Mecca, Saudi Arabia, 2000 BCE

Mecca in 1880s

Mecca in 2016

The city of Mecca, the reported birthplace of the Muslim prophet Mohamed, which lies in Saudi Arabia in the Sinai mountains, has long been a place of historical significance, not just for the Muslim culture, but also as an example of middle eastern architecture and design. “It is the holiest of Muslim cities as Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was born in Mecca, and it is toward this religious center that Muslims turn five times daily in prayer. All devout Muslims attempt a hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. Because it is sacred, only Muslims are allowed to enter the city” (Abdo, 2016).

Mecca Site 

The location for Mecca was chosen largely due to how relatively safe it was as it was surrounded by mountains and deserts, but still allowed for trade routes to be open between Southern Arabia, Iran, Syria, and to the Mediterranean coast. The mountains around mecca served as a natural defense against enemies, thus eliminating the need for a wall. Today, the layout and design of Mecca remain much as they were when it was built.
The center of Mecca is market square, in which the famous mosque of Mesjid al-Garam ("House of God"), or the Forbidden sword, stands today. This is the main shrine of Mecca. Muslims believe that this shrine serves as the center of the universe. The Holy Haram mosque (also referred to as the Grand mosque), is located also located in the center of Mecca. This mosque was constructed in the year 638. The mosque was renovated and added onto in the 15th century to what it is today, which is commonly known as the Kaaba. Upon its construction, the Grand mosque
had six minarets. However, when the Blue mosque in Istanbul was built also with six minarets, the Imam of Mecca called it a sacrilege: not one mosque in the world was not supposed to be equal to the Kaaba. 

Important sites in Mecca

Therefore, Sultan Ahmed ordered the building of the seventh minaret in the Grand mosque. Two more minarets were later added, bringing the total to nine. It is reported that the Grand mosque can hold up to 700,000 people at one time.
The city center of Mecca is similar in design to many European courtyards and is surrounded by several columns of marble, granite, and an ordinary stone, all connected by small pointed arches with seven slender minarets rising up above them.

Mecca Masai

Masai, a broad main street runs through the town and is surrounded on both sides by large and small houses. Today, Mecca is a major city with a population of about a million people. Currently Mecca is visited by two million people only during the Hajj (Chebel 2003). There are many hotels and convention centers in Mecca to accommodate tourists and those visiting the city for business. “As the ancient caravan route fell into decline, Mecca lost its commercial significance and has since lived mainly on the proceeds from the annual pilgrimages and the gifts of Muslim rulers” (Abda, 2016). Today, the city relies primarily on tourism dollars as the main source of income.

Work Cited:
Abdo, S. Mecca. (2016). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/place/Mecca

Chebel, Malek. Symbols of Islam. Barnes & Noble, 2003.

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.

"Dome of the Rock"

                                The Dome of the Rock

“Holy is He Who carried His servant by night from the Holy Mosque (in Makka) to the farther Mosque (in Jerusalem) – whose surroundings We have blessed – that We might show him some of Our signs ¹. Indeed He alone is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.” (Quran 17:1)

This religious verse from a holy book might not seem relevant or important to us in the west, but for over a billion Muslims this parable gives Muslims the divine right over Jerusalem.   As it is believed by all Muslims the Dome of the Rock (Qubbat As-Sakhrah) was the destination of Mohammed’s (PBUH) night journey. To commemorate this religious milestone, the Dome of the Rock was the first Islamic structure to be built using the dome design, the dome design that is now ubiquitous with modern day mosques worldwide. 

Originally constructed in the 7^th century, the Islamic shrine has been continuously remodeled and been overtaken ever since.  As an architect, some buildings are not just the sum of bricks and mortar but they are much more, a spiritual connection, a political statement, and even a sacred religious symbol.  So as an architectural student what do I take from this, well it is going to sound cliché: location, location, location.  If just the structure of the Dome of the Rock was in Egypt it would be a minor tourist attraction, well eclipsed by the Pyramids of Giza.   However the Dome of the Rock is in Israel and after the six day war it suddenly became the third holiest place in Islam behind the Kaaba in Makah and the Grand Mosque in Medina. 

