The mosque: history, architectural development & regional diversity

Abstract

This book, with contributions by 16 eminent scholars, traces the history and development of the mosque since its origins in Medina in the time of the Prophet Muhammad, explaining its traditional religious and teaching role in Muslim society, as well as its architectural and decorative features. The historical development of the mosque and its architecture is presented region by region, from North Africa to Southeast Asia, taking into account local building materials, climatic factors, and craft skills, as well as the cultural influences and major political developments, such as the rise of the Ottoman and Mughal Empires. The physical form of the mosque is analysed and fully illustrated with plans and photographs; its modern role as a religious and social institution is reviewed; and contemporary mosques worldwide are discussed in a separate chapter, encompassing not only those built by leading Muslim architects, but also those designed by Western architects. Illustrated with much unfamiliar pictorial material drawn from a wide range of sources, this book provides a comprehensive coverage of the architecture of the mosque, and also serves as a guide to an understanding of its role in Muslim society and culture. Martin Frishman is an architect and a lecturer at University College, London. Hasan-Uddin Khan is an architect, writer and former Director of Special Projects and Public Education at the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Geneva. Both are specialists in Islamic Architecture.

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