History and Development of Mosques - Essay Example

Introduction The Mosque, according tothe Islam Religion is basically a structure (House) meant for prayers; symbolically, the Muslims have a great belief in the Mosque due to the fact that, it is perceived as a humble place where man can access pure recreation and divine. However, studies have shown that most of the contemporary Mosques are not constructed in relation to the guidelines of the Muslim divinity. Only very few Mosques have been built in a manner that depicts divinity but even in such cases, rules guiding the construction of divine structures are usually not followed (islam.about.com/…s/tp/architecture_parts.htm) From the Muslim point of view, a divine Mosques must have various specific pertinent features, they include; features that indicates direction directions of the Qible, which in most cases may also be referred as the Mecca. This indication is usually referred as the Mihrab and should have a specific type of roof according to the requirements of the Islam religion (Wood, 7). History and Development of Mosques The first Mosque that was constructed in Turkey was the Mecca; this was a term used to describe the area that surrounded the Ka’ba. In the Muslim Religion, Ka’ba was considered the holiest shrine in the land. The model by which the early Mosques were developed, took the dimensions of Muhammad’s house, which was located in Madina. The direction with which the Qibla at this time was believed be oriented towards Jerusalem. Moreover, on the left side of the early Qiblas, there were three houses for Muhammad’s wives with three different entries that led to the courtyard, an area where most prayers were held during this time. In approximately 1500 years, the direction of the Qibla was changed so that it could face the orientation of the Mecca. Functions of the Early Mosques The Madina Mosques had various important functions in the early Muslim society; it accommodated social functions, religious as well as political functions. Judicial roles were also undertaken in the early Mosques; the Muhammad and their families members were also accommodated in the early Mosques. In the early period, rules guiding prayers were not shaped to a specific standard owing to the fact that the prescriptions that are in the Koran developed on a gradual basis from time to time. Evidence has also shown that apart from the Mosques of Madina and Mecca, there existed some other dimensions of Mosques in other parts of the World. Changes of the Architecture of the Early Mosques Owing to rapid technological advancement in the early period, Mosques began growing rapidly in their complexities as well as their appearances. They assumed some form of uniformity in their shapes; one of the changes that occurred in the later period was the construction of the Minbar, a structure besides the Mihrab; this was meant for holding prayers on Fridays. The death of the Muhammad, the pertinence of the Mosques increased rapidly among the Muslim believers. The pertinence of Mosques among the Muslim community increased so much that in the case where the Muslims conquered a new territory, the first structure that was developed was a Mosque. This was immediately followed by the development of a military facility around the Mosque. Consequently, Muslims also developed a character behavior of constructing their Mosques at the center of other religions, especially in new territories, which were dominated by other religions. The earlier Islam community also exhibited a character that involved conducting acts of purification or celebration by constructing their own Mosques. In some cases, they also described certain parts of the Mosques as their parts to show some sense of purity. However, in the current generation, this behavior has greatly changed in that in the early period, all Muslims regardless of the Creed were allowed to freely enter any Mosque and conduct their prayers while in the current generation, Muslims, specifically travelling Muslims may consider certain Mosques as inappropriate. This occur in the sense that; currently most Muslim believers prefer attending Mosques that are attended by people from their creed i.e. the Sunnis and the Kharijis. Some of the current Mosques such as the Jami, have been seen to exhibit some sense of neutrality and can be attended by Muslims of different creeds. Additionally, the early Mosques were originally Churches; such conversions were conducted against the desires of the Christians at that time. In most of the Muslim nations, Christianity faded gradually while most of the Churches were being converted into Mosques by the essence of the Muslims utilizing the churches as worship centers and gradually converting them into Mosques. At the beginning of the development of Mosques, most of the Arabian Mosques were considered out of bound for persons that were Non-Muslims. This was due to the increased emphasis on the importance of keeping the Mosques a sanctifiable and sacred place, only meant for persons who believed in the Muslim Religion. Changes in the Modern Mosques There are various changes that distinguish the modern Mosques from the early Mosques; to begin with, most modern Mosques allow the entry of both Non-Muslim members and Muslims to enter the Mosques without restriction. This was different from the early Mosques, especially in the Arabian nations that did not allow for the entry of Non-Muslim community; a good case is the Sakirin Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey (Watson, 39). The other change that has occurred in the modern Mosques has been identified from the designs; the current designs of many Mosques have changed from the early simple architectural designs to more complex designs with so many additional features. The contemporary shapes of the Mosques have taken a variety of forms resulting from a mixture of architectural designs majorly from different conquered territories. One of the modern architectural changes that have been noted in the modern Mosques is the construction of the Minarets: These are the towers that are usually constructed at the top of the Mosque where calling is made at specific times to encourage people to attend the morning or evening prayers. This has is believed to have been adopted from other religious structures i.e. from Syria (Watson, 39). Introduction of the Minarets replaced the application of the Muezzin who used to walk along busy streets with an intention to invite people to attend prayers at the Mosques. Over a long period of time, there have been cases where so many different rooms have been added to the Mosques to serve different purposes for instance: Different rooms to be used by people of various social classes as well as rooms to be used for sick people and those who are travelling. There are also other new elements that have been added to the modern Mosques apart from the physical structures. They include; carpets that cover the floor and the Kursi, which is a desk and a seat meant for the person reading the Koran. Illumination materials such as candle and electrical equipment have also been added to the contemporary Mosques (Watson, 39). In relation to the administrative aspects of the modern Mosques, there are tremendous changes that have been identified that create a great contrast between the current and the earlier Mosques. During the earlier periods, the construction of Mosques was an activity undertaken by rulers, conquerors as well as other governing authorities. The financing of the administration of the Mosques was conducted by the Waqfs, which were basically revenues generated from agricultural land. Persons who were responsible for the donations directed towards constructing the Mosques were considered as the legal owners while in other cases the Kadi or the Judges were sometimes responsible for the administration the Mosques. The earlier Mosques also had a factual leader known as the Imam whose responsibilities were quite parallel to the responsibility of the Salats. Another important factor that has experience substantial changes is the rules and regulations governing the use of Mosques. One of the rules that have changed is the rules governing the selection of the sites where the Mosques are supposed to be constructed. In the earlier days, Mosques were constructed at the center of most cities. Mosques were not constructed in open areas and the society was encouraged to undertake commercial activities around the Mosques. This pattern of construction was meant to comply with pattern of the Madina. However, in the current society, development and planning patterns have changed, compelling the Muslim community to construct their Mosques in relation to the laid down city development procedures. Some of the rules that providing guidance on human conduct around the Mosques have not changed for instance; the Muslims are required to remove their shoes as they enter the Mosque, this is done by stepping the right foot forward first. The believers are also required to bless the Muhammad and his family as they enter the Mosque by uttering words of blessing. Rules governing the use of Mosques by woman have also not changed however; certain aspects of such rules differ from one region to another. In most Arabian Muslim nations, women are not prevented by any law to attend services at the Mosques, but the religion through specific rules stipulates they way in which a woman should carry herself while in the Mosque. There are cases of segregation of the Mosques either through space or the time by which different groups attend the services. In some areas women are not allowed to attend the services offered in the Mosques. A Case of a Contemporary Mosque, the Sakirin and its Effects of Various Societal Facets This is one of the most current Mosques in Turkey; it is located in Istanbul. The specific location of the Mosque is next to the Karacaahmet Cemetry. The Mosque has the most modern and unique architectural designs that have attracted so many people around the world. The Sakirin Mosque has depicted several contemporary architectural aspects that have created controversial discussion among most Muslim believers. The Mosques was designed by Zeynep Fadillioglu; it was later constructed by Semiha Sakir in memory of the late Ibrahim Sakir. The official opening of the Sakirin Mosque took place on 7th May, 2009. The construction of the Mosque took a period of approximately four years under the guidance of various architects such as: Husrev Tayla and Tayfun Erdogmus who was responsible for designing the Minarets. Other persons who contribute to the successful completion of the Sakirin Mosque were William Pye, Orhan and Nahide (Watson, 44). Physical Description of the Mosque The Sakirin Mosque is located in a 10,000 square meter piece of land; as a unique feature, the Mosque has two Minarets with a measurement of thirty five meters in height. Moreover, it has a large dome like structure made of aluminum surrounding the Minarets. It also has two large windows on each side