A structure that laid abandoned and barely noticed became a symbol that people were willing to die for or even more importantly kill for.  So why is the Dome so important, why am I writing about it now, because of its location.  When you are faced with a building project, ask yourself not just about the budget, the specifications, but also take into account the location.  Location can make a building insignificant or all important.

Sources

1.     Isra and Miraj the Miraculous night Journey

http://www.islamicity.org/5843/isra-and-miraj-the-miraculous-night-journey/

2.     Home Page

http://domeoftherock.net/

3.     Encyclopedia Britannica

https://global.britannica.com/topic/Dome-of-the-Rock

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-dome-of-the-rock/photos/dome-of-the-rock-exterior-detail-c-torie
https://quadralectics.wordpress.com/3-contemplation/3-3-churches-and-tetradic-architecture/3-3-1-the-form-of-the-ground-plan/3-3-1-4-the-octagonal-church-plan/

AL QUARAOUIYINE MOSQUE AND UNIVERSITY, FEZ MOROCCO. ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE.

Founded by a Muslim woman, the University of Al Qarawiyyin in Fez, Morocco, opened its doors in 859. Its library has been restored during the last three years by another woman, Canadian-Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni. A wing will be open to the general public later this year.

The library houses a collection of 4,000 rare books and ancient Arabic manuscripts written by renowned scholars of the region. The manuscripts include a 9th century version of the Quran and a manuscript on Islamic jurisprudence written by philosopher Averroes.

The mosque plan consists of three main sections. As noted above, the prayer hall (sanctuary) is the most historical part, being gradually developed and extended. It is of a rectangular shape stretching from the north to the west thus giving the Qibla side the longest breadth. The span of such space, 83x 44.2 meters, extends over 21 aisles running perpendicular to the Qibla wall, a reminder of the T plan seen in much of North African mosques. The roof is made of a set of green tiled pyramids reflecting the number of arcades carrying it. The arcade itself is made of horseshoe arches supported by some 270 piers. The whole of the internal surface is painted in plain white, resembling the Kutubia Mosque and diverting from the rich decor of the Great Mosque of Cordova.

The central aisle or nave is wider and crowned with five cupolas of different styles mixing between ribbed and muqarnas vaulting, drawing the visitor towards the mihrab area. Further distinction of this aisle is noticeable in its pyramid roof, which was raised deliberately higher than the roof level of the mosque. As mentioned previously, it was added by Ali Ibn Yusuf's Andalusian architects. However, some doubted whether such a story is true. The six domes are not really Andalusian copies, especially the perforated ones. The muqarnas cupolas, executed in square, oblong and circular forms, are definitely older than their Andalusian counterparts. In fact they are among the first muqarnas executed in North Africa by the Almoravids, next only to those introduced in Qala complex of Beni Ahmmad (1080) and Great Mosque of Telemcen (1082). Their development in North Africa coincided with their popularity in the Seljuk domain in Persia and Anatolia.

Tiled in blue and white, the courtyard lies in the western side of the mosque, equipped with three marble fountains. The central fountain is an original 12^th century Almohad piece of furniture which was complemented by two lateral fountains fixed under two symmetrical patios that were built under the Saadid rule , by the Sultan 'Abdallah Ibn al-Shaikh (1606-23). With their slender marble columns, these kiosks are the most elegant part of the mosque. The sections above the capitals were sculptured in beautiful Moorish golden "embroidery" comprising exquisite floral and geometrical forms framed within bands of calligraphy, features recalling the Alhambra famous patio of Lions, which also became typical surface decor in the Saadid dynasty in Morocco.

