Romanesque architecture
Gothic architecture:
Gothic architecture, a distinctive style of late middle ages between the
12th and 16th centuries, is characterized by pointed arches. An
example of this is the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Let's analyze the design elements and principles as well as describe the
architectural spaces in it:
Left: Notre Dame Church – Paris.
Right: Cologne Cathedral was built in the Gothic style in Germany.
Gothic art
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture emerged as a transition from the Middle
Ages to a modern system, predominantly in Europe, notably in Italy
and specifically in the city of Florence.
During this period, society moved towards liberation, democracy,
human values, and the individual's capacity for self-realization
through reason. Scientific advancements during the Renaissance led
to significant changes in architectural movements.
Many architectural historians refer to Renaissance architecture as
scientific design, considering it an extrapolation of principles.
Key characteristics of architecture, painting, and sculpture during
the Renaissance include:
1- Reliance on proportions, mathematical, geometrical, and Pythagorean
theories.
2 -Utilization of human body proportions as a key to achieving optimal
harmony.
3 -Embracing aesthetic principles.
4- Subjects that mirrored nature and scenes from everyday life.
Snella Capra in Cienza – by the architect Palladio's 1552
Let's analyze the design elements and principles as well as describe the
previous architectural building.
"In the Renaissance, painting underwent significant changes, including
the emergence of linear perspective, which increased the sense of
depth in the artwork. The introduction of the third dimension through
the use of shadow, light, and color gradation endowed the forms with the
property of rotation.
Examples of Renaissance art
The emergence of linear perspective, which increased the sense of depth
in the artwork
