Muslims great attention they devote themselves to building mosques, and craftsmen lovingly lay out mosaics, build high, vaulted ceilings, covering them with paintings and calligraphy, and make carpets that cover the floors of mosques. What examples of Muslim art can be found when going inside?
To begin with, we list the main components of most modern mosques in the world. Entering the mosque, you will certainly go to the prayer hall, covered with carpets, sometimes the floor is covered with stone, gypsum, or it is just earthen.
Some of those who come will first use the room for ablution (voodoo) - they have public toilets, showers, washbasins. The need to perform ritual ablutions before entering the mosque led to the appearance of specially designed rooms, rooms outside the mosque or fountains in the courtyard, called "hauz".
In the prayer hall you can see the mihrab - this is a niche (flat, conditional or concave) oriented towards the Kaaba, covered with an arch, a small vault or conch and inserted into the frame. It should indicate to the worshipers the direction where to turn the prayer - the qibla. The mihrab is often decorated with calligraphic inscriptions or ornaments.
Inside, the mosque can be decorated with ornaments and calligraphy, as well as arabesques and mosaics; later, colored stained-glass windows and tiled panels, wood carvings and bronze lamps began to be used - for example, all of the above adorned the Shah-Zade, Suleiman I and Selim I mosques. variety of patterns. It can be presented in carvings on stone, metal, clay, in fine drawings of capitals, in carved doors and wall panels, in frozen alabaster, in small thin plastic.
Columned halls, large domes and lancet arches, marble cladding and mosaics are frequent in the architecture of the mosque. In the 8th c. the domed shape is replaced by a columned one; columns located across the direction to the mihrab create the impression of a complex and rich space (the temple in Cordoba, 8-10 centuries, originally had 1393 columns). Horseshoe-shaped arches were widely used, emphasizing the dynamism of the structure.
Externally, the mosque can be decorated with colored tiles, they are also called Iranian, they were often used for lining mosques and madrasahs. The surface of the tiles was sometimes filled with verses (verses) from the Koran. They also, most often, found a floral ornament. An exceptional variety of tile sets; in their laying the principle of mosaic was used. In the floor mosaics there are landscape and architectural motifs.
Another element of the mosque is the minbar. Minbar - a distinctive feature cathedral mosque, this is the pulpit from which the imam-khatib (the leader of the local community, whose duty is to deliver sermons - khutbas) delivers the Friday sermon; the minbar has an analogue - the pulpit in the early Christian and Byzantine basilica. The first minbar from which a sermon was read was a cut trunk of a date tree in the Medina mosque. In 628-629. The Prophet Muhammad installed a new minbar, made of wood and consisting of two steps and a seat. Since the 9th century, the minbar began to take the form of a high platform with a wooden canopy. A staircase with a railing and a portal or doors leads to such a minbar. Minbars are often beautiful painted structures made of wood or stone. They are decorated with carvings, inlays from precious stones, marble or precious woods, decorated with gilding, colored faience or glass. Some minbars are extremely high and have 5, 7, 9 or even more steps.
Most mosques have a minaret. A minaret is a tower (round, square or multifaceted in section) from which the muezzin calls the faithful to prayer. The minaret is placed next to the mosque or included in its composition. Early minarets often had a spiral staircase or ramp outside (spiral minarets), in later ones - inside the tower. There are two main types of minarets: tetrahedral (North Africa) and round-barreled (Near and Middle East). The minarets were decorated with patterned brickwork, carvings, glazed ceramics, openwork balconies (sherefe).
The Islamic architectural heritage is currently being rethought. People are building mosques according to the old models, using all the same methods, but you will no longer find manual work, which was common in the old days: modern materials and equipment are now widely used, which make it possible to create gigantic, often radio-contaminated structures in a short time. Their external forms and interior decoration generously borrow the ideas and solutions of the great masters of the past, adding elements of modern aesthetics to them. Concrete, glass, plastic and metal replace brick, tiles and glaze; at the same time, the basic canonical principles of Islamic art remain unshakable.
