A F G H A N I S T A NP A K I S T A NI N D I A

C O M P A R A T I V E

A N A L Y S I S

I. TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE

THE TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE IN AFGHANISTAN WAS INFLUENCED BY:

GREEK WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED BY TEMPLES WITH REFINED AND PERFECTION AND DECORATIVE MOTIFS. ROMAN WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED BY MASSIVE BRICK &

CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION, SEMI-CIRCULAR ARCH DOME,SIMPLICITY AND GRANDEUR OFTEN COMBINED WITHELABORATE DETAILING, MOLDED STUCCO.

SASSANIAN- WHICH IS FROM PERSIA CHARACTERIZED WITHELLIPTICAL DOMES, SQUINCHES AND STUCCOED MASONRYWALLS ARTICULATED BY PILASTERS AND CORNICES.

II. DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURAL STYLE

1. SASSANID ARCHITECTURE- REFERS TO THE PARTHIAN STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE. ITS UNIQUE CHARACTERISTIC WAS ITS DISTINCTIVE USE OF SPACE.

2. SIKH ARCHITECTURE- CHARACTERIZED WITH VALUES OF PROGRESSIVENESS, EXQUISITE INTICACY, AUSTERE BEAUTY AND LOGICAL FLOWING LINES.

III. GENERAL CONCEPT

THE PLAN IS CHARACTERIZED WITH A SERIES OF SEMI-CIRCULAR ARCHES THROWN ACROSS THE ANGLES OF THE APARTMENT, EACH PROJECTING FURTHER INTO IT THAN THE PRECEDING, AND IN THIS WAY THE CORNERS ARE GOT RID OF, AND THE SQUARE CONVERTED INTO THE CIRCULAR SHAPE. THE OBLONG AND SQUARE ARE VARIOUSLY PROPORTIONED AND THE SPACE WAS DISTINCTLY USED. THESE CHARACTERISTICS WERE BASED ON THE SASSANID ARCHITECTURE, ONE OF THE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE IN AFGHANISTAN. IT IS ALSO CHARACTERIZED WITH MANY CURVES AND STRAIGHT LINES WHICH IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF SIKH ARCH.

IV. PLAN

AFGHANISTAN CONTAINS STRIKING ARCHITECTURAL REMNANTS OF ALL AGES, INCLUDING GREEK AND BUDDHIST STUPAS (SHRINES OR RELIQUARIES) AND MONASTERIES, ARCHES, MONUMENTS, INTRICATE ISLAMIC MINARETS (THE TALL, SLENDER TOWERS ON MOSQUES), TEMPLES AND FORTS WHICH WERE INSPIRED BY THE DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENTS.

V. DOMINANT FEAUTURE/ELEMENT

CUPOLA ROOFS- A LIGHT STRUCTURE ON A DOME OR ROOF SERVING AS BELFRY AND LANTERN.

LANTERN ROOF- A SUPERSTRUCTURE CROWNING A ROOF OR A DOME.ARCHED SQUINCHES- AN ARCH OR CORBELLING TO SUPPORT THE SIDE OF A SUPERIMPOSED OCTAGONAL STRUCTURE.

COFFERED DOME- ONE OF THE MEMBER OF RECESSED, USUALLY SQUARE OR OCTAGONAL PANELS IN CEILING. LACUNAR OR CAISSON.

INTERIOR HONEY COMBED- AN EXPOSED SURFACE PRODUCE A TEXTURED SURFACED. A HEXAGONAL PATTERN.

THE FAÇADE IS FACED WITH GLAZED TILES

VI. BUILDING TYPES

MONUMENTS- A TYPE OF STRUCTURE THAT WAS EXPLICITLYCREATED TO COMMEMORATE A PERSON OR IMPORTANT

EVENT.EX: MINARET OF JAM – STANDS ALONE IN A REMOTE VALLEY

EX: MINARET OF JAM – STANDS ALONE IN A REMOTE VALLEY STUPA- A BURIAL MOUND. ALSO CALLED AS SAMANGAN OR

AIBAK. HEWN INTO THE SOLID ROCK OF A LARGE HILL.EX: STUPA AT GULDARA – MARKED BY A NUMBER OFLARGE NICHES FRAMED BY PILASTERS

FORT – A FORTIFIED BUILDINGEX: BALA HISAR FORT – ELEVATED OR HIGH FORT

TRADITIONAL MOSQUE - BUILDING USE AS A PLACE OF MUSLIM WORHSIPEX: THE MASJID-I-JAMI – 800 YR OLD STRCUTURE IN HERAT

VII. ORNAMENTS

GANDHARA ART- AN ANCIENT FORM OF ART, STYLE OF BUDDHISM VISUAL ART. IT DEPICTS EVENTS OF BUDDHA’S LIFE.