of the Mosque; the interior has various calligraphy designs and motifs. The Mosque also has an asymmetrical chandelier that is meant to symbolize that blessing from Allah will fall on prayers like rain. Consequently, the Sakirin Mosque has a specific section for women worshipers and it is designed using a glass that allows the worshipers to clearly view the asymmetrical chandelier as well as the fountain in the courtyard. Modern Aspects of the Saikirin Mosque As one of the most modern Mosques in the World, various people have raised several concerns and issues ascribed to the features of the Sakirin Mosque. One of these issues is the fact that one of the designers of the Mosque was a woman: This has raised several controversial statements among Muslim believers. Turkey is one of the Islamic nations that have been seen to practice equality among women and men. The participation of Zeynep as designer in the construction of the Sakirin Mosque has been seen as an important milestone in the efforts that have been directed toward empowerment of women in the Islamic nations. Moreover, with the current efforts undertaken by various stakeholders to promote women empowerment through gender equality in accessing various social amenities, the Sakirin Mosque just like any other Mosque in Turkey can be accessed by women freely without hindrance; however, there is a specific section within the Mosque meant for women worshipers. Zeynep also sought the assistance of other women artists who were meant to assist her in undertaking her duties. The Sakirin Mosque has also been constructed by the use of modern materials for instance: The use of glass to beautify some parts of the Mosque i.e. the chandelier which is constructed by use of glass in a dome like shape. Moreover, modern decorations have been painted on the wall by modern artists i.e. Zeynep and Tayfun. Other modern forms of art that exist in the Mosque are calligraphy and properly designed motifs. The other aspect of construction that makes the Sakirin Mosque a modern Mosque is the installation of a modern spin on the various religious arts within the Mosque. Despite the fact that the Sakirin Mosque is designed and constructed in a modern manner, research has shown that the Mosque has not lost any of its quality as a Mosque. It has attracted a large number of worshipers due to the fact that it is located in one of the biggest cities in Turkey. Moreover, the Sakirin Mosque is has the basic component of a Mosque; this has made it play a crucial role among the Muslim community in Istanbul, who attend their religious services in the Mosque. Some of the members of the Turkish populace have also been attracted by the unique architectural designs of the Sakirin Mosque. In an interview, Fadillioglu, the chief interior designer of the Sakirin Mosque argues that, the addition of various unique features of the i.e. glass etching with gilding on it, simply makes the Mosque a modern structure but does not reduce its qualities as a holy place. She argues that such additions were only meant to enhance the capacity of the Mosque to serve the various needs of the Islamic community in Istanbul for instance: Beatification of the women prayer section just like the men’s section is meant to ensure that more women attend prayer services at the Mosque. The Sakirin Mosque has also not lost its qualities as a Mosque owing to the fact that, the basic components of a Mosque were construction in relation to Muslim rules and regulations that governs the construction of a Mosque for instance: The Mosque has a Minaret, a chandelier, a Dakka and takes the patterns of the Madina Mosques. Significance of the Sakirin Mosque The Sakirin Mosque plays an important role as a spiritual center for most of the Muslim believers in Istanbul. Istanbul is the capital city of Turkey, which is dominated by the Muslim community. Majority of the populace in the City attend their prayers at the Sakirin Mosque (www.allaboutturkey.com/mosque.htm). Moreover, the Mosque acts as a memorial center of the great Semiha Sakir; this has attracted a large number of believers who recognizes the late Sakir as an important personality in the Muslim Community. The use of the Mosque as a memorial center has not only attracted a great number of followers from Istanbul, but also from other parts of the world (www.allaboutturkey.com/mosque.htm) The unique architectural designs of the Sakirin Mosque have acted as an important tourist attraction center. Large numbers of Muslim worshippers from different countries have been attracted to the unique design of the Mosque hence making it an important tourist attraction center. Non-Muslim tourists have also visited the Mosque with an aim of viewing the unique features of the Mosque (www.allaboutturkey.com/mosque.htm). Consequently, Mosque has acted as an important center for preserving various cultures of the Muslim community; some of the designs represent traditional Muslim cultures. This does only act as a cultural preservation center, but also as a center for cultural learning. Work Cited Watson, Ivan. National Public Radion. NPR. 44, New York. 21 Oct. 2008. Radio. Wood, Angela. Muslim mosque. North American ed. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Pub., 2000. Print. Sansal, Bural. "The mosque in Islamic religion - All About Turkey." All About Turkey. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013. . Mosque Architecture." Religion and Spirituality. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. . Read More