Muslim temples are called mosques, and they are built according to certain rules. Firstly, the building should be oriented strictly to the East, that is, to the holy place for all Muslims - Mecca. Secondly, obligatory element any mosque has a minaret - a tall and narrow extension, most often cylindrical or rectangular in shape. There can be from one to nine of them in a mosque. It is from this room that the muezzin calls the faithful to prayer.
Almost all Muslim temples are equipped with a courtyard. Here, according to tradition, a fountain, a well or any device intended for ablutions should be arranged. According to Muslim customs, it is impossible to enter the temple dirty for prayer. There are also outbuildings in the yard. A madrasah differs from a mosque in that rooms for seminarians can be equipped in the courtyard. Modern temples, of course, have a rather modest architecture. However, if you look at the old magnificent ones, you will notice that in the past the courtyards were often surrounded by columns, even arranged along the perimeter of the gallery.
The building of the mosque is crowned with a dome decorated with a crescent.
These are the features of the Muslim temple in terms of exterior. Inside, the building is divided in our time into two halves - male and female. On the eastern wall of the prayer room, a mihrab is arranged without fail - a special niche. To the right of him is a special pulpit from which the imam reads his sermons to believers. During prayer, old people stand closest to him. Behind them - the people And in the very last rows - the youth.
Images of people and animals are prohibited in Islam. Therefore, of course, there are no icons in the prayer room or anywhere else. Nowadays, the walls are usually decorated with Arabic scripts - lines from the Koran. Very often, fractal or fractal designs are also used to decorate mosques. They can be made both outside the building and from the inside. Muslim temples are usually decorated in traditional blue and red colors. In addition, blotches of white and gold can often be observed in the ornaments.
a wonderful example islamic architecture you can consider, for example, the Taj Mahal in Agra. It is very which is considered a global pearl of culture. This Muslim temple was built, the photo of which you can see at the very top of the page, by Shah Jahad in honor of his wife. The woman's name was Mumtaz Mahal (hence the slightly altered name of the temple), and she died in childbirth. There are two tombs in the temple - the shah's wife and his own.
The second photo shows the Sultan Ahmet Mosque, located in Istanbul. A distinctive feature of Turkish Muslim temples can be called a special shape of the dome - more gently sloping than in mosques in other countries. The third photo shows the Sultan Ahmet Mosque from the inside. Quite often, Muslims adapted the conquered peoples for their own. An example of this is the most significant monument of early Christian culture - Sophia of Constantinople, to which minarets were attached by the Turks.
Thus, buildings such as Muslim temples can be called a dome and the presence of a courtyard. In addition, the obligatory architectural elements are the minarets, the mihrab and the pulpit.
The mosque is a sacred place for all Muslims, a place for prayers and spiritual purification. As Islam spread, beautiful mosques appear all over the world. They are amazing not only externally, but their interior is striking in its beauty. We offer an overview of the most fantastic mosques in the world.
Al-Haram Mosque (Reserved Mosque) is located in Mecca. This is the largest mosque in the world, surrounding one of the great shrines in Islam - the Kaaba. The area of the building is 400,800 square meters, including indoor and outdoor prayer areas. It is designed to receive 4 million pilgrims during the Hajj. The modern mosque, after many reconstructions, is a pentagonal closed building with sides of different lengths and a flat roof. Three pairs of minarets rise in three corners of the structure, marking the entrances to the mosque. The fourth and fifth corners are connected by a covered gallery. In total, the mosque has 9 minarets, the height of which reaches 95 m. Modern innovations are not forgotten either - there are 7 escalators and air conditioners.
Masjid an-Nabawi is the second shrine in Islam, which is also called the mosque of the prophet, because it was built by the prophet Muhammad. In size, it also ranks second after the al-Haram mosque. In the center of the mosque is the Green Dome, where the tomb of the prophet is located. The first dome over the grave was built in 1279, after which it was reconstructed many times, and in 1837 it was painted in green color and so it has remained to this day. The layout of this particular mosque has been adopted as a canon for other mosques around the world. The main elements of the composition of the columned mosque were laid in the construction: an open rectangular courtyard and a prototype of the future columned hall, oriented initially to Jerusalem, and later to Mecca. The main prayer hall occupies the entire first floor. The mosque can accommodate up to 500 thousand believers. The mosque has 10 minarets, each 105 meters high.
