Dictionary of islamic architecture

Mosque near Ta
iz, Yemen, © Charles Aithie
Yemen

---

312
Yemen
central dome flanked by smaller domed bays either
side. Another innovation of this period is the
decorative brick minaret such as that of al-Mahjam
which consists of a square socle with an octagonal
shaft which is faceted lower down and has a large
diaper pattern on the upper shaft. A characteristic
feature of Yemeni mosques of this period (twelfth to
fifteenth centuries) is a domed tower-like structure
marking the position of the mihrab. The Ottoman
conquest of the sixteenth century introduced a new
form of domed mosque comprising a large domed
area with a multiple-domed portico. One of the best
examples of this type is the mosque of Mustafa Pasha
in Ta
iz built in 1554. Despite the Ottoman form of
this building the execution is entirely Yemeni with
stucco decoration and a thick cylindrical minaret.
The Ayyubids were responsible for introducing the
madrassa as an architectural type, although the form
in Yemen differed from that found elsewhere in the
Islamic world. The main distinguishing feature is that
Yemeni madrassas had no accommodation for
students and teachers. Many Yemeni madrassas
simply comprised a mosque with a teaching hall
opposite. One of the finest examples of Yemeni Islamic
architecture is the Ashrafiyya Madrassa in Ta
iz which
comprises a mosque, a teaching hall, a Quran school
and a library arranged around an internal courtyard.
Another innovation of the Ayyubid period was the
domed mausoleum which was used to commemorate
deceased imams and rulers. The earliest examples
date from the thirteenth century and comprise square
domed structures open on three sides, the fourth side
containing the mihrab. Probably the most elaborately
decorated structures are the tombs of Sa
da which have
extravagantly decorated domes covered with
calligraphic and geometric designs executed in
painted stucco.
The richness of Yemeni religious architecture is
matched in the domestic architecture of the towns
and some of the villages. One of the most
characteristic building forms is that of the tower
houses which in San’a and the highlands are built
of stone and brick but in the Wadi Hadramat are
extravagantly tall mud-brick structures. The
external walls of these houses are normally battered,
with their thickness decreasing with height. The
Great Mosque of Zabid, Yemen (after Finster)

---

313
Yemen
windows are usually decorated with wooden grilles
which are often plain but can become quite elaborate.
In San
a and the highlands the exterior of the
buildings are also decorated with geometric
brickwork and white stucco borders around the
windows. The design of these buildings varies with
regions and the date of construction, although they
have the same basic plan. Each house has a single
door which opens on to the street. Inside there is a
passageway or hall opening on to various rooms of
utilitarian function (storage, animal pens etc.). At the
end of the hallway there is a staircase leading up to
the first floor. Depending on the height of the house
the living quarters may start at the first or the third
floor. In the upper storeys there are bedrooms,
bathrooms and pillared reception rooms which often
open on to terraces. The room at the top of the house
is usually a large reception hall (mufraj) with two
tiers of windows. The upper row of windows in the
mufraj usually comprise elaborate stucco tracery
filled in with coloured glass (green, blue, red and
yellow). At the top of the house are parapets,
sometimes with arrow slits for defence.