Architectural technology of Tatar Ethnic Group
The industrial arts and crafts of the Tatar nationality are in great varieties, with outstanding technology and very famous. The architectural technology is more outstanding and has unique national style.
The colored drawing and carving are very universally applied in the architectural art of the Tatar nationality, especially in the buildings of the Islamic mosques, their doors, crossbeams, pillars and wood ceilings all have the decorations of colored drawing. The single-line horizontal painting colored drawing applies blue as bottom, and uses all kinds of colors according to the requirement of patterns, and the color is contrasted sharply, bright, beautiful and attractive. The patterns of colored drawing mainly draw materials from all kinds of flowers, and are made by the skills of symmetry, interlocking, parallel and circulation, etc. Most of the door leafs, doorframes and window leafs the mosque buildings have exquisite carving.
The styles of carving are mostly two or four connected geometrical patterns, and the structure is rigorous and complex. The flowers are mostly painted into those in white and red. Under the bottom foil of sky blue and light green, they look dazzling. Besides, the joined flowers and grasses inlaid on the doors, windows, roof beams, pillars and ceilings are connected with the natural color wood strips and according to the patterns of grasses and flowers and the geometrical patterns, and then they are added with colored drawing. This kind of carved decoration shows a kind of simple and natural aesthetic charm. The “Nuogaiyi maisiqiti” Mosque (the local people habitually call it as Nanliang Mosque) in the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, is the typical masterpiece in the architectural style of the Tatar nationality. Its unique arched door, main room, arched roof, moon watching building and the surrounding railings make up the outer outline characteristics that are arranged cleverly and in an integral whole.
The indoor decorative art is mainly shown on the exquisite carving and colored drawing on the roof beam, pillar, door, window and ceiling. Especially, the shrine—“Maihelafu” in the main hall in the mosque and the wood stair-shape high seat—“Mingbair” that is used by Yimamu to teach scripture are the architectural art masterpieces of the Tatar nationality that are more marvelous, magnificent and resplendent.
