Dictionary of islamic architecture

See also:
Istanbul, Ottomans, Süleymaniye
Further reading:
J.Raby, ‘A seventeenth-century description of Iznik-
Nicea’, 
Istanbuler Mitteilungen,
149–88, 1976.
J.Raby and N.Atasoy, 
Iznik: The Pottery of Ottoman Turkey,
London 1989.
iwan

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jali
An Indian term for a perforated stone screen, usually with
an ornamental pattern.
jami or jami masjid
A congregational mosque which can be used by all
the community for Friday prayers.
jarokha
A Mughal term for a projecting covered balcony,
often used for ceremonial appearances.
Java
Large island in south-east Indonesia located between
Sumatra and Borneo, now forming the main island of the
State of Indonesia.
The earliest traces of Islam in Java may be from as
early as the eleventh century in the form of an
inscribed tombstone found at Leran. However, it
was not until the late fourteenth century that Islam
became a major force in the politics of the island.
Before the fourteenth century Islam had been a
minority religion spread by Muslim sea traders
from Malaysia and India. The predominant religion
before the arrival of Islam was Hinduism, though
some Buddhism also existed there. Central Java is
covered with the remains of Hindu temples from
this period, the most famous of which is Borabadur.
The most important of the states in pre-Islamic Java
was the kingdom of Majapahit (founded in 1293)
which in the fourteenth century controlled the
greater part of Indonesia and large parts of the
Malay Peninsula. After the death of King
Rajasanagara in 1389 the Majapahit declined rapidly
mostly due to the rising power of the Malaysian
state of Malacca which by this time had been
converted to Islam. The Majapahit kingdom
continued until the early sixteenth century when it
was finally replaced by Islamic kingdoms.
Despite the political and religious defeat of the
Old Javanese state, the culture of Java continued in
the Islamic states that replaced it, including their
architecture. The centre of Javanese cult life had
always been the mountain, often surrounded by the
sea. In architecture this was symbolized by artificial
hills surrounded by moats, a feature found in the
palaces and mosques of the new Islamic states. Three
main types of monument have been identified from
the Islamic period, these are palaces 
(kraton),
mosques and gardens 
(taman).
Palaces
The palaces of the Islamic states developed from
those of their Javanese predecessors although it is
likely that the Islamic buildings also drew on some
other traditions. The Javanese kratons have