Islamic Representation of Nature

RECA As mentioned before, any civilization in built on a previous one, due to cultural exchange,
P wars, migration & many other things that provided this link between different cultures &
different civilizations.
There isn’t any creation from 0, there is always a build-up on something.
The system of belief of any civilization is triggering a factor in finalizing this relationship
making it the most stylized & most important.

In Islam we have two big dynasties:

 The Umayyad: they represent the early civilization; they were warriors.
 The Abbasids: they represent this more apex of cultural, artistic, literary and creative
achievements.

The most important gardens are done during the Abbasids Period.

Talar, Chahar Bagh & Ivan are spaces linked to the system of the garden.

Al Djanneh is the source of the design.

We have to acknowledge that the Islamic Empire had a quick expansion, horizontally through the East
and the West, more than the North and the South. Excepting the tropical zones of Asia of the Southeast,
we can define it as a garden of the dry belt of the planet.

So taken in the wholeness of its tradition, the Islamic garden covers in the surface of the globe a vast but
narrow zone which stretches from Atlantic to the Bay of Bengal.
To mark its domain, it gave it the two extravagant doors which are Alhambra in Granada Spain on the
West, and Taj Mahal in India in the East.

So it is a vast rectangular peninsula, occupied by deserts & edged by the sea on the four fifth of its
perimeter where nature is hardly generous.

In the beginning we have to link in all civilizations the question of Garden creation to the space creation,
especially the structure & the architecture.
In its beginning, the Islamic Civilization built very rigid & hard military character represented in their
buildings, especially in the buildings they owned during the Umayyad Period.

Arabs, or the Islam Civilization is the heir of the Persian Civilization.

The Arabs appropriated principles of the Persian Gardens and kept the memory of their garden picture,
divided into 4 parties by the watercourses of the old Paradise, perpendicular axes at the crossroads of
which rises the palace.
The division to 4 allows to identify the directions & making the apprehension of the cosmos much
easier.

The quart-garden, was used as a main reference for the Islamic Garden, as well as many other European
Gardens.
Muslims borrow their paradises from Persians and they admired in Syria, in Antioch, the gardens of the
Greek kings (their long planted avenues, their vine arbors of grapevine, their flowers, their basins, their
robots, etc.)

They inherit the tradition to construct gardens:

1- On high places (ex: Alhambra Palace).

2- To make them closed areas encircled with walls, it has not developed any kind of opening, unlike
the Western tradition – we have seen in the West, the garden moved from something
completely closed in the Medieval Time & Early Renaissance, to something much more open,
creating this Visual Experience with the outside, the Horizon, the landscape, the territory – In
Islam, it remained closed, since it is a representation of Paradise mentioned in the Quran, and it
is proper to the culture itself, a culture that is always considering the intimacy and separation is
something really important to keep this closeness with God.
3- To attach garden to celestial Paradise and make them a physical symbol of happiness.

But if Arabs adopted these pre-existing forms, they inflicted a deep transformation.

Madinat Al-Zahra: It is one of the most important achievements (currently in ruins).

I- The Image of Garden-Paradise

In the Quran, the garden is always named as a symbol of paradise where fountains, rivers and shade are
dominant features.
“Gardens underneath which rivers flow” or “Gardens of Eden, underneath which rivers flow”.

This expression occurs more than 30 times in the Quran. In Surat 47, 4 rivers of Paradise are mentioned:

“This is the Paradise which the righteous have been promised”.

“There shall flow in it rivers of unpolluted water and rivers of milk forever fresh; rivers of delectable wine
and rivers of clearest honey”.

“They shall eat therein of every fruit and receive forgiveness from their lord”.

Of course, the gardens of Islam differ from civilization to another especially those who are on the far-
eastern side, they are different from the gardens found in Morocco or Southern Europe.

Gardens are divided into 4 parts (Quartered), are known in Persia by the name of Chahar Bagh, or 4
Gardens, divided by 4 channels encircled with walls.
This archetype of space will be applied in all gardens; for example, the Alhambra Palace is a complex of
multiplicity of courtyards and gardens, most of them having this division to four parts, or some kind of a
central pathway crossing the space.