GONBAD- A DOME OFTEN DOUBLE LAYERED. BAS RELIEFS: BACTRIAN DELEGATION; GANDHARANDELEGATION;

ARYANA DELEGATION

VIII. STUPA IN AFGHANISTAN

STUPA CONSISTS OF A DOME AND TWO DRUMS RESTING ON A HIGH, SQAURE PLATFORM WITH A STAIRCASE. THE HIGH PLATFORM AND BOTH OF THE DRUMS ARE DECORATED IN FRIEZES OF BLIND ARCHES AND "INDO-CORINTHIAN" PILASTERS.

GATEWAY IN PAKISTAN

GATEWAY IS A MONUMENTAL PORTAL.

IX. PROMINENT BUILDING

THE REGION HAS MADE MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLD'S ARCHITECTURE. UNESCO HAS ACKNOWLEDGED AFGHANISTAN'S ROLE BY DECLARING THE MINARET OF JAM.

I. TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE

BUDDHIST & ARCHITECTURE – A PERSIAN AND GREEKINFLUENCE. OUTSTANDING ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENTSWERE DEVELOPED AND TEMPLES WERE FORMED IN COMPLEX

CONSISTING OF STUPAS JAIN ARCHITECTURE – FOUNDED BY MAHAVIRA IN THE JAINS.

DISTINGUISED BY EXTRAORDINARY RICHNESS ANDCOMPLEXITY OF THEIR SCULPTURAL ORNAMENT.

MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE – AN ARCHITECTURAL STYLEDEVELOPED BY THE MUGHALS AND WAS AN AMALGAM OF

ISLAMIC, PERSIAN AND INDIAN ARCHITECTURE

II. DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURAL STYLE

GRECO-BUDDHIST STYLE – COMBINATION OF PERSIAN ANDGREEK INFLUENCE

GANDHARA STYLE – STYLE OF BUDDHISM VISUAL ART AND ON THE DEPICTED EVENTS OF BUDDHA’S LIFE SET INTO SCENES

ISLAMIC-PERSIAN ARCHITECTURAL STYLE – PRODUCEDPLAYFUL FORMS OF THE HINDUSTANI ART AND EXHIBITS A

MULTIPLICITY OF IMPORTANT BUILDING FROM THEEMPIRE

INDO-EUROPEAN STYLE – MIXTURE OF EUROPEAN AND INDIANISLAMIC COMPONENTS

III. GENERAL CONCEPT

THE IDEOLOGY OF RELIGION IS THE DETERMINING FACTOR THAT AFFECTS THEIR BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES. FURTHERMORE, PAKISTAN’S NEW FOUND NATIONAL IDENTITY REFLECTS ITSELF IN MODERN STRUCTURES.

IV. PLAN

MUGHAL BUILDINGS HAVE UNIFORM PATTERN OF STRUCTURE AND CHARACTER INCLUDING LARGE BULBOUS DOMES, SLENDER MINARETS AT CORNERS, MASSIVE HALLS, A LARGE VAULTED GATEWAYS, DELICATE ORNAMENTATION AND LANSCAPE.

V. DOMINANT FEAUTURE/ELEMENT

TOMBS – A MONUMENT TO THE MEMORY OF A DEAD PERSONERECTED OVER THEIR BURIAL PLACE LIKE THE TOMB OF

JAHANGIR. SHRINES - IS A HOLY AND SCARED PLACE WHICH ISDEDICATED TO

A SPECIFIC DIETY, ANCESTOR JHAROKHA – TYPE OF OVERWHELMING BALCONY CHHATRIS (UMBRELLA OR CANOPY) – BASIC ELEMENT OF HINDI

AND MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE JALI – A PERFORATED STONE OR LATTICED SCREEN AND AN

ORNAMENTAL PATTERN CONSTRUCTED THROUGH THEUSE OF CALLIGRAPHY AND GEOMETRY

VI. BUILDING TYPES

TEMPLE – A BUILDING DEBOTED TO THE WORSHIP ORREGARDED AS THE DWELLING PLACE OF A GOD OR GODS OR

OTHER OBJECTS OR RELIGIOUS REVERENCEEX: GORAKHNATH TEMPLE IN PESHAWAR

SHRINE – A PLACE REGARDED AS HOLY BECAUSE OF ITSASSOCIATION WITH DIVINITY OF SACRED PERSON

EX: SHRINE OF ABDULLAH SHAH GHAZI IN THE CITY OFKARACHI

MAUSOLEA AND TOMB – A STATELY AND MAGNIFICENT TOMBEX: MUHAMMAD OQBAL

MOSQUE – BUILDING USE AS A PLACE OF MUSLIM WORHSIPEX: FAISAL MOSQUE

CROBEL – A PROJECTING BLOCK, USUALLY OF STONESPOORTING A BEAM OR ANY HORIZONTAL MEMBER

OVERLAPPING RECTANGULAR SLABS – OFTENLY USED BY THE BUDDHISTS AS MOULDING

VIII. STUPA IN INDIA

THE SHAPE OF THE STUPA REPRESENTS THE BUDDHA, CROWNED AND SITTINGIN MEDITATION POSTURE ON A LION THRONE. IT COMMEMORATES A SACRED SITE, CONSIST OF AN ARTIFICIAL MOUND, RAISED ON A PLATFORM AND SURROUNDED BY AN OUTER AMBULATORY WITH STONE RAILINGS AND FOUR GATEWAY.

