Introduction
A testament to the dedication and grander of the religion, mosques are places of worship in the Islamic faith. Islamic architecture incorporates fourteen hundred years of change and input from nearly every culture on Earth. The traditional Islamic style was influenced by Persian, Byzantine, and Roman architecture in the west and Chinese and Indian buildings in the east.[1]
View from the interior of the Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque, Shiraz, Iran [2].
Courtesy of HERBERT_GREG. Creative Commons (BY).
The first official mosque was built when the prophet Muḥammad migrated to Medina; he and his followers built a house specifically for prayer. During Muslim conquests past Arabia’s borders, Muslim forces established a mosque in each new area they conquered.[3]
The Quran, Islam’s holy text, teaches that the whole earth is a mosque for Muslims and that man’s primary purpose is to worship Allah. Technically, a mosque is anywhere a faithful Muslim prostrates themselves for the daily salat or prayer.[4] It serves as a place to practice the obligatory prayers five times a day, read scripture, and contemplate Allah. It also serves as a powerful spiritual reminder that all are equal before Allah, with no division between them.[5]
In addition to being the spiritual center of the Islamic community, the mosque is also used as a center of knowledge and learning. All mosques taught reading and writing, as well as Islamic theory and scripture. Some of the great centers of learning housed massive libraries and taught a wealth of subjects to any Muslim who wished to learn.[6]
Historically, mosques also served as courthouses, lodges, and social epicenters of their communities. They served an important economic function in the major cities by collecting taxes from the rich and redistributing them to the poor, as well as hosting markets so long as all business was conducted outside the mosque.[7]
Mosques were also some of the best hospitals in the world, which was a major triumph of Islamic society. Hospitals treated everyone regardless of faith, income, age, gender, or military status—in keeping with the spirit of Islam. Most notably, care for prisoners was provided in Baghdad as early as the 10th century and care for the mentally ill was given around 872 with the establishment of the first hospital in present-day Ciro, nearly a thousand years before European humanitarian philosophers would advise the insane be unshackled from windowless cells and moved into well-lit rooms.[8] Mosque hospitals produced accurate medical and surgical knowledge—including detailed anatomy and effective disease control—hundreds of years before the germ theory would become accepted in Europe.[9]
Notable Islamic physician Albucasis blistering a patient in the hospital at Cordova. [10].
Courtesy of Ernest Board. Public Domain.
Parts of a Mosque
Mosques are present on every inhabited continent, and they are as diverse as the cultures that built them. However, there are some features present in almost every mosque.
The most visually distinctive part of a mosque, the minaret, consists of two or more towers that soar above the rest of the mosque. It houses a space for a Muslim crier or muezzin to call the faithful to prayer.[11]
An example of prominent minaret towers in the Asfi Mosque, in Bara Imambara, Lucknow, India. [12].
Courtesy of Muhammad Mahdi Karim. Creative Commons (BY-NC-SA).
This video shows the call to worship that is issued from the minaret.[13]
The Sahn (or courtyard) must be large enough to hold the entire male population of the city and still have room left over for the women who worship on Friday.[14] Inside the Sahn is the Ablutions area, where Muslims must participate in ritual washing to cleanse themselves before entering the house of God. In larger mosques, a fountain might be provided for this purpose; in smaller mosques, the restrooms might also double as washing stations.[15]
Inside the mosque itself is the musallah (prayer hall) which also must be able to hold all the males in the city; women are traditionally segregated to pray, either by a curtain or in their own separate room.[17]
The innermost feature and most important part of the mosque are the Mihrab or niche. This indicates the Qiblah (or the wall) that faces the direction of Mecca, the Muslim holy city towards which all Muslims must pray.[19] Mihrabs can be either plain or richly adorned, depending on the mosque. To the right of the mihrab lies the minbar (or pulpit) is where the sermon is delivered after Friday prayers.[20]
Minbar and mihrab at Aqsunqur Mosque, or Blue Mosque in Cairo, Egypt. [21].
Courtesy of Baldiri. Creative Commons (BY).
