Magic of Muqarnas

Muqarnas - stalactite vaults - form an essential part of Islamic architecture. The first written reference on the geometrical concepts dates back to a treatise by the famous Islamic mathematician and astronomer al-Kashi (died 1429). The relation between layout and spatial arrangement is the topic of this video. First, historical sites of muqarnas around the Mediterranian Sea and in Middle Asia are shown. Then follows an introduction to the basic concepts of muqarnas construction with the help of computer graphics. The various elements are visualized and the connection between erected vaults and their 2D projections is explained. The focus point of reconstructing muqarnas lies in Iran. Turning to a still existing niche of the Friday Mosque at Natanz, the film continues with a reconstruction of a vault corresponding to the oldest known muqarnas design, found at Takht-i Suleyman. Finally, animations of illuminated muqarnas at Bastam reveal the fine art of both architecture and computer graphics