A masterpiece of early Islamic architecture: The Noh-Gonbad Mosque in Balkh, Afghanistan

The Noh-Gonbad Mosque is one of the oldest examples of Islamic architecture, and it is undoubtedly the most ancient mosque of Afghanistan, dated from 794 A.D., few decades after Muhammad's Hegira. With its particular building technologies and magnificent stucco decoration, it represents a maste...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of cultural heritage Vol. 32; pp. 248 - 256
Main Authors Boostani, Arash, Fratini, Fabio, Misseri, Giulia, Rovero, Luisa, Tonietti, Ugo
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Masson SAS 01.07.2018
Subjects
Abbassid period mosque
Afghanistan
Earth material
Gypsum
Pointed arches
Gypsum
Abbassid period mosque
Afghanistan
Pointed arches
Earth material
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Summary:The Noh-Gonbad Mosque is one of the oldest examples of Islamic architecture, and it is undoubtedly the most ancient mosque of Afghanistan, dated from 794 A.D., few decades after Muhammad's Hegira. With its particular building technologies and magnificent stucco decoration, it represents a masterpiece. In this paper, a part of the multidisciplinary restoration project is reported. In particular, the comprehensive investigation carried out to define mechanical, physical and chemical characteristics of building materials is presented. The key findings available in the literature on the birth of the mosque have been synthesised and linked to technological and constructive evidence collected on site, which suggests the purpose of realising a simple but yet impressive building. Using data gathered on the field together with experimental results it has been possible to identify the static consistency of the arcade system and carry out a preliminary vulnerability assessment.
ISSN:1296-2074
1778-3674
DOI:10.1016/j.culher.2018.02.001