Mosquee de Vendredi, Comoros

Posted on February 3, 2010 by admin

Mosquee De Vendredi, Comoros

Mosquee De Vendredi, Comoros

The Nouvelle Mosquee de Vendredi located in Ngazidja, Comoros is known for its impressive Comoran architectural style. The mosque is built in the largest island of Ngazidja which is also called Grande Comore. Mosquee de Vendredi is used by locals for daily prayers and only men dressed in full-length trousers are allowed to enter the great mosque bare feet. Even the tourists are expected to stand by the local rules to enter the mosque. The mosque reminds of the first traces of Islamic origins in the region dating back to the eleventh century. Mosquee de Vendredi is primarily used for community gatherings where local people discuss and resolve religious and social issues.

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Abu Haggag Mosque, Egypt

Posted on February 3, 2010 by admin

Abu Haggag Mosque, Egypt

Abu Haggag Mosque, Egypt

The Abu Haggag Mosque located in Luxor, Egypt is built over an Egyptian temple that dates back to fourteenth century BC. Its architectural design has some similarity with the Fatimid mosques like Esna Mosque in Aswan and Al-Mashhad el-Bahari Mosque in Egypt. The Abu Haggag Mosque has a small dome and an entrance on the west side. The entrance has three arches approximately twelve metres in height. During the restoration of the Abu Haggag Mosque in 1914, a row of small balconies was built with baked bricks. The minaret on the northeast side is 14.15 metres in height and has its base set on thresholds above the four granite pillars in the temple.

The mosque is believed to be full of divine blessings. Abu Haggag was the main saint of the city who converted an Egyptian temple into an Islamic Mosque. He is believed to have converted the Coptic Princess to Islam who was ruling Luxor at that time. Abu Haggag died in 1243 AD in Luxor and was buried inside the mosque.

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Great Mosque of Aleppo

Posted on February 2, 2010 by admin

Great Mosque of Aleppo - ablution fountains

Great Mosque of Aleppo - ablution fountains

The city of Aleppo has one of the largest and oldest mosques in Syria – the Great Mosque of Aleppo which is also called the Ummayad Mosque of Aleppo. The great mosque was constructed on confiscated land in 715-717 by Al-Walid and his successor Sulayman Ibn Abdal-Malik. The courtyard of the Mosque of Aleppo is famous for its black and white pavement that has wonderful geometric patterns. It also has two ablution fountains and several prayer halls built around a large courtyard. The main prayer hall has the shrine of Zechariah, father of John the Baptist.

Great Mosque of Aleppo

Great Mosque of Aleppo

Various portions and areas of the great mosque were constructed or renovated in different eras. A single domed fountain in the courtyard of the Mosque of Aleppo was constructed in the later half of the eleventh century by the Mirdasids. In 1090, Abul Hasan Muhammad of the Seljuks restored the detached minaret. In 1169 it was expanded and restored again by Sultan Nur al-Din. The Mongols demolished the entire building of the mosque in 1260. In 2003 the courtyard and minaret were reconstructed.

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Kuwait Towers, Kuwait

Posted on February 2, 2010 by admin

Kuwait Towers, Kuwait

Kuwait Towers, Kuwait

Kuwait Towers, originally water towers are located in Kuwait City. They were built in 1971-1976 by a Yugoslavian company Energoprojekt. The towers are the successful effort of the architects Malene Bjorn and Sune Lindstrom and the engineer Lennart Gerte. The height of the main tower is 187 meters and besides being a water tower it is a restaurant. The Viewing Sphere of the main tower rises 123 meters above sea level and takes a full turn in half an hour. The second water tower is smaller than the main tower and is only 145.8 meters in height. The third tower has equipment to control electricity supply and it works to light up the other two towers. These towers have the capacity to hold 4,500-m3 water. Iraqi occupation of Kuwait in 1990 and 1991 resulted in a lot of damage to Kuwait towers. The exterior of the towers including the triangular glazed panels was damaged by shell and bullets while the interior had faulty electrical gear and lift equipment. Kuwait towers were abseiled by Vic Clarke of Nottingham UK for a structural survey in 1992.

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The Great Mosque of Djenne

Posted on January 24, 2010 by admin

The Mosque of Djenne – the largest building made with mud bricks is located in the city of Djenne, Mali. The mosque was originally built in the thirteenth century but the building we see now dates back to 1907. It combines the needs of Islam with the more dynamic and basic needs of the local people of Djenne. The entrance to the courtyard looks like a giant mask and one has to walk through the mouth to enter the mosque. Thousands of sparrows build their nests in this very large building. The mud brick walls are decorated with palm tree sticks locally called toron.

The Qibla of the great mosque is indicated by three large towers or minarets. These minarets with the ostrich eggs spiked onto the top symbolize purity and fertility. Every year the people of Djenne repair the damage inflicted on the great mosque by rain erosion, and changes in temperature in a unique festival where the whole community gathers to repair the mosque with fresh mud.