The idea of paradise contains: fruit trees, water and rich pavilions, intended for a place of pleasure &
joy.
The singularity of the representation of the Garden of Islam and on what basis it is conceived, is that we
always are, to some extent, confused. Because at the same time, it is a direct representation of a
Quranic Scripture of the Promised Paradise, whereas when we analyze the Islamic Garden, it is definitely
a place that is disconnected from outside, but it is intended for some kind of joy and contentment.
In the description of the Garden of Islam, we find a lot of Joy that is being emitted from the garden. This
joy is not always necessarily spiritual; it can be hedonistic (pleasure and ecstasy) as well; and this is the
main confusion.

It is a complete approach which goes from the establishment of the urban building up to the most
insignificant element of the internal decor.
All aspects are in relation with each other in a cosmic whole, which leads to the fact that users cannot
ignore the omnipresence of God in his daily life.

Side Note:
Unlike western traditions or far eastern traditions, the question of representation or figuration Is
prohibited in Islam.
This is mentioned in the Ahadis (narration of the Prophet’s talks).
The Islamic Religion considers that only God is allowed to create, which is why humans cannot put
themselves in God’s place, therefore cannot create human or animal figures.

This led people to focus more on the geometry of the arabesque, rather than looking for any kind of
figuration.

This is not the case in all Islamic Civilizations, for example, the Ottomans inherited from the Renaissance
and the Western Civilization many of their artistic aspects.
Even the Ottoman Gardens are a mixture of Islamic and Renaissance Gardens, adding to that the fact
that we can find sculptures in Ottoman Gardens, whereas in Islamic Gardens there aren’t any.

Generally, the Islamic Civilization, which was located between Iraq and Syria, was developing rapidly and
expressing artistically and literally in many ways, avoiding any kind of figuration, concentrating on the
abstract representations achieved by the geometry and the arabesque.

The arabesque is not a single figure; it is a repetition of a motif to infinity.

Infinity is important in Islamic Civilization, because it is insinuating in a way this divine limitless and
timeless condition.

The Calligraphy is very important in Islam, and is forming something very essential in the Islamic Art, is
that unlike the Bible, relating the story of the Christ. It as sequences of events. Whereas the Quran is
providing rules and regulations, visions about the human condition, always reminding what is good and
what is bad. Adding to that the fact that the writing in the Quran is calligraphic, it is not regular.

That is why, in all the Islamic Gardens we don’t see paintings or sculptures, we see arabesque calligraphy
and geometry and so on.

The traditional concern of Islam carries principally the feeling of space, defined by materials.
The volume (Seen from the Inside – we live in the Volume) is more important than the mass (Seen from
the Outside): the space from the inside, where human being live, are of most importance, and then
harmony is between the volume, its light, its freshness and its decoration.
A lack of worry for external symbols (outside), but a search of internal space for the soul to breathe and
develop.
The closed residential unit with its courtyard and garden enclosed by walls is the urban demonstration
of this sense of place.

This idea of focusing on the internal space, disconnected from the outside, metaphorically speaking, it is
close to the veil of the woman.
The veil symbolizes a screen, that protects a woman, and her relationship with her surrounding, not
allowing anything to divert from this relationship.

The plan with courtyard or introverted plan became the urban form of the garden which allows this
contact between nature and inhabitants.

This form of urban house became the architectural archetype repeated in mosques, madrasa, and
caravanserai (a big structure in the urban context, that used to receive travelers and merchants – it’s like
a big courtyard surrounded by a building that includes rooms for the merchants to meet, sleep and get
some rest).

II- The Concept of Garden-Paradise & the Cycle of Expansion – Contraction

The Garden of Islam is a dynamic paradise with a spiritual center.
The pavilion is always located in the center, it can be a fountain, and it provides a first moment towards
the outside across its avenues (all the Gardens of Islam have 4 avenues, 4 parts).
These avenues divide the garden and intersect in the CenterPoint which is a pavilion or a fountain.

At a second moment, we have another movement inwards across the 4 avenues of the pavilion towards
the basin of water and the fountain – the spiritual center – where waves are generated in their turn.
From the boundaries of the garden to the inside, it offers a centrifugal force.
On the inside, we always have the fountain. The proper of the fountain is that it creates ripples (waves).
The waves in their form are sending forces towards the outside.

