AFGHANISTAN

PAKISTAN
INDIA

COMPARATIV
E
ANALYSIS

I. TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE
THE TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE IN AFGHANISTAN WAS INFLUENCED BY:

GREEK WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED BY TEMPLES WITH REFINED AND

PERFECTION AND DECORATIVE MOTIFS.
ROMAN WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED BY MASSIVE BRICK &
CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION, SEMI-CIRCULAR ARCH DOME,
SIMPLICITY AND GRANDEUR OFTEN COMBINED WITH
ELABORATE DETAILING, MOLDED STUCCO.
SASSANIAN- WHICH IS FROM PERSIA CHARACTERIZED WITH
ELLIPTICAL DOMES, SQUINCHES AND STUCCOED MASONRY
WALLS ARTICULATED BY PILASTERS AND CORNICES.

II. DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURAL STYLE

1. SASSANID ARCHITECTURE- REFERS TO THE PARTHIAN STYLE OF
ARCHITECTURE. ITS UNIQUE CHARACTERISTIC WAS ITS DISTINCTIVE
USE OF SPACE.
2. SIKH ARCHITECTURE- CHARACTERIZED WITH VALUES OF
PROGRESSIVENESS, EXQUISITE INTICACY, AUSTERE BEAUTY AND
LOGICAL FLOWING LINES.
III. GENERAL CONCEPT
THE PLAN IS CHARACTERIZED WITH A SERIES OF SEMICIRCULAR ARCHES THROWN ACROSS THE ANGLES OF THE
APARTMENT, EACH PROJECTING FURTHER INTO IT THAN THE
PRECEDING, AND IN THIS WAY THE CORNERS ARE GOT RID OF, AND
THE SQUARE CONVERTED INTO THE CIRCULAR SHAPE. THE OBLONG
AND SQUARE ARE VARIOUSLY PROPORTIONED AND THE SPACE WAS
DISTINCTLY USED. THESE CHARACTERISTICS WERE BASED ON THE
SASSANID ARCHITECTURE, ONE OF THE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE IN
AFGHANISTAN. IT IS ALSO CHARACTERIZED WITH MANY CURVES
AND STRAIGHT LINES WHICH IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF SIKH ARCH.
IV. PLAN
AFGHANISTAN CONTAINS STRIKING ARCHITECTURAL
REMNANTS OF ALL AGES, INCLUDING GREEK AND BUDDHIST STUPAS
(SHRINES OR RELIQUARIES) AND MONASTERIES, ARCHES,
MONUMENTS, INTRICATE ISLAMIC MINARETS (THE TALL, SLENDER
TOWERS ON MOSQUES), TEMPLES AND FORTS WHICH WERE
INSPIRED BY THE DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURAL DEVELOPMENTS.
V. DOMINANT FEAUTURE/ELEMENT

CUPOLA ROOFS- A LIGHT STRUCTURE ON A DOME OR ROOF

SERVING AS BELFRY AND LANTERN.
LANTERN ROOF- A SUPERSTRUCTURE CROWNING A ROOF OR A
DOME.ARCHED SQUINCHES- AN ARCH OR CORBELLING TO SUPPORT
THE SIDE OF A SUPERIMPOSED OCTAGONAL STRUCTURE.
COFFERED DOME- ONE OF THE MEMBER OF RECESSED, USUALLY
SQUARE OR OCTAGONAL PANELS IN CEILING. LACUNAR OR CAISSON.
INTERIOR HONEY COMBED- AN EXPOSED SURFACE PRODUCE A
TEXTURED SURFACED. A HEXAGONAL PATTERN.
THE FAADE IS FACED WITH GLAZED TILES

VI. BUILDING TYPES

MONUMENTS- A TYPE OF STRUCTURE THAT WAS EXPLICITLY

CREATED TO COMMEMORATE A PERSON OR IMPORTANT
EVENT.
EX: MINARET OF JAM STANDS ALONE IN A REMOTE VALLEY

EX: MINARET OF JAM STANDS ALONE IN A REMOTE VALLEY

STUPA- A BURIAL MOUND. ALSO CALLED AS SAMANGAN OR
AIBAK. HEWN INTO THE SOLID ROCK OF A LARGE HILL.
EX: STUPA AT GULDARA MARKED BY A NUMBER OF
LARGE NICHES FRAMED BY PILASTERS
FORT A FORTIFIED BUILDING
EX: BALA HISAR FORT ELEVATED OR HIGH FORT
TRADITIONAL MOSQUE - BUILDING USE AS A PLACE OF
MUSLIM
WORHSIP
EX: THE MASJID-I-JAMI 800 YR OLD STRCUTURE IN HERAT

VII. ORNAMENTS

GANDHARA ART- AN ANCIENT FORM OF ART, STYLE OF BUDDHISM

VISUAL ART. IT DEPICTS EVENTS OF BUDDHAS LIFE.
GONBAD- A DOME OFTEN DOUBLE LAYERED.
BAS RELIEFS: BACTRIAN DELEGATION; GANDHARAN DELEGATION;
ARYANA DELEGATION

VIII. STUPA IN AFGHANISTAN

STUPA CONSISTS OF A DOME AND TWO DRUMS RESTING ON A HIGH,
SQAURE PLATFORM WITH A STAIRCASE. THE HIGH PLATFORM AND
BOTH OF THE DRUMS ARE DECORATED IN FRIEZES OF BLIND ARCHES
AND "INDO-CORINTHIAN" PILASTERS.
GATEWAY IN PAKISTAN
GATEWAY IS A MONUMENTAL PORTAL.

