Write an essay in which you consider the Suleymaniye and the Taj Mahal in comparative perspective, focusing on a single architectural theme or question. Once you have selected a theme, you should research it, and develop a specific, focused, and compelling argument.
Examples of appropriate themes include, but are not limited to: spatial organization, spatial experience, structural engineering, ornamental program, relationship between exterior and interior, relationship to the urban environment, and symbolic meaning.
Do not compose a laundry list of observations that addresses all of these issues. Instead, select a single theme to explore in comparative perspective, and provide evidence for your central argument. Remember to develop a clear, specific thesis in your paper.
Illustrations:
Your paper should include an appendix with labeled illustrations. (Do not embed the illustrations in the text of your paper. Place them in an appendix at the end.) The label should include the figure number and the architect, name of the monument, its location, and date. For example: “Figure 1. Iktinos and Kallikrates, The Parthenon, Athens, c. 447-432 BCE.”
You should also refer to the illustrations in the text of your paper. For example: “The Parthenon (fig. 1) features an elaborate frieze depicting the Panathenaic Procession (fig. 2).”