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a real masterpiece of architectural art, it is one of the most great mosques in the world. Approximately $545 million was spent on its construction and it took 12 years, during which 3500 workers from 38 companies of the world worked on the implementation of the grandiose project. It can accommodate up to 41,000 worshipers. The mosque is decorated with 82 domes, a thousand columns, chandeliers gilded with gold leaf, and the world's largest handmade carpet. The main prayer hall is illuminated by one of the most grandiose chandeliers in the world (10 meters in diameter, 15 meters in height, weight 12 tons). The sparkling pools surrounding the mosque enhance its beauty. During the day, the building gleams white and gold in the sun, while at night it is flooded with artificial light.
4. Great Mosque of Hassan II, Casablanca (Morocco)
great mosque Hassana II, built in 1993, is located in the Moroccan city of Casablanca. It is the largest mosque in the country and the seventh largest mosque in the world. Its minaret is the highest in the world - 210 meters, higher than the pyramid of Cheops. A laser is installed on top of the minaret, the light from which is directed to Mecca. The author of the project is the French architect Michel Pinseau. According to approximate estimates, 500-800 million dollars were spent on the construction. The building stands on a ledge washed by the Atlantic Ocean, through the glass floor you can see the seabed. The mosque is designed for a maximum of 105,000 parishioners praying together: 25,000 inside and 80,000 outside.
The Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is a royal mosque located in the capital of the Sultanate of Brunei. It is considered the most beautiful mosque in the Pacific region, attracting thousands of tourists. Built in 1958 in an artificial lagoon on the banks of the Brunei River, the building is a prime example of modern Islamic architecture that combines Mughal and Italian styles. It is impossible to take your eyes off the 44-meter-high marble minarets and golden domes, huge courtyards and luxurious gardens with fountains. The mosque is surrounded by huge gardens, symbolizing paradise. The interior is no less luxurious than the exterior: floors and walls are made of the finest Italian marble, stained-glass windows and chandeliers were brought from Britain, luxurious carpets were woven in Saudi Arabia and Belgium, a fantastic mosaic of 3.5 million pieces was brought from Venice.
The Zahir Mosque is located in the capital of the Malaysian state of Kedah. This is one of the oldest and largest mosques in the country. Built back in 1912, it covers an area of approximately 11,500 square meters. The mosque has 5 large domes, symbolizing the five basic principles of Islam. The area of its central hall is 350 square meters, it is surrounded by verandas with mezzanines.
The Faisal Mosque in Islamabad is the largest mosque in Southeast and South Asia and the fourth largest mosque in the world. The author of the project is Turkish architect Vidat Dalokay, who instead of traditional domes created a structure resembling a Bedouin tent. He won the competition, which received 43 proposals from 17 countries. Minarets 90 meters high were built on four sides of the main hall. At the entrance to the mosque there is a small courtyard with a small round pond and fountains. The stairs on the left side lead to the main courtyard and go to another large pond with fountains. Inside, the walls are covered in white marble and decorated with mosaics, calligraphy by Pakistani artist Sadeqain, and amazing Turkish-style chandeliers. The prayer hall can accommodate 10,000 believers. There is an additional hall for 24,000, another 40,000 can be accommodated in the courtyard.
The Tajul Mosque, whose name translates as "The Crown of Mosques", is located in the city of Bhopal in central India. This is one of the largest mosques in Asia. Construction began during the reign of the Mughal Khan Bahadur Shah Zafar, then continued under his daughter. But due to lack of funds, construction resumed only in 1971 and was completed in 1985. The eastern gate was reconstructed using ancient motifs from 1250 Syrian mosques with the help of the Kuwaiti emir, who so immortalized the memory of his wife. Inside the Taj-ul mosque is equipped with a large courtyard with a water tank in the center.
