Ottoman architecture

Islamic building in Al-Aqsa, Jerusalem

architecture of the Ottoman Empire

thumb|upright=1.3|Muqarnas as seen from below in the iwan entrance to the Shah Mosque in [[Isfahan, Iran (17th century)]] thumb|upright=1.3|Muqarnas dome in the Sala de Dos Hermanas at the Alhambra in [[Granada, Spain (14th century)]] Muqarnas (), also known in Iberian architecture as Mocárabe (from ), is a form of three-dimensional decoration in Islamic architecture in which rows or tiers of niche-like elements are projected over others below. It is an archetypal form of Islamic architecture, integral to the vernacular of Islamic buildings, and typically featured in domes and vaults, as well

thumb|The türbe of Gazi Husrev-beg (1480–1541) at the [[Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina]] thumb|Earlier and more eastern examples have straight-sided roofs rather than domes, a Persian style. Divriği, [[Sivas Province, in central eastern Turkey, 13th century.]] thumb|The Grand Vizier's türbes in the heart of Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina thumb|Momine Khatun Mausoleum in Nakhchivan (city)|Nakhchivan (1186–1187) Türbe refers to a Muslim mausoleum, tomb or grave often in the Turkish-speaking areas and for the mausolea of Ottoman sultans, nobles and notables. A typica

thumb|right|400px|Süleymaniye Mosque and Külliye in [[Istanbul]]

thumb|Exterior view of the Bedesten of Edirne, Turkey, built by Sultan [[Mehmed I between 1413 and 1421 CE]] A bedesten (variants: bezistan, bezisten, bedestan) is a type of covered market or market hall which was historically found in the cities of the Ottoman Empire. It was typically the central building of the commercial district of an Ottoman town or city, where the most important and precious goods (like gold and jewellery) were kept and sold. Its function was comparable or equivalent to that of a qaysariyya in other (usually Arabic-speaking) regions, though the architecture of the latter

thumb|Yalı of Ahmet Afif Pasha in Yeniköy, Istanbul|Yeniköy on the European coast of the [[Bosphorus strait, designed by Alexandre Vallaury.]]

thumb|Reception hall of Azm Palace|Azem Palace in [[Damascus, Syria, using ablaq technique (18th century)]]Ablaq (; particolored; literally 'piebald') is an architectural technique involving alternating or fluctuating rows of light and dark stone. It is an Arabic term describing a technique associated with Islamic architecture in the Arab world. The technique is used primarily for decorative effect. It may have its origins in earlier Byzantine architecture in the region, where alternating layers of white stone and orange brick were used in construction. Its use began early in the history of Is

thumb|right|220px|Outside view of the Selamlık of Dolmabahçe Palace

special lighting in mosque exteriors, especially during Ramazan

thumb|right|350px|An architectural drawing of a typical Levantine house, with the liwan area in grey. Liwan (, , from Persian ) is a long narrow-fronted hall or vaulted portal in ancient and modern Levantine homes that is often open to the outside. An Arabic loanword to English, it is ultimately derived from the Persian , which preceded by the article al ("the"), came to be said as in Arabic, and later, English.

ottoman architectural style in the 18th and early 19th centuries

decorative top of a minaret, or Ottoman military standard