The whole Garden of Islam is a continuous vas et viens system of breathing between contraction and
expansion at the periphery.

In the climate of a long summer, life takes place outside, the transitional space between the building and
the outside is very important to permit the link between those two spaces.

The interpretation of these architectural achievements differ from a place to another. Even the Garden
itself sometimes might represent this Quartered Garden and in some other cases – and this is the level
of abstraction that had been achieved by Islam, is to create a Garden that is reflecting architecture.
The water element for example acts as a mirror for architecture.

This is another dimension in the dematerialization of architecture, and making it as something extremely
lightweight.

This transitional space became the space of reception in palaces, known in Iran under the name of Talar,
this structure of porch provides the link far from the sun.
The Talar appears in many traditional buildings and modern structures.

Talar:
From a metaphysical point of view, Talar is seen as the place of soul in movement between the garden
and the building, where the Garden is the mind and the Building is the body.
It is the transitional space between the spiritual world and the earthly world.
Ivan is another form of Talar, when it is arched is used in the space of the mosque.

III- Palace and Power

From a decorative point of view, the outside is covered by shining mosaics; the inside walls and ceilings
were covered by geometric decorations (as seen in Cordoba or Alhambra Palace),
Furniture was sumptuous, carpets, hanging silk and sofas were an image of luxury.

The conception of the Islamic Garden is marked by innovative techniques in irrigation.

In the Islamic Garden, after the Roman Civilization, they were extremely genius in draining water in high
complexity.
Between Euphrates and the Tiber, the whole zone was covered by a network of channels which
supply orchards, fields, vegetable gardens.
Water is an image of fertility which was always present in the Islamic garden; consequently we
can say that those gardens were born from water imaginary.
When something is lacking, they used to fill this gap with water, especially that living in this dry zone of
the globe would push people to require more water, which is why their gardens were conceived on the
imaginary of water: it is present in different ways; fountains (moving water), cascades, basins, etc.

The garden is called Al-Djanneh, Eden, Garden of Retreat and Pleasure, in total contrast with
the desert, which was their living conditions.

Elements of the Garden:

 Shadow, which does not exist in the desert.

 Freshness, because the desert is a burning furnace.
 Luxuriant Vegetation, to avoid warmth.
 Water in abundance, to avoid the thirst.
 Singing Birds, to void silence.
 Colors, perfumes, poem and music.

Everything must be gratified at the same time: view, hearing, smell, taste and touch.

We assist the emergence of magnificent gardens in Damascus, Baghdad, Shiraz and Isfahan.
But the most important examples are found in Spain, where climate and ground fertility are favorable to
their blooming.
Their style was provided by the Umayyad Dynasty firs. Thus, were born the Alhambra of Grenade and Al-
Zahra Palace, 5km to the North-West of Cordoba, constructed by Abdurrahman III.

Differently to the occidental classical garden, where gardens are always looking towards the conquest of
the whole country, the Islamic garden intends the closing, isolation from outside.
In this case, the interest in not on the periphery but in the center, unlike the West where they focused
on the periphery and tried to remove these boundaries- the physical boundary by wall creates a trench
that will be forming an obstacle for any invader from outside – But in this case, this clear separation
helps keeping this celestial representation of a Paradise inside the Garden.
That’s why the central element in Islamic Gardens is always a fountain, basin or an aquatic element,
glorified image of the initial source.

IV- Alhambra Palace of Granada

Alhambra Palace sits on a hill with more than 700 meters’ altitude. It resembles a ship with a prom,
represented by Alcazaba, oriented towards the city.
Its length exceeds 700 meters, between Alcazaba and the Tower of the Cabo de la Carrera, and its width
is 200 meters, which gives an area about 130 hectares inscribed in a perimeter of walls of more than 2
kilometers, reinforced by about thirty towers, come of the are in ruin.

Alcazaba is a dwelling of the early army of Islam that first arrived to Andalusia; we can see a low parapet
marking the spaces or rooms. Then all other different parts of Alhambra were built with time.

