York Cathedral

                  

                      The York Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in all of Northern Europe. The cathedral was established in 627 A.D. The cathedral is known for its vast stained glass windows that stretch across the walls. The length of the cathedral is 173 yards and the height of the tower is 230 ft. The wooden roof is light enough to be held up by the buttressed walls. The far northern end of the 

cathedral houses the chapter house, geometric patterns were used in the windows. The east end houses the sanctuary and the choir area. The northern and southern end hold the transept. 

Nave of the Cathedral 

                     The nave is located at the western end of the church. The nave is the body of the church. The massive organ was destroyed in multiple fires (1829 and 1984) and was rebuilt quickly. The central tower of the cathedral was built between 1407 and 1472. The central tower is very decorative and is in the perpendicular style. York Cathedral has a long tradition of making stained glass windows. Most of it came from Germany. The Great East window is 76 ft tall. 

                      The chapter house has many sculptured heads above the canopies, representing some of the finest Gothic sculpture in the country. The nave was built between 1291 and 1350 and is also decorated Gothic style. In 1137 the Minster endured serious fire harm once more. The choir and tomb were remade starting in 1154, and an expansive house of prayer committed to St. Catacomb was added to the nave. In any case, at this point the Norman Minster was positively out of venture with the new Gothic form then clearing Europe. 

                      A moderate makeover of the Minster started in 1220 with the South Transept, trailed by the North Transept. The styles of these transepts are very special, however they were manufactured yet a couple of years separated. The North Transept is well known for its "Five Sisters"; five agile lancet windows beat by five littler gabled lancets. An awesome focal tower was worked at an indistinguishable period from the transepts, yet this crumpled in 1407. The sensitive Chapter House, where the everyday business of the Minster was run, was started in around 1260. It is a wonderful case of the Gothic Decorated style which was then in vogue.

Chapter House 

Five Sisters 

                   The ribbed wooden rooftop is genuinely a perfect work of art of medieval design, and the traceried recolored glass windows puts even the Five Sisters to disgrace. The old Norman nave was remade, starting around 1280. The new nave was precisely twice as wide as the old, making it the amplest in Europe and the second tallest (after Westminster Abbey) in England. The last surviving part of the Norman house of God, the choir, was modified in 1395. 

Richard Scrope was selected Archbishop by Richard II in 1398. Scrope then opposed Richard's successor, Henry IV in 1405, however he was caught and executed before the dividers of York. Another focal tower was started in 1420 to supplant the one which fallen in 1407 (see above). In 1472 the work of reconstructing the minster was proclaimed finished and the Minster was rededicated. York Minster endured vigorously duriing the English Reformation and its repercussions.

Works Cited:

[1]"York Minster." York Minster History. http://www.yorkshire-england.co.uk/YorkMinster.html.
[2] Pepin, David. Cathedrals of Britain. 

What makes a Mosque?

Coming in second, with approximately 1.6 billion adherents, or 23 percent of the global population, the Islam religion follows Christianity as the second of the three great monotheistic religions (Judaism placed at third). The religion is rooted in the prophet Muhammed, whom the Qur’an embodies as the chosen one to receive the word of God.

Born in Mecca in June 570, Muhammed grew up in a population of pagan Arabs, Jews and Christians. Generally speaking, the Arabs believed they received the fruits of their labor without the help of the gods, therefore these were the people who cared very little for any religious duties. At age forty, Muhammed received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel, marking the birth of Islam. In this revelation, the angel commanded him to “Recite in the name of your Lord who created man from a clinging substance. Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught man that which he knew not”(Qur’an 96:1-4). Inspired by the message he received, Muhammad began preaching to the people of Mecca, exhorting them to abandon their idols and submit to the one and indivisible God. The revelations continued for twenty-three years and are collectively known as the Qur’an, which is the basis of Muslim belief. Nevertheless, his teachings gained him very little followers and instead created hostility resulting in his and his followers’ persecution. As a result, Muhammed traveled to Yathrib in 622, later renamed Medina (the City of the Prophet), and resided there till his death in 632.2 The year of his journey, the hijra, was proclaimed by the first generation of Muslims as the beginning of the Muslim calendar.

From the beginnings, monotheistic religions such as Islam were opposed to the idea of using buildings to house the faithful at prayer. The idea gave a sense of concession to human vanity and even worse, man’s desire to commence idolatrous worship of an object or edifice, hence the greater the building, the greater the anathema. Eventually, the idea was acknowledged and the first Mosque was built by the Prophet and became the mosque of Quba’ in Medina.

Mosque of Quba' in Medina.

Initially, owing to the nature of the Muslim faith and the minimalist nature of its liturgical requirements, a square area marked out by a line drawn in the sand was sufficient for communal prayer, provided only that one side of the square faced towards Mecca to indicate the direction of prayer. This became a very important characteristic in the evolution of the building of Mosques.

Other basic elements of mosque architecture were also developed in the evolution:

1.     A defined space – partly roofed and partly open to the sky. The space consisted of a covered prayer-hall or sanctuary (haram), the courtyard (sahn), the latter often being surrounded on three of its sides by colonnades or arcades (riwaqs), with the 4^th side giving access to the prayer-hall. The prayer-hall, usually rectangular or square in plan, may be of the hypostyle type; alternatively, the hall may be covered by a single large dome on pendetives (one of the greatest contributions made by Islam to architecture) or by a roof punctuated by one or more small domes.1

2.     The qibla wall and the mihrab. The prayer-hall must have one wall facing Mecca, and the mid-
point of this wall, the qibla, is where the mihrab is placed, which is a recess or niche which is the central and most decorated feature of any mosque. Dissimilar to the alter of a church, the mihrab is not considered a sacred space, rather it is the direction of prayer which its presence indicate is considered sacred. The form of the mihrab is basically that of the Roman niche, semicircular in plan and having a semicircular arched top, set in the wall.1

The qibla wall and the mihrab with the minbar located to the right of it. Mosque of Aqsunqur.

