Mashrabiya is one of the traditional architectural elements that Arab and Islamic homes are famous for, and it is a decorated wooden window with accurate holes, used for ventilation, shading and preserving privacy inside the house. Al -Mashrabia also reflects the aesthetics of Islamic architecture and its functional importance in adapting the internal climate.
Here’s the most prominent information about Mashrabiya.
When did Mashrabiya appear?
Mashrabiya appeared for the first time in Islamic architecture during the Abbasid era, that is, in the eighth and ninth century AD, but it spread widely in the Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman times, especially in Egypt, the Levant, Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula.
Mashrabiya developed through the ages
In the Abbasid era (750-1258 AD), the Mashrabiya was primitive in their design, and their basic function is to ventilate the houses overlooking the narrow streets.
In the Mamluk era (1250-1517 AD), the Mashrabiya developed and became more decorated and complex, as the microbey jewelry known as Arabesque was added to it.
In the Ottoman era, Mashrabiya (1517-1914 AD) reached its peak, and became a major architectural element in the Ottoman houses, especially in major cities such as Cairo, Damascus and Istanbul.
Mashrabiya jobs
Providing ventilation and cooling, as its design allows cold air to enter and hot air exit, which helps to soften the atmosphere inside the rooms.
Maintaining privacy because it gives the residents of the house the ability to see the outside without the passers -by can see them.
Shading and reducing heat because it provides protection from direct sunlight, which reduces high temperatures inside the home.
It is an aesthetic and architectural component, as it added a artistic touch to Islamic architecture, because it was decorated with wonderful engineering and plant inscriptions.
Examples of historical Mashrabiya
Old Cairo houses such as Beit Al -Suhaimi and Beit Zainab Khatoun, where Al -Mashrabat maintains their original beauty to this day.
Damascene houses such as the bone palace, which includes wonderful models of wooden mashrabiya.
Ottoman architecture in Istanbul, where mashrabiya spread in traditional palaces and homes.
