Abbasid architecture developed under the Abbasid Caliphate between 750 and 1258, primarily in its heartland of Iraq. The change of dynasty from the Umayyads brought a political and cultural shift that moved the center of power to Mesopotamia, displacing the earlier influence of classical and Byzantine models in favor of local Mesopotamian and Persian ones, and the Abbasids developed distinctive styles of their own, especially during their period of greatest power and prosperity between 750 and 932. A defining characteristic of the style in Iraq was its extensive use of stucco and plaster decoration in interior spaces, a response to the limited local availability of high-quality building stone that made malleable materials well suited to repetitive, abstract ornament.
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Source Abbasid architecture (Wikipedia)
Source Abbasid architecture (Wikipedia)
Source Abbasid architecture (Wikipedia)
Source Getty Vocabularies (Art and Architecture Thesaurus): AAT concept record: Abbasid
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1. Abbasid architecture (Wikipedia)
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developed in the Abbasid Caliphate (750 to 1258 CE)
Associated With: Brick, Lead section
The Abbasids favored mud brick and baked brick for construction, allowing for enormous architectural complexes to be built at relatively low cost, as most clearly exemplified by Samarra, which was made up of vast palaces and monumental mosques spread across some 40 km (25 mi).
Associated With: Palace, Lead section
The Abbasids favored mud brick and baked brick for construction, allowing for enormous architectural complexes to be built at relatively low cost, as most clearly exemplified by Samarra, which was made up of vast palaces and monumental mosques spread across some 40 km (25 mi).
Associated With: Mosque, Lead section
The Abbasids favored mud brick and baked brick for construction, allowing for enormous architectural complexes to be built at relatively low cost, as most clearly exemplified by Samarra, which was made up of vast palaces and monumental mosques spread across some 40 km (25 mi).
View the SourceGetty Vocabularies (Art and Architecture Thesaurus): AAT concept record: Abbasid
Getty Vocabularies (Art and Architecture Thesaurus)Associated With: Stucco, Scope noteQuote, Associated With: Stucco, Scope note
Samarra is noted for its ornamental stucco, particularly the so-called 'bevelled' manner of decoration derived from Scythian-Siberian abstract design.
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