History and Theories of Architecture - I (ARCH225)
First in the series of survey courses on history of world architecture and art, covering the period f rom pre-historic times to the end of the medieval era, specially designed for Architecture students. Focus, on the theoretical perspective as well as the historical. First part of the course deals with the evolution of architecture and art from prehistory until the end of the pagan world; the second, with architecture developed in the West and the East with the rise of religions-Christianity and Islam- until the end of medieval times. Due to comparative nature of the course, a rather broad geographical scope is considered to include topics and examples from Europe, Asia and Africa. Architecture of Egypt, Greece, Rome, Early Christianity, Early Islamic, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic, Safevid, Seljuk, Mongol, and Early Ottoman architecture are taken up in a chronological line. All major themes and genres of architecture and art to be covered: religious and secular architecture, decorative arts, and traditional arts like calligraphy in their relationships to Architecture and desig n.