Originates from Old Iranian Achaemenid Empire. First recorded Persian garden was Cyrus the Great's at Pasargadae. Spread through Muslim conquests to Egypt, Mediterranean, India and Spain. Persian word "pardis" means both paradise and garden
Built between 1199 and 1220 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak and Shamsuddin Iltutmish. World's tallest brick minaret at 72.5 meters with 379 steps. Located at site of Delhi's oldest fortified city Lal Kot. UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993
Pointed arches originated in Bronze Age Nippur (2700 BC). First appeared in eastern Christian, Byzantine and Sasanian architecture. Clearest pre-Islamic examples are Chytroi-Constantia Aqueduct in Cyprus (7th century)
Ottoman Empire (1299-1922) unified Islamic and Eastern Christian worlds. Mehmet II established Istanbul as capital in 15th century. Hagia Sophia was converted from church to mosque by Mehmet II. Topkapi palaces served as imperial residences and administrative centers
Jerusalem was conquered by Muslims in 638, adorned with churches and monasteries. The Dome of the Rock was constructed by Umayyad caliph ʿAbd al-Malik in 691-692 CE. The structure has undergone multiple renovations by successive Islamic dynasties
UNESCO established World Heritage List in 1972 to protect cultural and natural heritage. Türkiye has 21 heritage sites as of 2024, including 19 cultural and 2 mixed sites