As noted in my last post, the first mosque built by the first Muslim sultan of Delhi recycled much of the stonework used in the Hindu and Jain temples that formerly stood on the site. Unlike the Spanish who were on a mission in Peru to convert everyone to Catholicism and wipe out any trace of heathen practices, including Inca temples, Qutub-ud-din Aibak and his Muslim successors were far more practical. They needed the tribute paid by the Hindu elites and the manpower of the populace. They were far more accommodating of their subjects’ religions than the Spanish Catholics. And, unlike the Spanish who lacked the skills to reuse the huge, meticulously-sized stones of the temples they destroyed, Aibak’s architects and engineers were more skilled than those of their new subjects.
Arcade of Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque
They developed an amalgam of features from both cultures architectural styles. The following columns reflect the Muslim tradition of avoiding the use of “pictures” in religious buildings.
Arcade column detail
But these columns were clearly recycled from a culture that had no such restrictions.
Recyled Hindu columns
They also figured out how to use these columns in different ways.
Non-arcade columns
In my previous post, I gave examples of stone screening and the use of decorative calligraphy. Here are some additional examples of the fine stone carvings created for this mosque–probably by the stone carvers who had created the Hindu columns.
Decorative stone carvings
A mix of calligraphy and a vine-based motif