The Badshahi Mosque in the Pakistani city of Lahore was built in 1673. It is the second largest mosque in the country and South Asia and the fifth largest mosque in the world. It can accommodate 55,000 worshipers in the main hall and 95,000 in the courtyard. The main hall is divided into seven sections by ornamented arches supported by powerful columns, three of which bear double domes decorated on the outside with white marble. The interior of the main prayer hall is richly decorated with openwork ornaments, frescoes and marble. Externally, the mosque is decorated with carved stone, marble drawings on red sandstone.
The Sultan Hussein Mosque, built back in 1928, is still considered the main religious building in Singapore. Since the completion of construction, it has not changed much, only in 1960 and 1993 some reconstructions were carried out. The author of the project is the British architect Denis Sentry. The area of the two-story mosque is 4100 square meters, it is designed for 5000 believers.
Religious buildings of any religion, symbolizing the faith and hope of people, always look majestic and luxurious. For their construction, the best places were chosen, even if they were so remote. To come to God, it turns out that you need to apply not only spiritual, but also physical strength.
The early period of the formation of Islam was characterized by the founding of the Caliphate and the appearance of the first mosques. At this time, a large number of principles and rules were established regarding, among others,. After the departure from this world of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the first four righteous caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them) were mainly busy ensuring stability and security in Muslim society. Of course, this prevented any significant architectural work. Despite this, there were still several unassuming projects that will be discussed in this material.
The simplicity of the early period
The architecture of the early years of Islam (between 622 and 661) was characterized by simplicity and modesty. The newly emerged state, with scarce resources, was too busy defending against enemy tribes. Moreover, devotion to faith and the desire for everything Divine made me distance myself from an extravagant and luxurious lifestyle.
Worship in Islam is based on the concept of Tawhid - monotheism. Belief in the One God, who “is impossible to comprehend with sight, but He comprehends everything visible, and He is aware of everything subtle, invisible” (Quran, 6:103), had practically no analogues in the past. Therefore, there was no need to present the object of worship.
A new approach, consistent with all the key positions of Islam, appeared only after a certain level of stability and prosperity had been achieved. Architectural sophistication came later, when intellectual and economic prosperity created a demand for detailed and refined, but Islamicly acceptable, architectural forms.
A quick look at the first mosques
The first Muslim religious and public building is the Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Medina (622). Despite the simplicity, it was the first project of its kind in the history of mankind. This building remained the center of social, cultural and political life Muslim community for over 30 years.
The transfer of the capital from Medina to Kufa by Ali ibn Abu Talib (the fourth righteous caliph) in 657 brought significant political, social and economic changes and was the beginning of an unprecedented architectural and building activity. Medina lost its privileged status and became an ordinary provincial town, eventually turning into a purely spiritual and religious center.
At the same time, the transfer of the capital created a precedent that was repeated throughout the history of Islam. The transfer of the capital each time after the change of the caliph led to the spread in society of a tendency to waste and pomp. This coincided with the economic and social prosperity of the Caliphate. A simple mosque turned into a complex structure, architecture and decoration.
Saad ibn Abu Waqqas
This companion of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with him), who came from a noble family, built a mosque in Kufa. Thus, he designated his permanent residence, known as Dar ul-Imara (638). This building was so exquisite and full of small details that the righteous caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was even dissatisfied and ordered to burn it. She stood on marble columns imported from Persia and was surrounded by a moat.
Decoration of the first mosques
Historical sources report that the only object of ritual decoration of the mosques of that period were minbars in the form of stairs (others say, in the form of a chair), first introduced by the Prophet himself (peace and blessings be upon him), sitting on which he could be seen and heard by the entire audience of believers present in the mosque. Minbar is mentioned in a number of hadiths, for example, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet said: “Between my house and my minbar there is a garden that belongs to the gardens of Paradise.” However, the noted scholar Martin Briggs (1931) believed that the minbar was designed by Amr ibn al-As for a mosque he built in Egypt.
Another book by Briggs (1924) states that the origin of the minbar is linked to the judge's chair in ancient Arabia. The transfer of the capital from Kufa to Damascus in 661 by the founder of the Ummayad dynasty, Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), was of decisive importance for the mosques and their decoration. He brought with him the transition from an ascetic, strict style in architecture to the era of luxurious palaces and the creation of architectural masterpieces for all time. Here it is enough to mention the "Dome of the Rock" - a mosque in Jerusalem, built by Abdel-Malik in 691-692.