The Alhambra is an architectonic complex characterized by a big modernity, due to its conception and its
construction.

Le Corbusier found in this monument the concrete expression of his definition of the Modern
Architecture, “the splendid correct and clever combination of volumes under the sun light”, theory
established as being the ideal theory in its “Modern City (1922)”.

Here are some principles of the different resolutions which give support to the modernity of Alhambra:

 The Harmony of Asymmetry:

Alhambra Palace is not a total symmetrical building. Each court by itself might be symmetrical,
but as it was constructed at different times, there are different pieces connected to each other.
These pieces, even though not symmetrical, are still harmonious.
 The Alternation of Light and Shades:
As already mentioned, the architecture is simple volumetric rather than decorative. It’s not
about decorating a façade, but more about composing different masses altogether.
 The Light which makes Material Insubstantial:
The extensive use of surface water reflecting architecture making these surfaces not only reflect
architecture, but also the sky and the life coming from it. Transforming the materiality of
architecture into something completely lightweight as it is hovering over the ground.
 The conception of Different Perspectives towards the sky, the water and the landscape from
different point of the Complex:
The entire Alhambra Palace was a concept conceived in different times. It is Labyrinthic at times
from indoors to outdoors, with the sequence of discoveries.
 Irregular building was one of the features that attracted the modernist as well and the
irregularity is not hazardous, it is made intensely for security purposes.
And this zigzag diagram it’s called the shikan it is conceived and it is made to stop the enemies
from entering, while the enemies are passing through this zigzag the soldiers (bi kouno 3al
towers 3am bi kebbo 3layon may meghliyyew etc..)
The ingenious management of nature in the organization of building
Another success is that palaces of Alhambra, while belong to different epochs and constructed on a very
irregular foundation, keep an orthogonal system of axes, what gives the impression of group, at the
same time regular and harmonious.

 The most famous courtyard in Alhambra is “court of lions” , and here we have real presentation
of the koranic paradise, where is the center we have this source of life spreading life in the four
rivers crossing the whole court.
V- Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal, signifies palace of the crown is located at Agra, by the river Yamuna in the state of Utar
Pradesh in India. It is a mausoleum in white marble constructed by the mogul emperor Shah Jahan in
memory of his spouse Mumtaz Mahal. She died in 1631 and on January 31 st, 1666, her spouse was
buried near to her.

The construction started in 1632. The principle architect was Usad Ahmad. The 7 th July 2007, the
monument is designated as one of the 7 wonders of the world.

The Taj Mahal is constructed with multiple materials as white marble, jasper, turquoise, malachite, lapis-
lazuli, coral, onyx, agate, rock crystal. In sum, 28 types of fine and ornamental stones were used to
compose the marquetry motifs inlayed in the white marble.

The central dome is surrounded by 4 identical minarets the are inclined towards outside, in a way in
case of an earthquake; they fall in the opposite direction of the tomb.

To the left of the tomb, we have a mosque, constructed in red sandstone; it is a prayer place for the
pilgrims, on the right side of the tomb there is an identical replica of the mosque known by the name
Jawab (reply). Its aim is to maintain the architectural symmetry. In the front there is planted garden, the
Chargah (quartered garden)

And those four large towers byetla3 mennon el prayer for the whole city

The Taj : According to the historian Wayne Begley, the symbolic meaning of Taj Mahal may be that the
organization of the complex, building and calligraphies may form an allegory of the resurrection day
(YOM AL DINN) when dead people go to the paradise plain to appear before Allah on his throne.

Furthermore the plan of the Taj Mahal follows the description of the paradise with its 4 rivers of water,
milk, wine and honey.

The complex will be in this case an instrument of power as well as Chateau de Versailles more than a
mausoleum.

The aesthetic miracle is the contrast between a building so powerful and in the same time has
insubstantial aura that makes this weight immaterial under the sunlight.

The cloister garden when the garden is inside the building and the building will look like an
cloister or any kind of Christian structure and the garden usually made for planting vegetables
fruits…
In The early renaissance we don’t have yet the synchronization between the garden and the
architecture and there is separation between them, and there is no harmonization between
garden and architecture.