GATEWAY IN INDIA

INDIAN GATEWAY USUALLY OF STONE, MARKING THE ENTRANCE TO A BUDDHIST SHRINE OR STUPA OR TO A HINDU TEMPLE. TORANAS TYPICALLY CONSIST OF TWO PILLARS CARRYING TWO OR THREE TRANSVERSE BEAMS THAT EXTEND BEYOND THE PILLARS ON EITHER SIDE.

IX. PROMINENT BUILDING

TAJ MAHAL BY SHAH JAHAN

IT INCORPORATES AND EXPANDS ON DESIGN TRADITIONS OF PERSIAN AND EARLIER MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE. THE MOST SPECTACULAR FEAUTURE IS THE MARBLE DOME THAT SURMOUNTS THE TOMB.

I. TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE

HINDU ARCHITECTURE – THIS ARCHITECTURAL STYLE WASINSPIRED BY THEIR RELIGION AND REFLECTS THE REVERENCE OF THE HINDUS TO THEIR GODS. ALTHOUGH PEOPLE LIVED IN A SIMPLE HUTS MADE OF MUD, THEY CREATED TEMPLES TO HONOR THEIR

DIETIES.

II. DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURAL STYLE

HINDU ARCH. – INTRODUCTION TO WIDE-SPREADINGBRACKETS ABOVE THE COLUMN CAPITAL, OR BY

SUCCESSIVE CORBELS AS IN THE JAIN BUILDINGS. BUDDHIST ARCH. MONASTERIES, MEETING HALLS AND STUPA

SHRINES ARE ALL PLANNED TO ACCOMMODATE LARGEGROUPS OF WORSHIPPERS

JAIN ARCH. – PAID ATTENTION TO THE SITTING AND GOVERNMENT OF THEIR MONUMENT, CREATING TEMPLE, CITIES AND SCARED MOUNTAINS.

MUGHAL ARCH. – ARCHES AND DOMES BEGAN TO BE USEDAND MOSQUE BEGAN TO FORM PART OF THE LANDSCAPE,

ADDING TO THE NEW EXPERIENCE IN FORM AND SPACE INDO-SARACENIC ARCH. – CREATING AUTHORITIES THROUGH

CLASSICAL PROTOTYPES TO THE LATER APPROACH OF PRODUCING A SUPPOSEDLY MORE RESPONSIVE IMAGE.

POST-INDEPENDENCE ARCH. – THE QUEST WAS MORE TOWARDS PROGRESS AS A PARADIGM FUELLED BY NEHRUVIAN VISIONS

III. GENERAL CONCEPT

INDIAN HAS HINDU ARCHITECTURE AS ITS GENERAL TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE. IT CONCEPTUALIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR GODS AND THROUGH THE BUILDINGS/STRUCTURES THEY BUILT, THEY SHOWERED THE LOVE AND THEIR COMMITMENT TO THEIR GODS. THESE STRUCTURES EMPOWER THEIR FAITH AND BELIEFS IN THEIR GODS, WORSHIP AND PRAISE THEM THROUGH THESE STRUCTURES BUILT.

IV. PLAN

THE HINDU OR BRAHMAN ARCHITECTURE HAS SQUARE PLANS WITH SIKHARAS

V. DOMINANT FEAUTURE/ELEMENT

SIKHARA – PYRAMIDAL OR CURVILINEAR TOWER-LIKE UPPER STRUCTURE OF A HINDU TEMPLE

MANDAPA – A LARGE OPEN PORCH-LIGHT HALL OF A TEMPLE AND IT IS USUALLY PILLARED

GARBHA-GRIHA – SMALL SHRINES IN HINDU TEMPLE

VI. BUILDING TYPES

STUPA – BURIAL OR A MONUMENTAL MOUND ERECTED TO ENSHRINE A RELICEX: THE GREAT STUPA AT SANCHI

CHAITYA – A BUDDHIST SANCTUARY, SHRINE OR PLACE OFRELIGIONS WORSHIP

EX: KARLA CAVES VIHARA – A MONASTERY CONSISTS OF A QUADRANGLE

SURROUNDED BY A VERANDAH ON TO WHICH OPENSIMPLE SQUARE

EX: BURMESE VIHARA IN INDIA

VII. ORNAMENTS

ARABESQUE – INTRICATE OVERALL PATTERN OF GEOMETRICAL FORM

BRACKET – ANY OVERHANGING MEMBER PROJECTING FROM A WALL TO SUPPORT A HEIGHT