From mosques to markets‎,‎ from citadels to cemetries‎,‎ this text is a survey of the entire field of Islamic architecture‎.‎ Although Islamic buildings may make an immediate visual impact‎,‎ it can be useful to know something of the society which they serve‎.‎ This text relates the architecture to the social areas of religion‎,‎ power structure‎,‎ commerce and communal life‎,‎ placing emphasis on function and meaning rather than on style and chronology‎.‎ The text contains photographs‎,‎ drawings and plans that highlight the variety of building type and design‎.‎ Building materials‎,‎ techniques‎,‎ and principles of decoration are also described and explained‎,‎ and a comprehensive inventory of the key buildings of the Islamic world concludes this study‎.‎