MOSQUE ARCHITECTURE
"Their (Maldivians) temples are called Mesquites… is square, facing west... They must mount eight or nine steps to the elevation of the temple. The paved floor of the temple is covered with pretty mats and carpets… The superstructure is of wood, the carpentry of which I admire much, for which it could not be better polished or worked. The walls are wainscoted with wood, worked and fitted in the same way; and the whole of the woodwork, outside and in, is put together without nail or bolt of any kind, and yet holds so fast that one could not take it to pieces unless one knew the artifice. You see large slabs, either of stone or timber… which are engraved letters and inscriptions in the Arabic language… throughout the temple, which is spacious… The temples, or mesquites, are very numerous in all the inhabited islands…"
- Francoise Pyrard, French navigator and adventurer, 1619
The word mosque or Masjid in Arabic means a place for prayers or prostration. The first house of prayer built when Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) migrated to Medina in 622 CE was within his residential compound and was a simple shelter with palm tree trunks, supporting a roof of palm leaves. It was the place for meetings, congregational prayer and also the school, the courthouse, and the center of Muslim life. After the death of the Prophet, the first four Caliphs continued to use the mosque within the traditions of the prophet and the mosque structure remained simple and humble. During the Umayyad Period that followed the first four Caliphs, the role of the mosque changed from the main center for Muslim life to a more specialized one in purpose. Different mosques were being used for different purposes. The rulers separated their residences fro...
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...early twentieth century when masonry, using chipped coral rubble, coral lime and sand mortar with smooth lime plaster became popular. Both the platform base and walls of these mosques uses smoothly plastered coral masonry. The plinth is lower with few mouldings and no decorative carvings. The roof and ceiling structure are simpler than is predecessor. There are many such mosques and most of them are still not recognized as cultural assets and very much endangered. Examples of this type of mosques are Male’ Bihuroazu Kamana Miskiy rebuilt in 1919.
Cultural heritage of Maldives goes beyond a few thousands of years but today the traditional mosques are the oldest architectural heritage in the country. These mosques are the most powerful visible expressions of the rich cultural heritage but the survival of many of these mosques in their authentic state is endangered.
The town of Mecca was the birthplace of Islam, at first the leaders of the city refused the changing of this new religion and forced Muhammad to leave. Muhammad returned and preached to the people about what he had heard, that there is only one god. Islam spread quickly for two main reasons they are the message and military conquest.
In Islam, their communities are called ummah. Their mosque is in the center, and cities are constructed around it. This symbolizes a life built around faith. In the Nation of Islam, their temple is also their sense of community. Though their cities are not physically around the temple, their social and spiritual lives are centered there. With school, religious services, banquets, etc. the whole community of believers sees the temple as a common ground and gathering place.
When Emperor Constantine found the city of Constantinople, it was soon to become the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. But the Christin city needed a great church to represent it’s great value, so the Hagia Sophia was built (Krystek, Lee). The Hagia Sophia was built by the Byzantine Empire in 537 C.E., which was an Empire influenced greatly by the greek and roman styles (Krystek, Lee). It has a square base with a large dome on the top. Round arcs surrounded the large dome, adding mystical beauty to the Hagia Sophia (Krystek, Lee). Also, multiple colors of bricks were used to create patterns on the outside of the Hagia Sophia. On the inside, the walls are made of marble with glass panes which bring beautiful sunlight into the large museum (Krystek, Lee). The Hagia Sophia is very significant because it was rebuilt many times. The first church was built and then burnt down in 404 C.E. (Krystek, Lee). It was then rebuilt and burned down by riots in 502 C.E. (Krystek, Lee). Then the 3rd church was built by Justinian. After long periods of time, Sultan Mehmed conquered Constantinople and changed it to an islamic city, converting the church to a mosque (Krystek, Lee). In 1934, President Ataturk changed the mosque to a museum for the people and tourists, instead of a sacred place of worship (Krystek, Lee).
Ettinghausen, Richard, Oleg Grabar, and Sheila Blair. The art and architecture of Islam 650-1250. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1987.
For example, mosques and other praying sites always faced Mecca. The qibla in the Great Mosque of Cordoba is an exception because it faces Baghdad however, praying sites in the gardens of the Alcazar in Granada do face Mecca. Despite that difference, the mosque in Granada has a rectangular shape and is divided into a courtyard and the praying hall just like most mosques which derive their shape from Muhammad’s home. “The courtyard was an integral part of the Mosque, for it contained the fountains for washing the face, hands, and feet for the ritual purification before prayer.” (Burckhardt 10) and the minaret which brought cities together at the time of prayer. This standardized layout across the Islamic world provides a unifying structure for its people and the
Coraline Have you ever wanted to read a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat and at the same time you are scared of what’s going to happen next? Well, if the answer is yes then Coraline is the right book for you. This wonderful book was written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Dave McKean. I chose this book because I had never read a good scary story in my entire life. This book is supernatural fiction.
