An introduction to mosque architecture

Mosque Architecture:ً
Mosque originates from word “mesjid” meaning the place ً
where people prostrate to god.
house of Allah, where Allah was worshipped.ً

It occupied the heart of Muslim life and the centre of its

settlement.
Its importance has been heavenly emphasized and its
form has been divinely guided. The function is clearly
established in sura 24. ayah 36

”in houses which Allah has permitted to be exalted and ً

that His name may be remembered in them, there glorify
Him therin in the morning and the evening(24:36)”
An introduction to mosque architecture

another verse established the building principles.ً

certainly a masjid founded on piety from the very ً

first day is more deserving that you should stand in I; in
it are man who love that they should be purified; and
Allah loves those who purify themselves” (9:108) .

The mosque represents the heart of Muslim religion and

community. It is the house of Allah “Beit Allah” where two of
five pillars of Islam are conducted namely the five daily
prayers and Friday ًSholat. Another one is a large number of
pilgrimage “Hajj” rituals are also carried out in the mosque.
An introduction to mosque architecture

definition
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of
the Islamic faith. Muslims often refer to the
mosque by its Arabic name, masjid

The Arabic word masjid means temple or

place of worship and comes from the
Arabic root sajada (root "s-j-d," meaning
to bow or kneel) which means he
worshipped in reference to the
prostrations performed during Islamic
prayers
An introduction to mosque architecture

definition
The word mosque in English is used to represent
all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic
worship, although there is a distinction in
Arabic between the smaller, privately-owned
mosque and the larger, "collective" mosque
(masjid jami) (Arabic: ‫)جامع‬, which has more
community and social amenities.
An introduction to mosque architecture

The first mesjid

1. the area around the Kaaba,
Mecca
2. Mesjid al-Quba, Madinah
(yatrib)
3. Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's
Mosque)
4. Masjid al Aqsa
An introduction to mosque architecture

evolution
640
Mosques were built outside the Arabian Peninsula as
Muslims moved to other parts of the world.

the eighth century

The Great Mosque of Xi'an
follows traditional Chinese architecture
Western Chinese mosques -minarets and domes \
eastern Chinese-pagodas
the sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries
the Mughal empire
The Mughals brought their own form of architecture
that included pointed, onion-shaped domes
An introduction to mosque architecture
An introduction to mosque architecture

The Blue Mosque in

Istanbul, Turkey

the eleventh century,

• the Hagia Sophia-were originally churches or cathedrals in the
Byzantine Empire.
• created their own design of mosques, which included large central
domes, multiple minarets, and open façades
An introduction to mosque architecture
An introduction to mosque architecture

Conversion of houses of
worship of other religions
into mosques
705
Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik – convert from church St. John
to Umayyad Mosque
An introduction to mosque architecture

Religious functions
1. Prayers
2. Ramadan events
3. Charity
4. Social functions
• Center of Muslim community
• Education
• Events and fundraising
5. Contemporary political roles
• Advocacy
• Social conflict
• Saudi foreign influence
An introduction to mosque architecture

Architecture style
Many forms of mosques have
evolved in different regions of the
Islamic world
fifteenth century
The Ottomans introduced central dome mosques
• a large dome centered over the prayer hall
• smaller domes that exist off-center over the prayer hall or
throughout the rest of the mosque, where prayer is not
performed

Hypostyle mosques have prayer halls lined with a forest of

columns and supports. One of the most notable hypostyle
mosques is the Mezquita in Cordoba, Spain as the building
is supported by over 850 [Link] Abbasids and
Umayyads were the pioneers of the hypostyle mosque
An introduction to mosque architecture

Hypostyle mosques
An introduction to mosque architecture

Inverted "T" mosques get their name from the shape made by
the iwans and the courtyard they surround. A central courtyard
in the inverted "T" mosque is flanked by three iwans on three
different sides. One iwan, usually the largest and most central,
faces Mecca and thus serves as the prayer hall

Iwan mosques are most notable for their iwans, which are
vaulted spaces that open out on one end. In iwan mosques,
one or more iwans face a central courtyard that serves as the
prayer hall. The style has been used almost exclusively for
mosques in Iran. Today, iwan mosques are not built. The Shah
Mosque in Isfahan, Iran is a classic example of an iwan mosque
An introduction to mosque architecture
An introduction to mosque architecture

