Algazi architecture

Algazi architecture is the architecture of the Algazi Union and historic Algazi communities worldwide. Though deeply linked to other Ekuosian architectural traditions, local stylistic developments and influences from more exotic cultures have given Algazi architecture a distinctive character. While some notable building types, such as temples, have remained relatively consistent, others have changed dramatically with changes to the political, social, and urban fabric of Algazi society. Vernacular architectural styles largely diverged from each other based on local factors such as climate, context, and availability of materials. By contrast, elite and monumental architecture has frequently shifted due to political, social, and cultural developments. While some building types, such as temples, have remained relatively consistent, others, such as palaces, have seen dramatic evolution of form and style.

Early Architecture

Argeyazic peoples in the modern-day Algazi Union maintained a semi-nomadic lifestyle with little permanent construction until the 3rd through 1st Centuries BCE. During this time, the introduction of improved irrigation techniques led to the intensification of agriculture and the emergence of permanent settlements. These were typically built on hills or mountains to protect from raids by other clans. Buildings in these settlements were simple and solidly-built. Buildings were one or two stories in height; the lower floor was used for storage, and was often built into the hillside. Mud brick was the primary building material, but stone was used when available. Rooves were flat or sloped and made of wood, thatch, or palm fronds. Buildings had few doors and windows, which featured heavy wood or stone lintels.

Yurek Period

The Yurek Period saw the beginnings of urbanization, the emergence of Hafsigh as the dominant local power, and substantial Letstatian and Adzamic influence in all areas of culture. As a result, it was at the beginning of this era that more elaborate, large-scale architecture emerged in the region. Buildings began featuring relief decorations, patterned brick or stonework, and painted or glazed tile for ornament. Though still typically flat or sloped, rooves were also increasingly clad in terra cotta tile and often accompanied by prominent cornices or parapets.

Perhaps the most important development was the introduction of the arch, which would transform both the structure and appearance of Algazi buildings. In addition to allowing larger and taller buildings, arches allowed for larger and more frequent openings in walls. Consequently, windows would become increasingly prominent over the course of the Yurek Period. Blind arches and arcades, both round and corbelled, were used as decorative features. The horseshoe arch also emerged at the end of the Yurek Period, initially used for smaller windows and doors.

Sadhas Period

While architecture became progressively more elaborate and ornate over the course of the Yurek Period, architecture became significantly more ostentatious following the establishment of the Sadhas Dynasty in 694, as both a reaction to the austerity imposed by the Serimites and as a display of the state's renewed wealth and power. While the Yurek Dynasty was rooted in the ancient Argeyazic clan system, the Sadhas rulers relied on projection of power to legitimize their rule. Though Dareb I, the dynasty's founder, employed a more defensive and militaristic style in his commissions, his successors, more secure in their positions, favored luxurious architecture that emphasized wealth and ritual. As a result, buildings during the Sadhas Period became significantly more open, with larger and more frequent windows, arcades, and colonnades. The distinction between indoors and outdoors was blurred; rooms were often open on one side to a garden or courtyard, while both ritual and everyday functions frequently took place in covered porches. Instead of emphasizing defensibility and physical security, Sadhas rulers sought to project an image of confidence and superiority.

Both round and horseshoe arches figured prominently, often with striped patterns. Polylobed arches also began to appear during this period, though commonly relegated to decorative features. Arches were increasingly supported by ornamented columns rather than solid piers as in earlier designs; thinner and more delicate in appearance, columns added to the lighter and more open feel of Sadhas architecture. By this time, stone had become the dominant material for formal construction, with different colored stones used for decorative effect. However, brick remained in wide use in both formal and informal contexts. Shallow hipped and gabled rooves also became the norm during the Sadhas Period, with flat rooves remaining fairly common. In addition to decorative brickwork and stonework, buildings were decorated with painted tile and plaster reliefs incorporating floral and figural designs.

Late Sadhas/Early States Period

From the beginning of the 9th Century CE, Sadhas rule over the Hafsighi Kingdom gradually weakened. While Hafsigh itself and its hinterland remained under the king's control, local elites came to control most of the kingdom. As a result, elite construction was dominated by regional aristocrats even before the collapse of the Hafsighi Kingdom in 1078. Instead of the villas and suburban estates of the Sadhas monarchy and aristocracy, they made their homes in urban palaces. Due to the instability and economic decline that came with waning Sadhas power, architecture during this period was more restrained than during the height of Sadhas rule. Buildings returned to more solid, defensible designs with relatively few openings. Buildings were generally built of one type of local stone and/or brick. Elite architecture also began to vary more significantly by geography during this time, often reflecting vernacular architecture more closely.

Despite this, much of the visual language of Sadhas architecture was retained. Though buildings had fewer windows, blind arcades and arches were used as surface ornament. These were less ornate, however, and more emphasis was places on repeating patterns, such as a band of arches along a facade instead of one to three arches set within a frame. Though polylobed arches remained in use for decoration, round arches largely replaced horseshoe arches for openings. Other surface decoration was simpler than during the Sadhas period, but remained extensive, with continued use of tile and decorative brickwork, as well the popularization of interior wall paintings.

Late States/Early League Period

By the late 13th Century, the regional economy had largely recovered from the collapse of the Hafsighi Kingdom; trade in the region would expand substantially in the following centuries, with Algazi city states becoming centers of global trade. As a result, more and more wealth flowed into Algazi cities and into the hands of their ruling families. For these elites, display of foreign artifacts and cultures served to display the extent of a family's economic network; incorporation of imported forms and elements helped to make this a period of unprecedented architectural innovation in Algazi cities. The urban palaces and trade houses of aristocratic families became very lavish during this time, as did the public buildings they sponsored. Homes and businesses of tradespeople and minor merchants also became larger and more elaborate as a result of aristocratic patronage.

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