Posted: September 10th, 2010 | 3 Comments »
Once built as one of the greatest examples of Byzantine architecture the Hagia Sophia church has been converted into the Ayasofya Mosque immediately after the conquest of the Ottomans in 1453. The amazing building with its beautiful mosaics has a marble door inside and four minarets outside. The Islamic features were added latterly throughout the reign of the Ottomans. The mosque was trasnsformed into a museum by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1935 prohibiting any prayers. Later on there has been a room for Christian and Muslim staff to do their prayers. Read more on Wikipedia…
Posted: July 30th, 2010 | No Comments »
This time our virtual journey goes to the city of Dhaka in Bangladesh. Built in 1706 the Khan Muhammad Mirdha’s Mosque is probably named after its architect. 25 steps lead to the entry of the Mosque that is situated within a wider area that also contains many rooms for living purpose. The prayer hall is capped by three beautiful designed domes. The mosque is still used as a religious school and does attract many tourists as there is a special arcaded hall for visitors. More information on ArchNet.
Posted: July 9th, 2010 | 2 Comments »
This week we take a look to the Far East to present our mosque of the week. Situated in Beijing the Niujie Mosque is the oldest mosque in the Chinese city and firstly built in 996. The mosque is located in the spiritual Xuanwu District where a big Muslim community lives and was widely enlarged during the time of Emperor Kangxi from 1622 until 1722 and rebuilt in 1442. Due to Chinese law the mosque was constructed in traditional Chinese architecture including some Arabic calligraphy. Built out of timber the Nijujie Mosque covers an area of approximately 6000 square meters. Passing the beautiful designed entrance gate visitors are facing a 10 meters tall tower who is used to determine the starting date of Ramadan by sighting the moon. The prayer hall is decorated with amazing ornaments making the mosque to a unique building for anyone visiting Beijing.
Posted: July 2nd, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Travelling to Algeria without visiting the Ketachaoua Mosque is like snowless winter. Located in kasbah, the traditional quarter of Algiers, this mosque was built by the Ottomans possibly in the 17th century. Hence, it is still not clear when the construction really took place. Famous for its Moorish and Byzantine architecture the Ketchaoua Mosque was serving as a church from 1845 until 1962 due to the French occupation. 23 steps lead to the main entrance that is beautifully ornamented including marble columns. Having two minarets the mosque has many great designed arcades and an amazing Moorish designed roof.
Posted: June 18th, 2010 | No Comments »
Opened in 1935 the first ever Japanese mosque is located in Kobe on the island of Honshu. The Kobe (meaning ‘Gate of God’) Mosque was built from 1928 to 1935 thanks to donations by the local Islamic community. The Czech architect Jan Josef Svagr designed the building based on traditional Turkish style. During the Second World War the parquet floors were covered with various materials to prevent fires. Moreover the Japanese navy used the building as a basement for their equipment. So Muslims could not pray at that the time. At the end of the war the mosque was bombed and later reconstructed. Due to its newly structure the mosque was even able to survive the Great Hanshin earthquake in 1995. The Kobe mosque was the only building in the city center that wasn’t destructed.
Posted: June 4th, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Also called the Shelley Street Mosque this outstanding building in Hong Kong was built in 1849. It was later extended but the minaret was retained. The mosque also acts as a shelter for poor children. On each side the building comes with arched windows of Arabic style.
Posted: May 28th, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Maybe some of you might know the city of Kazan because of the football club FC Rubin winning the national league in 2008 and 2009. But did you know that one of the oldest mosques in the region is situated in that city? The Märcani Mosque was constructed in 1766 by Catherine the Great’s authority and financed by donations from the local people. It was built in traditions of the Tatar medieval architecture and currently named after named after Tatar scholar Şihabetdin Märcani who worked there as imam in 1850. The two-storied mosque with two halls even escaped closure during the Soviet period. The city of Kazan is capital of the Republic of Tatarstan which is a federal subject of the Russian Federation and a Muslim-majority area.
Posted: May 14th, 2010 | 2 Comments »
This week we present the first mosque of the week on the European continent. Constructed in 1458 The Eyüp Sultan Mosque situated near the Golden Horn in Istanbul was the first mosque built by Mehmet the Conqueror following the siege of Constantinople. It is said that the mosque was built over the tomb of Halid bin Zeyd Ebu Eyyûb. the standard bearer for the Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). The area is often crowded due to a small bazaar nearby and people relaxing next to the fountain. In addition many pilgrims visit the tomb and various personal belongings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Due to an earthquake in 1766 the mosque was party demolished. Sultan Selim II later rebuilt the mosque that was opened to public in 1800.
Posted: May 7th, 2010 | 1 Comment »
This week we are going to the Far East looking on one of the oldest mosque in the world. It is thought to be built in the 630s by the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) uncle Abi Waqqas but other more reliable sources claim it was a little later constructed during the time of the Tang Dynasty. The mosque was firstly rebuilt in 1350 and again in 1695 after being destroyed in a fire. The Huaisheng Mosque is the main mosque in Guangzhou located in southern China. The minaret is 36 feet tall and also served as a beacon for boats as the complete complex covers an area of about 3,000 square meters. For further information check out an article on ArchNet.
Posted: April 30th, 2010 | 2 Comments »
Firstly built in 715 The Great Mosque of Aleppo or the Ummayad Mosque of Aleppo is not only the largest but oldest mosque in the city of Aleppo in northern Syria. The construction at that time was commenced by the Ummayad caliph al-Walid I and was finished by his successor Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik. Carved Kufic inscriptions decorate the entire minaret along with alternate with bands of stylized ornaments. After the Mongols destroyed the mosque in 1260 it was later rebuilt and renovated. The Great Mosque is built around a vast courtyard that connects to different areas of the mosque, positioned behind the colonnaded arcade. The courtyard is well-known for its black and white stone pavement that forms complex geometric patterns. The courtyard holds the two ablutions fountains. It is also said that the shrine of the Prophet Zechariah is located in the main prayer hall of the mosque.