Mecca is also known as Makkah and its full name is Makkah al-Mukkaramah. Mecca is a city in the Hijaz region of western Saudi Arabia. It is known as the holiest site in the Islamic religion. The history of Mecca goes back as early as the fifth century. It was an independent and powerful city in pre-Islamic times. It is the religious center for Islamic people and it houses the Kaaba and the Great Mosque. It is also the birthplace of Muhammad, the first capital of caliphate, and the center of present day mosques. In 630 Muhammad and some of his followers went into the city of Mecca and captured it. Mecca is said to have started one of the most important religions in the world and it brings together the Islamic religion.
...ifferent shapes and materials were used by ethnic groups to match their beliefs and culture. In the major cities of Timbuktu, Gao and Djenne, mosques built in the 13th century displayed the emergence of Islam through Musa and others. These were made from rice husks, earth and water and lasted for hundreds of years.
Many years separate the construction and initial use of these two buildings, yet they share a similar purpose and structural elements. The differences are few, they are obviously different buildings. One paid homage to one goddess, while another worshipped all. Their uses after their high time varied as well. In the end though, both are known and celebrated as representative of the classical styles of their time for the cultures. Pillars and columns are used in architecture even now to give the idea of prominence and power. In brief, this short essay discussed the highlights of both
The principle façade of this complex overlooks the street and extends 67 m in length, towering to 20 m in height. It is made of stone and comprises vertical arched recesses borne by marble pillars within which are windows decorated with interlaced geometric shapes. The façade also carries an inscription band carved into the stone, in thuluth script, which includes the name of the builder, his titles and the date of construction.
...re that was most unique to the Early Dynastic period was the oval enclosure with a centralized platform to lend stability to the shrine. Storage were found near the enclosure. The Temple Oval at Khafaje best exemplifies the unique formation of the oval enclosure in the temples. This enclosure had a double perimeter wall present which was highly unusual for enclosures. Another oval temple was found that Tell al Ubaid, which had a rectangular platform in the center. In the front of this platform there were elaborate decorations, which were belived to have fallen from the façade of the temple which had stood on the platform. Besides these oval temples there were also plans of temples with a number of single or double roomed shrines, one noteworthy temple is from Tell Chuera in North Syria. This design plan yields a closer resemblance to the west and megaron buildings.
Islamic art and architecture is a blend from three or more different cultural traditions from the east. The Arab, Turkish, and Persian traditions are three such traditions that were adopted into the Islamic art and architecture design. The best expressions of Islamic art and architecture are found in Muslim mosques. The mosque serves as a place where Muslims can come together for prayer of Islam. Mosques are also a center for information, education, and dispute settlement. One of the most famous mosques of the Islamic art is the Great Mosque of Samarra in preset day Iraq. The Great Mosque of Samarra also has a spiral staircase on the outside of it.
In most fairy tales, there is a quest structure that the protagonist follows through. The typical quest structure is as followed: an ideal happiness, disruption of the ideal happiness, tasks to reinstate happiness, and finally the reinstating of happiness. The cycle is never broken. In Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, this quest structure is abandoned. Unlike the typical quest structure, the protagonist, Coraline, undergoes a coming of age quest in which the quest structure deviates from the typical structure. Coraline’s quest signifies her coming of age when she overcomes what Freud calls her “infantile complexes,” which then allows her to break the typical quest structure by abandoning her childhood and embracing her adulthood.
A mosque is generally a very symbolic place for a Muslim, being a humble way for Muslims to recreate pure divine presence on earth. The primary purpose of the mosque is to serve as a place where Muslims can come together for prayer. Nevertheless, mosques are known around the world nowadays for their Islamic architecture but most importantly for its general vitality to the Muslim Ummah (community).
The majority of the population is Muslim. The Islam influence in the past centuries is what made Mali inherit some of the Islamic architectural patrimony, such as the Djenne Mosque, which has more than 600 years of sustainability, although it was made with “clay and wood” . Mali is also well known for its vernacular architectural patrimony from the Dogon, who in the past developed a certain kind of lifestyle, which up to now few people hardly understand. The vernacular architecture that creates curiosity attracts large number of tourists from around the world.