Namaeh Farhangistan

Namaeh Farhangistan

The Construction of Vaults and Domes in Greater Khorasan and Iran Reflected in the Quwwat al-Islam Complex of the Delhi Sultans(With a Focus on the Qibla Wall and the Alai Darwaza)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Atousa Arian 1
Javad Neystani (Corresponding Author) 2
1 MA Graduate in Islamic Period Archaeology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
2 Professor, Department of Archaeology, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/nf.2025.540439.1436
Abstract
Vaults and domes have always been inseparable elements of the architecture of Greater Khorasan and Iran. With the invasions of the Ghaznavids and Ghurids into the Indian subcontinent, the distinctive features of Iranian architecture entered the architectural traditions of the Delhi Sultanate. The rulers of this period brought the Seljuk architectural tradition to the craftsmen of the subcontinent. Thus, the pointed arches and domes of this era reveal the influence of Seljuk architecture in their construction. One such structure is the Qibla Wall in the courtyard of the Quwwat al-Islam Mosque, whose continuous arcade attached to the prayer hall recalls the use of the false arch (tāq-e kāzeb) in the iwans of Iranian mosques. Another is the Alai Darwaza, in which the gradual transformation from the application of the false arch to the true arch and dome can be clearly observed.
Since few studies have been conducted on this subject, several questions arise: What was the predominant architectural style for constructing arches in the subcontinent? How and under what conditions did the replacement of beam ceilings with false arches occur? What techniques were employed in the construction of true arches? And finally, how did the transition from false domes to true domes take place?
The aim of this study is to examine the methods and stages of constructing vaults and domes in the Indian subcontinent that originated from Iranian traditions. The theoretical framework of the research is based on cultural history studies, and the method is descriptive-analytical. Preliminary findings suggest that the Delhi Sultans, who had their geographical origins in Greater Khorasan, sought to reproduce the architectural and artistic traditions of those regions in Delhi. Indian architects, in turn, created a synthesis between the ideas of the new rulers and the long-standing architectural traditions of the subcontinent.
Keywords
Vault
Dome
Greater Khorasan
Iran
Quwwat al-Islam
Alai Darwaza

Subjects

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Namaeh Farhangistan
Volume 24, Issue 3 - Serial Number 97
Nameh Farhangestan (Subcontinent)
July and August 2025
Pages 36-53

  • Receive Date 22 April 2023
  • Revise Date 04 May 2023
  • Accept Date 18 February 2025