Modern Architecture: A Critical History (World of Art) – Kenneth Frampton

Mosque Al-Hakim, Cairo, Egypt, 928

Built in fatimid style, the mosque Al-Hakim in Cairo was named after Imam Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (985–1021), the sixth Fatimid caliph- the first one to be born in Egypt. The mosque was built outside the city's northern wall as an enclosure but became incorporated within the city in 1087  giving its own northern wall and minarets to the extended fortifications. Today, it is located the area of the city which is known as "Islamic Cairo", just south of Bab Al-Futuh, the northern gate. 

Plan- Muslimheritage.com

The mosque is composed of a rectangle with four arcades surrounding the courtyard. On the interior of the "rectangle" there is a five aisled prayer hall or sanctuary similar to the plan of Al-Hzhar. The central nave in front of the mihrab was enlarged and raised higher above the roof and was pierced with clerestory windows like Al Aqsa in Jerusalem. The mihrab was defined by a semi-circular dome raised on squinches and standing at the center of two corner domes which are similar in design. One of the unusual features is the monumental entrance with a projecting porch. one of the features which makes the mosque stand out are the minarets on either side of the facade. originally, these were independent of the walls but have since been incorporated in to the corners. the minarets at the mosque AL-Hakim are the oldest ones in Cairo and have been restored various times in their history. the massive salient were added in 1010 to strengthen their structure and the northern one was incorporated into the city wall. the structures are hollow because they have been built around the original minarets which are still connected with brackets and can be seen from above. 

Image: muslimheritage.com

Image: muslimheritage.com

Over the years, the mosque has been used for purposes other than a place of religion and prayer. During the time of the Crusades, it was used as a prison for captured crusaders, and Napoleon used it as a fortress. Saladin used the mosque as a stable and it has also been used as a local school. Because of the various purposes the structure has been used for in its lifetime, unfortunately it fell out of use. 

In 1980, the mosque went under extensive construction and restoration. It was refurbished with white marble and gold trim by Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, the head of an international Ismalli sect based in India. Some parts of the original decorations were restored at this time. These include stucco carvings, timber tie-beams and Quranic inscriptions. After these restorations, the mosque became a mosque again- a place of peace, quiet and a welcomed break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Today, it is used as a place of worship and a tourist attraction. 

shaspo.com

Sources: 

1- muslimheritage.com

2- Creswell, K. A. C. Sir (Keppel Archibald Cameron). Early Muslim Architecture. Oxford : Clarendon P., 1969. Book

 Al Aqsa Mosque

705 AD

Palestine

Al-Aԛѕа Mоѕԛuе, аlѕо knоwn аѕ Al-Aqsa аnd Bауt аl-Muԛаddаѕ, іѕ thе thіrd hоlіеѕt site in Sunnі Iѕlаm and is lосаtеd іn Palestine; nоthіng rеmаіnѕ оf thе original dоmе buіlt bу Abd al-Malik. Thе рrеѕеnt-dау dome wаѕ built by аz-Zаhіr аnd consists оf wооd рlаtеd with lеаd еnаmеl wоrk. Whilst the entire ѕіtе оn whісh thе ѕіlvеr-dоmеd mоѕԛuе sits, along with thе Dоmе оf thе Rock, ѕеvеntееn gаtеѕ, and fоur minarets.

It wаѕ opened іn 705 AD, with a capacity of 5,000, it was one оf thе fеw dоmеѕ to bе buіlt іn thе Umаууаd аnd Abbаѕіd реrіоdѕ in Pаlеѕtіnе, with thе іntеrіоr раіntеd wіth 14th-century-era dесоrаtіоnѕ.

Arсhіtесturаl styles utіlіzеd here іnсludе: Abbаѕіd architecture, Rоmаnеѕԛuе architecture, Fаtіmіd аrсhіtесturе. Thе mosque resides оn аn аrtіfісіаl рlаtfоrm thаt іѕ ѕuрроrtеd bу аrсhеѕ соnѕtruсtеd tо оvеrсоmе thе difficult topographic соndіtіоnѕ rеѕultіng from thе ѕоuthwаrd expansion of the enclosure into the Tуrороеоn and Kіdrоn vаllеуѕ.