IX. PROMINENT BUILDING

THE REGION HAS MADE
MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS
TO THE
WORLD'S ARCHITECTURE.
UNESCO HAS
ACKNOWLEDGED
AFGHANISTAN'S ROLE BY
DECLARING THE MINARET
OF JAM.

I. TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE

BUDDHIST & ARCHITECTURE A PERSIAN AND GREEK

INFLUENCE. OUTSTANDING ARCHITECTURAL MONUMENTS
WERE DEVELOPED AND TEMPLES WERE FORMED IN COMPLEX
CONSISTING OF STUPAS
JAIN ARCHITECTURE FOUNDED BY MAHAVIRA IN THE JAINS.
DISTINGUISED BY EXTRAORDINARY RICHNESS AND
COMPLEXITY OF THEIR SCULPTURAL ORNAMENT.
MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE AN ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
DEVELOPED BY THE MUGHALS AND WAS AN AMALGAM
OF
ISLAMIC, PERSIAN AND INDIAN ARCHITECTURE

II. DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURAL STYLE

GRECO-BUDDHIST STYLE COMBINATION OF PERSIAN AND

GREEK INFLUENCE
GANDHARA STYLE STYLE OF BUDDHISM VISUAL ART AND
ON
THE DEPICTED EVENTS OF BUDDHAS LIFE SET INTO
SCENES
ISLAMIC-PERSIAN ARCHITECTURAL STYLE PRODUCED
PLAYFUL FORMS OF THE HINDUSTANI ART AND EXHIBITS
A
MULTIPLICITY OF IMPORTANT BUILDING FROM THE
EMPIRE
INDO-EUROPEAN STYLE MIXTURE OF EUROPEAN AND INDIAN
ISLAMIC COMPONENTS

III. GENERAL CONCEPT

THE IDEOLOGY OF RELIGION IS THE DETERMINING FACTOR THAT
AFFECTS THEIR BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES. FURTHERMORE,
PAKISTANS NEW FOUND NATIONAL IDENTITY REFLECTS ITSELF IN
MODERN STRUCTURES.
IV. PLAN
MUGHAL BUILDINGS HAVE UNIFORM PATTERN OF STRUCTURE AND
CHARACTER INCLUDING LARGE BULBOUS DOMES, SLENDER MINARETS
AT CORNERS, MASSIVE HALLS, A LARGE VAULTED GATEWAYS, DELICATE
ORNAMENTATION AND LANSCAPE.
V. DOMINANT FEAUTURE/ELEMENT

TOMBS A MONUMENT TO THE MEMORY OF A DEAD PERSON

ERECTED OVER THEIR BURIAL PLACE LIKE THE TOMB
OF
JAHANGIR.
SHRINES - IS A HOLY AND SCARED PLACE WHICH IS DEDICATED TO
A SPECIFIC DIETY, ANCESTOR
JHAROKHA TYPE OF OVERWHELMING BALCONY
CHHATRIS (UMBRELLA OR CANOPY) BASIC ELEMENT OF HINDI
AND MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE
JALI A PERFORATED STONE OR LATTICED SCREEN AND AN
ORNAMENTAL PATTERN CONSTRUCTED THROUGH THE
USE OF CALLIGRAPHY AND GEOMETRY

VI. BUILDING TYPES

TEMPLE A BUILDING DEBOTED TO THE WORSHIP OR

REGARDED AS THE DWELLING PLACE OF A GOD OR GODS OR
OTHER OBJECTS OR RELIGIOUS REVERENCE
EX: GORAKHNATH TEMPLE IN PESHAWAR
SHRINE A PLACE REGARDED AS HOLY BECAUSE OF ITS
ASSOCIATION WITH DIVINITY OF SACRED PERSON
EX: SHRINE OF ABDULLAH SHAH GHAZI IN THE CITY OF
KARACHI
MAUSOLEA AND TOMB A STATELY AND MAGNIFICENT TOMB
EX: MUHAMMAD OQBAL
MOSQUE BUILDING USE AS A PLACE OF MUSLIM WORHSIP
EX: FAISAL MOSQUE