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Putra Mosque, Malaysia

Posted on January 24, 2010 by admin

Putra Mosque, Malaysia

Putra Mosque, Malaysia

Putra Mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia is considered the best among modern mosques. Its glowing pink colour, traditional designs, and fascinating woodworks on doors make it the most elegant tourist spot. The architectural design of the Putra mosque is an amalgamation of Persian and Arab-Islamic architectural style. Sheikh Omar mosque in Baghdad seems to have inspired its 116 meters minaret and the basement wall of Putra mosque reminds us of the Sultan Hassan Mosque in Morocco.

Twelve columns support the prayer hall of the mosque topped by a 36-meter diameter dome. The mosque can accommodate ten thousand worshippers and the courtyard in the front of the prayer hall can have five thousand people in addition. The mosque is located near Perdana Putra which has the office of Malaysian Prime Minister. The man-made Putrajaya Lake adds to the beauty of the mosque.

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Mecca Masjid, India

Posted on January 24, 2010 by admin

Mecca Masjid, India

Mecca Masjid, India

Mecca Masjid, Hyderabad, India was constructed in 1617-1694, during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Qutub Shah. The foundation stone of the mosque was laid by Sultan Muhammad Qutub Shah himself. This awe-inspiring mosque has its central arch built with bricks made from earth brought from Mecca hence its name Mecca Masjid. The mosque has Imam of Sunni Barelwi Movement.

Mecca Masjid, India

Mecca Masjid, India

The main hall of the mosque is big enough to accommodate ten thousand worshippers. The construction of this gigantic piece of Islamic art employed eight thousand workers. Five arches on each of the three sides of the main hall mark the architectural beauty of the mosque. The fourth wall makes the mehrab. A single piece of stone was used to carve the three arched facades in five years. Many inscriptions from the Quran decorate the arches and doors of the mosque. Towards the left side of the great courtyard of the mosque we can see the tombs of Asaf Jahi rulers. The domes and arches of the tombs reflect the architectural sophistication of the Asaf Jahis.

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Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Egypt

Posted on January 24, 2010 by admin

Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Cairo, Egypt

Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Cairo, Egypt

The oldest and largest mosque with maximum land area in Cairo, Egypt, the Mosque of Ahmad Ibn Tulun was constructed in 876-879 AD on a small hill called Gebel Yashkur. ‘Gebel Yashkur’ means the ‘Hill of Thanksgiving’. Noah’s Ark is believed to come to rest here after the deluge but again this general belief is controversial. The grand Mosque of Ibn Tulun was meant to be a central point of Al- Qatta’i, the capital of Ibn Tulun. The mosque was connected with Ibn Tulun’s palace and had a door to allow him to have direct entry to the mosque.

Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Cairo

Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Cairo

The Mosque of Ahmad Ibn Tulun is built in Samarran style with a building around a courtyard and one covered hall on all four sides. The mosque has been restored several times. Its domed Sabil – ablution fountain was constructed in the central courtyard by Sultan Lajin in thirteenth century. The Sultan is also rendered responsible by a few for the construction of the minaret of the mosque which stands distinctive in its architectural style when compared to the rest of the building. The Gayer-Anderson Museum adjacent to the mosque is a great tourist attraction.

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Al-Hussein Mosque, Egypt

Posted on January 24, 2010 by admin

Al Hussein Mosque, Cairo, Egypt

Al Hussein Mosque, Cairo, Egypt

Al-Hussein Mosque is said to have the head of Husayn ibn Ali buried on its grounds, but the belief is controversial as Shiah Muslims believe that Husayn ibn Ali’s head is in Imam Husayn Mosque in Karbala. Al-Hussein Mosque is named after the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) – Husayn ibn Ali.

This great mosque – a wonderful monument of Islamic architecture, is located in Cairo, Egypt and was built in 1154. Forty-four white marble columns support the wood ceiling of the mosque. It has the mausoleum – the remains of Husayn ibn Ali. The mausoleum is considered the oldest part of the complex, originally built in the year 1154. A small dome with fascinating gold motifs serves as a ceiling for mausoleum. The two minarets of the mosque were constructed at two different times; the one in the south-west is as old as the mosque while the other is more contemporary in architectural style as it was constructed years after. The mosque has the oldest complete manuscript of the Quran.

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Al- Azhar University, Egypt

Posted on January 24, 2010 by admin

Al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo, Egypt

Al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo, Egypt

Al-Azhar University is one of the world’s greatest institutions controlling and generating religious syllabus, Quranic sciences and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad along with modern fields of education. Located in Cairo, Egypt, Al-Azhar University was founded by the Fatmid dynasty in 970-972 AD and was named in honour of the Prophet Muhammad’s daughter – Fatima Az-Zahra. The university is connected with Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo and is ranked as one of the oldest surviving degree granting institutions. Propagation of Islamic culture and religion is the university’s mission.

The Islamic scholars control the codes of conduct for Muslim societies specifically in Sunni Islamic world and train government appointed Egyptian preachers. The library in Al-Azhar University has millions of valuable religious scripts and is considered second in rank to the Egyptian National Library and Archives. In 1961 the university encouraged Islamic women faculty for the first time, allowing women to speak at the university.

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