Ismaili Thought and Islamic Architecture in Yemen During the Sulayhid Period (439-532 AH/1047-1137 AD). The Great Mosque of Jiblah as a Case Study
The current research deals with an era in the history of Islamic civilization in which the Sulayhid state ruled in Yemen. The problem of the research centers on the lack of architectural studies that addressed architecture from the analytical aspect as well as the artistic and intellectual. It aims to study the possible influence of Ismaili Tayyibi thought on Islamic architecture through studying the symbolic aspects of Ismaili thought in the architectural elements included in Islamic architecture, which were built during the Sulayhid rule. The methodology is based on the symbolic approach, which focuses on studying the culture of society, to know the symbolic systems through which society expresses its culture and beliefs. It is formed through constructing an intellectual model that includes the principles of Ismaili thought and its teachings. Then, it is applied to the architecture, and choosing the Great Mosque in Jiblah as a model. The research concluded by extracting a set of architectural characteristics that distinguished Sulayhid architecture. It also concluded that Ismaili Tayyibi thought relies heavily on symbolic thought in extracting the inner meanings of spiritual truths. Interpretation, guardianship, and the idea of the inner “Al-Batin” and outer “Azzahir”, may be understood as expressions of this symbolic mode of thought. In this light, some features of the Great Mosque in Jiblah may be interpreted as reflecting this thought through architectural signs and symbolic forms.