CROBEL A PROJECTING BLOCK, USUALLY OF STONE

SPOORTING A BEAM OR ANY HORIZONTAL MEMBER
OVERLAPPING RECTANGULAR SLABS OFTENLY USED BY THE
BUDDHISTS AS MOULDING

VIII. STUPA IN INDIA

THE SHAPE OF THE STUPA REPRESENTS THE BUDDHA, CROWNED
AND SITTINGIN MEDITATION POSTURE ON A LION THRONE. IT
COMMEMORATES A SACRED SITE, CONSIST OF AN ARTIFICIAL MOUND,
RAISED ON A PLATFORM AND SURROUNDED BY AN OUTER
AMBULATORY WITH STONE RAILINGS AND FOUR GATEWAY.
GATEWAY IN INDIA
INDIAN GATEWAY USUALLY OF STONE, MARKING THE ENTRANCE TO
A BUDDHIST SHRINE OR STUPA OR TO A HINDU TEMPLE. TORANAS
TYPICALLY CONSIST OF TWO PILLARS CARRYING TWO OR THREE
TRANSVERSE BEAMS THAT EXTEND BEYOND THE PILLARS ON EITHER
SIDE.

IX. PROMINENT BUILDING

TAJ MAHAL BY SHAH JAHAN
IT INCORPORATES AND EXPANDS ON DESIGN TRADITIONS OF
PERSIAN AND EARLIER MUGHAL ARCHITECTURE. THE MOST SPECTACULAR
FEAUTURE IS THE MARBLE DOME THAT SURMOUNTS THE TOMB.

I. TYPE OF ARCHITECTURE

HINDU ARCHITECTURE THIS ARCHITECTURAL STYLE WAS INSPIRED

BY THEIR RELIGION AND REFLECTS THE
REVERENCE OF THE
HINDUS TO THEIR GODS. ALTHOUGH PEOPLE LIVED IN A SIMPLE
HUTS MADE OF
MUD, THEY CREATED TEMPLES TO HONOR THEIR
DIETIES.

II. DIFFERENT ARCHITECTURAL STYLE

HINDU ARCH. INTRODUCTION TO WIDE-SPREADING

BRACKETS ABOVE THE COLUMN CAPITAL, OR BY
SUCCESSIVE CORBELS AS IN THE JAIN BUILDINGS.
BUDDHIST ARCH. MONASTERIES, MEETING HALLS AND STUPA
SHRINES ARE ALL PLANNED TO ACCOMMODATE LARGE
GROUPS OF WORSHIPPERS
JAIN ARCH. PAID ATTENTION TO THE SITTING AND GOVERNMENT
OF THEIR MONUMENT, CREATING TEMPLE,
CITIES AND SCARED
MOUNTAINS.
MUGHAL ARCH. ARCHES AND DOMES BEGAN TO BE USED
AND MOSQUE BEGAN TO FORM PART OF THE LANDSCAPE,
ADDING TO THE NEW EXPERIENCE IN FORM AND SPACE
INDO-SARACENIC ARCH. CREATING AUTHORITIES THROUGH
CLASSICAL PROTOTYPES TO THE LATER APPROACH OF
PRODUCING A SUPPOSEDLY MORE RESPONSIVE
IMAGE.
POST-INDEPENDENCE ARCH. THE QUEST WAS MORE
TOWARDS
PROGRESS AS A PARADIGM FUELLED BY
NEHRUVIAN VISIONS

III. GENERAL CONCEPT

INDIAN HAS HINDU ARCHITECTURE AS ITS GENERAL TYPE OF
ARCHITECTURE. IT CONCEPTUALIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR GODS
AND THROUGH THE BUILDINGS/STRUCTURES THEY BUILT, THEY
SHOWERED THE LOVE AND THEIR COMMITMENT TO THEIR GODS. THESE
STRUCTURES EMPOWER THEIR FAITH AND BELIEFS IN THEIR GODS,
WORSHIP AND PRAISE THEM THROUGH THESE STRUCTURES BUILT.
IV. PLAN
THE HINDU OR BRAHMAN ARCHITECTURE HAS SQUARE PLANS WITH
SIKHARAS
V. DOMINANT FEAUTURE/ELEMENT

SIKHARA PYRAMIDAL OR CURVILINEAR TOWER-LIKE

STRUCTURE OF A HINDU TEMPLE
MANDAPA A LARGE OPEN PORCH-LIGHT HALL OF A
AND IT IS USUALLY PILLARED
GARBHA-GRIHA SMALL SHRINES IN HINDU TEMPLE

UPPER
TEMPLE

VI. BUILDING TYPES

STUPA BURIAL OR A MONUMENTAL MOUND ERECTED TO ENSHRINE

A RELIC
EX: THE GREAT STUPA AT SANCHI
CHAITYA A BUDDHIST SANCTUARY, SHRINE OR PLACE OF
RELIGIONS WORSHIP
EX: KARLA CAVES
VIHARA A MONASTERY CONSISTS OF A QUADRANGLE
SURROUNDED BY A VERANDAH ON TO WHICH OPENSIMPLE
SQUARE
EX: BURMESE VIHARA IN INDIA

VII. ORNAMENTS

ARABESQUE INTRICATE OVERALL PATTERN OF

GEOMETRICAL
FORM
BRACKET ANY OVERHANGING MEMBER PROJECTING FROM
A
WALL TO SUPPORT A HEIGHT