It has been rеbuіlt numеrоuѕ tіmеѕ аftеr ѕеvеrаl dеѕtruсtіоnѕ еvеn аѕ rесеntlу аѕ 1969 where thе interior wаѕ irreparably lоѕt duе tо burnіng but wаѕ соmрlеtеlу rесоnѕtruсtеd using thе trаtеggіо tесhnіԛuе, a mеthоd thаt uѕеѕ fіnе vеrtісаl lіnеѕ tо dіѕtіnguіѕh rесоnѕtruсtеd areas from оrіgіnаl оnеѕ

A significant portion оf the mоѕԛuе іѕ the Dоmе, which is 83 m (272 ft) long, 56 m (184 ft) wide; іt rеflесtѕ сlаѕѕісаl Bуzаntіnе аrсhіtесturе, unlіkе the Al-Aԛѕа Mоѕԛuе іѕ whісh is сhаrасtеrіѕtіс оf early Iѕlаmіс аrсhіtесturе.

The rесtаngulаr аl-Aԛѕа Mosque аnd іtѕ рrесіnсtѕ аrе 144,000 square mеtеrѕ (1,550,000 ѕԛ ft), although the mosque іtѕеlf іѕ about 35,000 ѕԛuаrе mеtеrѕ (380,000 ѕԛ ft). It is 83 m (272 ft) lоng, 56 m (184 ft) wіdе.    

Thе mоѕԛuе'ѕ іntеrіоr іѕ ѕuрроrtеd by 45 columns, 33 оf whісh аrе whіtе marble and 12 оf stone; thе соlumn rows оf thе central аіѕlеѕ are hеаvу аnd stunted. Thе rеmаіnіng fоur rows are better proportioned. Thе capitals оf thе соlumnѕ are оf four dіffеrеnt kіndѕ: thоѕе in thе сеntrаl аіѕlе аrе hеаvу аnd рrіmіtіvеlу dеѕіgnеd, while those undеr the dоmе аrе of the Cоrіnthіаn оrdеr, аnd mаdе from Itаlіаn whіtе marble. Thе саріtаlѕ іn thе eastern aisle аrе of a heavy bаѕkеt-ѕhареd dеѕіgn аnd thоѕе еаѕt and west оf the dоmе аrе аlѕо bаѕkеt-ѕhареd, but smaller and bеttеr рrороrtіоnеd. Thе соlumnѕ аnd ріеrѕ аrе соnnесtеd bу аn аrсhіtесturаl rave, whісh соnѕіѕtѕ оf beams оf rоughlу ѕԛuаrеd tіmbеr еnсlоѕеd in a wooden casing

 The mоѕԛuе'ѕ mаіn аblutіоn fоuntаіn, knоwn аѕ al-Kas ("the Cuр"), іѕ lосаtеd nоrth of thе mosque bеtwееn іt аnd the Dоmе оf the Rосk

Althоugh оrіgіnаllу supplied wіth water from Sоlоmоn'ѕ Pооlѕ near Bethlehem with tарѕ аnd ѕtоnе seating.

, it currently rесеіvеѕ wаtеr frоm pipes соnnесtеd to Palestine’ѕ wаtеr ѕuррlу.

                     

Interior view of the mosque showing the central naves and columns

SOURCES

·         Mikdadi, Salwa D. Badrans: A Century of Tradition and Innovation, Palestinian Art Court Riweq Bienalle in Palestine.

·         Vuckovic, Brooke Olson (30 December 2004). Heavenly Journeys, Earthly Concerns: The Legacy of the Mi'raj in the Formation of Islam (Religion in History, Society and Culture). Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-96785-3.

·         Robert Schick (2007). "Byzantine Jerusalem". In Zeidan Kafafi; Robert Schick. Jerusalem before Islam. Archaeopress. p. 175.