Minarets
•Tower near to, or built into, the structures of a
mosque, which is used by the muezzin to call
out, adhan (ezan), for people to come to
prayers in Islam
•The earliest mosques were built without
minarets, and the action of adhan could be
performed in many
•the tall, slender other
tower locations.
that usually is
situated at one of the corners of the
mosque structure
•The top of the minaret is always the highest
point in mosques that have one, and often
the highest point in the immediate area
•The tallest minaret in the world is located
at the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca,
Morocco.
An introduction to mosque architecture
An introduction to mosque architecture
An introduction to mosque architecture
An introduction to mosque architecture

Domes
Domes have long been a hallmark of mosques and Islamic
architecture in general since the seventh century
are placed directly above the main prayer hall, may
signify the vaults of heaven and the sky
the Mughals in India popularized onion-shaped domes in
South Asia and Persia
An introduction to mosque architecture
An introduction to mosque architecture

Prayer hall
The prayer hall, also known as the musalla, has no furniture; chairs and
pews are absent from the prayer hall so as to allow as many worshippers
as possible to line the room

Unlike in most other places of worship, images of people, animals,

and spiritual figures cannot be found inside the prayer hall as Muslims
in prayer are supposed to only be focusing on Allah

Arabic calligraphy and verses from the Qur'an on the walls to assist
worshippers in focusing on the beauty of Islam and its holiest book, the
Qur'an, as well as for decoration.[
An introduction to mosque architecture

Prayer hall
An introduction to mosque architecture

Mihrab
Niche in a mosque, indicating the
qibla (kible), the direction in which
a Muslim shall perform his salat

mihrab is the position of the person

leading the congregation in prayer
An introduction to mosque architecture

Minbar
placed next to the mihrab

The minbar is used with the khutba

(hutbe), the Friday sermon, and the
khatib ascends it
An introduction to mosque architecture

Ibnu tulun mosque

An introduction to mosque architecture

Ablution facilities
As ritual purification precedes all prayers, mosques often
have ablution fountains or other facilities for washing in their
entryways or courtyards
In traditional mosques, this function is often elaborated
into a freestanding building in the center of a
[Link] desire for cleanliness extends to the
prayer halls where shoes are not allowed to worn. Thus,
foyers with shelves to put shoes and racks to hold coats
are commonplace among mosques
An introduction to mosque architecture
An introduction to mosque architecture
An introduction to mosque architecture

Contemporary features
Modern mosques have a variety of amenities available to
their congregants. As mosques are supposed to appeal to
the community, they may also have additional facilities,
from health clinics to libraries to gymnasiums, to serve the
community.
An introduction to mosque architecture

Rules and etiquette

Prayer leader/ Iman
five daily prayers, Friday prayer, or optional prayers
Cleanliness
•All mosques have rules regarding cleanliness, as it is an
essential part of the worshipper's experience. Muslims before
prayer are required to cleanse themselves in a process
known as wudu.
•Shoes must not be worn inside the carpeted prayer hall.
•Congregants and visitors to mosques are supposed to be
clean themselves. It is undesirable to come to the mosque
after eating something smelly or without being properly
bathed
An introduction to mosque architecture

Rules and etiquette

Dress
Men are supposed to come to the mosque
wearing loose and clean clothes that don't
reveal the shape of the body
Muslim women wear loose clothing, shirts, and
pants that cover to the wrists and ankles

Concentration
•As mosques are places of worship, those within the
mosque are required to remain respectful to those in
prayer. Loud talking within the mosque, as well as
discussion of topics deemed disrespectful, is forbidden in
areas where people are praying
•disrespectful to walk in front of or touch Muslims in
prayer as it may break the worshipper's concentration
An introduction to mosque architecture

Rules and etiquette

Gender separation
Islamic law requires men and women to be
separated in the prayer hall; ideally, the women must
occupy the rows behind the men
Muhammad preferred women to pray at home
rather than at a mosque, and according to the
hadith Muhammad said: "The best mosques for
women are the inner parts of their houses.