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.