To illuminate vast prayer halls without admitting destructive desert heat, classical builders mastered passive daylighting:
Drum Clerestories: Circling the dome's base with arched windows diffused incoming sunlight across the vault, visually lifting the ceiling.
The Shukhsheikha Lantern: Elevated roof lanterns admitted indirect downlight, bouncing sun rays off vertical plaster baffles before reaching the floor.
Splayed Window Jambs: Deep, beveled window reveals softened contrast transitions, eliminating glare on the Qibla wall.
Plaster Stucco Screens (Qamariyyat): Pierced gypsum tracery with colored glass blocked excess infrared heat while softening sky luminance.
Courtyard Floor Ground Bounce: White marble courtyards bounced secondary reflected light upward beneath deep peripheral arcades.
Graduated Mashrabiya Apertures: Narrow wooden apertures at eye level blocked direct glare, while wider upper openings threw deep light across ceilings.
Reflective Lower Wall Tilework: Glazed ceramic registers caught low-angle ambient rays, gently distributing light across carpeted floors.
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