A dome is a common feature of mosques and it serves as a symbolic representation of the vault of heaven, filled with inspiring art and symbols. Islamic architects were able to improve upon the Roman dome and build on the brilliance of the Byzantine engineers by incorporating the pendentive dome.[22]
Mosques are often attached to charitable institutions like hospitals or schools. This is thought to be influenced by the third pillar of Islam which dictates that all Muslims must give a percentage of their income to the poor.[24] Supporting the building of a mosque is considered to be very charitable and worthy of praise.
Mosque Etiquette
Mosques are open to all Muslims and non-Muslims alike, usually for free. When visiting a mosque, visitors and worshipers must be clean, have clean clothes, and lack a bad smell. Shoes must be removed at the door to keep the carpets clean. Visitors should move slowly and speak softly, especially if worshipers are being led in prayer. Men must wear long pants and conservative shirts; women must wear long sleeves, a floor-length dress, and a headscarf. Some mosques will provide robes to visitors [25]
The Quran, the holy text of Islam, holds both men and women to strict modesty standards. Men must cover the area between their navel and their knees, their chest, and sometimes their heads while praying at a mosque. Women are commanded to cover their body, especially the chest, leaving only the face and hands exposed.[26] Traditional clothing, in general, should be loose and modest; clothing is not meant to draw attention to the wearer or inspire envy in others.[27]
Architectural Techniques
Islamic architecture is heavily influenced by pre-Islamic culture. In the west, traditions of Roman and Byzantine buildings were continued; and the preference for dressing and carved stone, simply ornamented with calligraphy or tile, was made clear.[29] In the east, Asia minor and Ottoman traditions used ashlar bricks, large blocks of stone used for facing, to finish and adorn their walls. The Ottomans specialized in the stucco work of pre-Islamic Iran to produce fabulously adorned mosques and buildings.
A lavishly adorned Mihrab at the Nasr ol Molk Mosque in Shiraz, Iran. [30].
Courtesy of dynamosquito. Creative Commons (BY).
The Indian subcontinent produced its own architectural style as Hindu philosophy and buildings merged with Islamic techniques and designs to produce a wholly unique style.[31]
The art of ceramic glaze had been incorporated into Islamic art since its inception. However, these were in the style of ancient antiquity. By the 12th century, a distinctly Islamic style emerged, using several innovative techniques that allowed unprecedented control over the color and tone of the tile.[32]
A stunning tiled ceiling in the Nasr ol Molk Mosque in Shiraz, Iran. [33].
Courtesy of Diego Delso. Creative Commons (BY-SA).
High relief tiles allowed the image to be raised from the background and resulted in stark, crisp images on otherwise flat plates.[34] Luster painting is when the paint is applied to glass, sulfur is combined with silver or copper oxide, and vinegar then applied to a glazed and fired ceramic piece.[35] This piece is then put in the kiln for a second, shorter heating with lots of air and smoke which causes the ocher to rub off and the oxides to adhere to the ceramic. The result is a brilliant metallic effect that transforms tiles from paint-on-clay to a striking, nearly reflective surface that can catch and enhance light to illuminate a space. Different combinations of pigment and oxide, as well as the thickness of the application, can produce different hues and tones; the thinner the film, however, the greater the reflective quality that can be achieved.[36] Islam also incorporated stained glass into some of their mosques, likely after contact with the Byzantine and other Christian influences.
A section of the prayer hall of the Nasr ol Molk Mosque in Shiraz, Iran. [37].
Courtesy of MohammadReza Domiri Ganji. Creative Commons (BY).
Notable Mosques
Masjid al-Haram Mosque
The Masjid al-Haram mosque is the largest and most holy mosque in all of Islam. It is located in Mecca in Saudi Arabia and houses the Kaaba. The Kaaba holds the black stone which, according to myth, fell from the heavens and guided Adam and Eve to build the first alter. It was used as a cornerstone by the prophet Muḥammad in 605CE and it is one of the most important relics in the Islamic Faith. The 5th pillar of Islam requires that every Muslim perform hajj (or pilgrimage) to worship at the Kaaba at least once in their life.[38]
Worshipers pack into the mosque to pay honor to the Kaaba. [39].