3.     The minbar, or pulpit, is always positioned to the right of the mihrab and consists of a staircase of varying height, leading to a small platform which is often crowned by a cupola-type roof. Its origin was the small set of steps which was introduced in Muhammed’s house in Medina at a time when his followers had increased in numbers, so making it advisable for him to position himself above his audience in order to make his words more easily heard. It is symbolically reserved for the Prophet.1

4.     The dikka is a wooden platform or tribune of “single-storied height” and positioned in a line with the mihrab but is reached by its own stairs. From this raised platform the respondents of the mosque repeat the ritual postures of the imam and speak the responses so that the stages of prayer can be transmitted to a large congregation.1

5.     The kursi is the lectern on which the Qur’an is placed and from which the respondents read and recited. The kursi is usually placed near the dikka.1

6.     The maqsura consisted of a raised platform with protective wooden screens and was often erected adjacent to the qibla wall and provided direct private access to the mihrab area. The introduction of a dome over the mihrab may be attributed to the fact that the presence of the caliph called for special emphasis architecturally.1

7.     The pool, with or without a fountain, is intended to be for the prescribed ritual cleansings before prayers, but sometimes is purely decorative.1

Fountain inside Great Mosque in Bursa, Turkey.

8.   The minaret’s initial function was not only to serve as a local landmark but also to ensure that the voice of the muezzin making the adhan could be heard from a far distance. During the lifetime of Muhammed, the call to prayer was given from the roof of his house in Medina. Now that broadcasting the adhan is ensured via loudspeakers, the minaret now serves as a symbolic feature.1

Minaret of sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abudhabi, Abu Dhabi.

9.     The portal is a general characteristic of the architecture of the Muslim world. It is the concealment of the interior of a building from the outside view, hence the mosque is almost always surrounded by view-hindering, tall walls. The main portal establishes the threshold between urban bustle and the tranquil atmosphere within; as such, the gateway to the mosque takes on a powerful psychological importance, which is often amplified by lavish ornamentation intended to pay homage to God’s presence.1

These basic elements form the interior of the mosque and are taken into consideration while designing the exterior. In the design process, it is imperative to keep in mind to not stray away from the orthodox tradition in mosque design. Such a phenomenon may be classified as bid’a and thus unacceptable. Essentially, all these components are the factors that make up a Mosque, consequently determining mosque architecture.
                          

1 Frishman, Martin, Hasan-Uddin Khan, and Mohammad Al-Asad. "1/Islam and the Form of the Mosque." The Mosque: History, Architectural Development & Regional Diversity. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1994. 17-41. Print.

2 "Who Is the Prophet Muhammed?" Islam Guide. N.p., n.d. Web.

Notre-Dame, Paris, France, French Gothic

Notre-Dame de Peris is a gothic cathedral located in Paris, France. Designed by architects Pierre de Montreuil, Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Lassus and Jean de Chelles, the cathedral took 182 years to complete. Notre-Dame de Peris is a perfect example of French gothic architecture.

Plan

Gothic architecture was created in France in 1141 and is derived from Romanesque architecture. With the integration of pointed arches and rib vaulting. Designers at the time discovered that these elements worked well together and allowed them to create lighter structures. Because walls were no longer load-bearing, large glass windows could be installed. These windows filtered and transformed light entering cathedrals, symbolizing divine intervention. ^[1]

West Facade

Due to the thinning structure, Gothic architecture often has a skeleton-like appearance. Other defining elements of gothic architecture are the flying buttress, large glass, pointed spires, and rose windows.

Over its construction, many architects worked on Notre-Dame. This is evident in the changing styles in the buildings elevation. Originally, the cathedral was not intended to have buttresses, but as the building grew, cracks appeared in the façade. This prompted architects to add buttresses to carry the load. This made Notre-Dame one of the first buildings to use buttresses, which has become a staple in gothic architecture.

Rose Window at Notre-Dame

Notre-Dame appears to be influenced be Carolingian and Romanesque architecture as well. This is evident in the western façade. While appearing to be a westwork, elements of gothic architecture are evident, most prominently is the rose window. The west façade is a harmonious play on horizontal and vertical lines. The two towers, reaching to the sky, are symbolic, telling us the cathedral was built for god. While the horizontal strips ground the building, signifying its use for man. The façade is essentially comprised of squares and circles. The square representing created and limited space, while the circle is representative of god, boundless and never ending. ^[2]

South Elevation

Still following the same form as ancient basilicas, Notre-Dame consists of an apse, transept and nave. It is flanked by double aisles and chapels. During a renovation in the 19^th century, a central spire was added.

Over time, the cathedral suffered some damage, much of which after the French Revolution. However, it is presumably saved from destruction by Napoleon. Today, the cathedral is still used for weekend mass. The cathedral has become a popular tourist destination.
  

[1] Roth Leland M. and Amanda C. Roth Clark, Understanding Architecutre Its Elements, History, and Meaning, Third Edition Westview Press 2014. P.365

[2] http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/The-west-facade