In conclusion, it should be said that the key point of the era of the Caliphate was the emergence and development of Islam, the emphasis of the state was placed on protection from enemies and economic issues. The architectural aspirations of that period were aimed at meeting precisely these needs of society. This influenced the architecture of the mosques of that period. . Mosques were the centers of various activities of the first Muslims - in religious, social, military and other spheres. Mosques from the early period of Islam include: the Mosque of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Medina (622), the Mosque of Basra (635) and the Mosque of Kufa (638), both in Iraq, and the Mosque of Amr in Fustat (641) in Egypt.
MOSQUE VISIT
To visit the mosque, you should dress appropriately. Men are also expected to be clean-shaven, combed and neat. Muslims are forbidden to visit the mosque in light clothing - shirts with short sleeves or shorts. A woman showing respect for Muslim customs, before visiting the mosque, will put on a long robe that hides her arms and legs, and will tie a scarf or scarf over her head. Muslim women's clothing is always modest - transparent, tight or too short clothes are completely inappropriate, as well as excess makeup and perfume.
Both men and women who visit the mosque are supposed to know that they will have to take off their shoes when entering, and in the building itself they will probably have to sit on the floor.
Any mosque can have two entrances- one for men, the other for women. In the mosque, men and women pray separately. Depending on the internal architectural structure of the mosque, women are given a balcony to pray or a certain place in the back of the mosque, separated from the rest of the space by a curtain.
At the entrance to the mosque, both men and women take off their shoes and put them on shelves specially provided for this. (If too large a congregation of worshipers is expected at the mosque, it is wise to bring your shoes with you in a bag to avoid annoying crush after prayer.) In mosques frequented by tourists, shoes should be carefully looked after, but in small local mosques, shoes can be not to worry.
It is not necessary to remove socks, stockings or tights, but well-mannered people should first of all make sure that their socks are clean, fresh and without holes. Muslims who perform ablution five times a day are very sensitive to various foreign odors!
MAIN FEATURES OF THE INTERIOR FURNITURE OF THE MOSQUE
The distinctive and most striking feature of the prayer room is complete absence decorations and furnishings. There are no benches or chairs in mosques. Everyone is sitting on the floor.
There are also no picturesque decorations or statues, because the images of living beings are prohibited by Islam, as they clearly contradict the spirit of monotheism. You will not be able to see any images of God, angels or prophets.
However, all this does not mean that mosques are boring and dreary. Many of them are amazingly beautiful thanks to multi-colored carpets, marble columns, patterned tiles, stained-glass windows, fancy candlesticks, gilded vaults, ornamental painting of Koranic texts, and so on.
The carpet in the prayer hall is often lined with lines for the convenience of performing a common prayer and ordering a large number of parishioners. The huge carpet of the London mosque in Regent's Park, for example, is woven with patterned squares, reminiscent of individual prayer rugs. Be that as it may, the huge number of Muslims who gathered at the common prayer, forced to be located very close to each other and put up with some inconvenience.
mihrab
The wall facing Mecca is known as the wall qibla. In this wall is a specially decorated niche, or alcove, called mihrab. This is by no means an altar, although such an idea may be born in the head of a Christian. The mihrab simply points in the direction of the Kaaba and focuses the mind of the Muslim on the thought of God.
The one who leads the prayer always faces the mihrab, which is sometimes called the "niche of light", a symbol of the Divine Presence in the heart. Sometimes the mihrab is made in the form of a shell; the wings of the shell symbolize the "ear of the heart," and the pearl contained within it is the "Divine Word."
Minbar
To the right of the mihrab, there is a minbar - an elevation from which the imam proclaims the khutba sermon. Such an elevation can be very simple and uncomplicated, or it can be exquisitely decorated. The simplest form of the minbar is just a pair of carpeted steps leading to a small platform. Luxurious and beautiful minbars may consist of a rather high flight of stairs, exquisitely decorated with patterned carvings.