Courtesy of Al Jazeera English. Creative Commons (BY).
This video shows the 3 million pilgrims who have come to the holiest site in Islam.[40]
Al-Masjid an-Nabawi
The Al-Masjid an-Nabawi mosque (or the prophet’s mosque) was the first mosque built at the prophet’s home in Medina. It served as a model for future mosques around the world. Caliph al-Walīd I destroyed the original building to make room for a mosque that would contain the tomb of the prophet. The mosque is now one of the holiest places in all of Islam.[41]
The Prophet’s mosque. [42].
Courtesy of Bluemangoa2z at Malayalam Wikipedia. Public Domain.
Baitul Futuh Mosque
Located in London, Great Britain, this is the largest mosque in Europe; it draws thousands of Muslims each day for prayers. Baitul Futuh serves as a gathering place for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community which has a presence in 176 countries with over two hundred million members.[43] It was damaged in a large fire in 2015 and repairs have been ongoing. While the mosque prides itself on offering a meal to anyone who visits, it also has its own library and can serve as a space for police departments to meet, schools to administer exams, or persecuted Muslims to seek refuge.[44] It has often been called the modern mosque.
Baitul Futuh Mosque. [45].
Courtesy of Muffingg. Public Domain.
Dome of the Rock
One of the most famous monuments in the world is the Dome of The Rock in Jerusalem. The building houses the spot where the prophet Muhammed, founder of the Islamic faith, ascended into heaven. It is also the place where Abraham, the first patriarch of the Jewish people, nearly sacrificed his son, Isaac. While not a mosque, the massive golden dome directly over the holy rock serves as a powerful indication of Islam’s presence and architectural style.[46]
The Dome of The Rock. [47].
Courtesy of Andrew Shiva. Creative Commons (BY).
Hagia Sophia
In modern-day Istanbul, Turkey, the Hagia Sophia was originally a Byzantine cathedral built under the rule of Byzantine emperor Justinian I.[48] After the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans in 1453, it was converted to a mosque. Now it serves as a museum and a testament to Byzantine brilliance and Islamic faith.[49]
Its most distinguishing feature is its enormous central dome—one of the largest in the world. It stays up by resting on four pendentives, which channel the weight of the circular dome into the square structure beneath it; the exterior is richly adorned with Islamic tiles and calligraphy.[51] Famous Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan added two minarets in the late 16th century; in 1739, a kitchen was added to distribute food to the poor; and in 1740, a fountain was added for ritual cleansing before prayer.[52]
This video gives a brief synopsis of Hagia Sophia’s 1,500-year history.[53]
Specialty: The Dome
The dome is one of the most distinctive and impressive features of Islamic architecture. Most domes face difficulty with distributing weight evenly so that the roof does not collapse. Islamic architects designed a pendentive structure to focus and distribute the weight at four corners of the room rather than relying on tall walls to support the exterior force.[54] The result is massive, open spaces that naturally draw the eye upwards.
An example of a pendentive dome supported by four arches. [55].
Courtesy of Anuskafm. Creative Commons (BY-SA).
An interior view of the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey. [56].
Courtesy of Dean Strelau. Creative Commons (BY).
Thanks to their exposure to Roman and Byzantine structures and improvements on their fundamental techniques, Islamic architects mastered a concept that would not become widely spread in Europe until the Renaissance.[57]
Domes are often ornamented with muqarnas, a type of three-dimensional tile that smooths out any transition points between the dome and the rest of the building.[58] Of the two styles, the one common to North Africa and the Middle East has triangular blocks laid out next to each other, which create undulations in the dome.
An example of the North African/Middle Eastern style of muqarnas in the Amber Fort, near Jaipur, India [59].
Courtesy of Hans A. Rosbach. Creative Commons (BY).
The second style is unique to Iran and features several segments that form a tier, then the tiers are connected to give a honeycomb pattern.
An example of the Iranian muqarnas pattern of the Emam Mosque in Esfahan, Iran. [60].
Courtesy of Linda. Creative Commons (BY).
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