Toward an Architecture in the Spirit of Islam

The revelations in the Koran, set forth through Prophet Muhammad, make an individual understand the supreme nature of God. Every individual Muslim must be upright, righteous and just on his own account, but humble and totally submissive to the will of God. The Muslim is reminded over and over again that while he is allowed to enjoy the normal and serene pleasures of life, excess and grandeur in any form is contrary to the will of Allah. In the pursuit of one's activities through life, it was therefore important to search for simplicity and humility and to avoid waste through the frivolous use of resources. Excessive expenditure on buildings was a frivolity.

It is in this spirit that the first true Islamic architecture took its shape in the first mosques ever to be built. In Basra in 635 A.D., a mosque was built by simply defining the boundary of a lot approximately square in shape and enclosing it with a fence of reeds. In Kufa in 638 A.D., the mosque had only an unenclosed covered colonnade. Since the purpose of the mosque is to provide a place for communal prayer, there was indeed no preordained form of architecture at all. The covered colonnade on the qibla side provided the first hint of any architectural form in the Mosque at Kufa. As the might of the Islamic rulers spread out from Arabia, churches as houses of worship had a definite influence in the first mosque architecture in terms of actual buildings. Frequently, materials for columns and beams were taken from other edifices of previous cultures; but the simplicity of the mosque form, generally a square overall plan with covered colonnades along the qibla wall, has remained the primary mosque-type to the present time. The function of the mosque is to let Muslims at prayer time stand shoulder to shoulder in rows facing the Ka'ba to perform the prayers. Columns supporting the roof structure, in fact, always blended into the mass of people standing shoulder to shoulder at prayer time. It was really important to create a sense of space evoking spirituality of the environment, a feeling of peace, harmony and the humbleness of the individual. Monumentality and embellishment were not predefined objectives in creating such spaces. It is only in later developments, with the contribution of creative artisans and builders, that we find a third dimension of spirituality created through patterns, colors and calligraphic designs based upon quotations from the Koran. Every pattern and graphic design was directed to creating a sense of peace and harmony and dedicated in praise to Allah. The resulting multitude of artistic creations today stands out as the hallmark of Islamic art in architecture, on the one hand, and the very essence of humility and submission to God on the other. It is through the understanding of this evolution of Islamic art and architecture in mosque constructions that one can begin to see its potential continuity and transformation in contemporary architecture. Mnay such mosque designs can be observed in countries all over the world including in the Middle East, Africam Far East, USA, Europe, China, and many other countries.

Other Resources on Islamic Architecture

Preserving the Living Heritage of Islamic Cities

Collection of  Muslim Prayer Rugs

Libya stretches along the northern coast of Africa and has Tunisia and Algeria on the west and Egypt on the east. To the south of Libya are Sudan, Chad and Niger. Most of the country is within the Sahara Desert while the coastal areas and interior is plateau. Libya, as it is now, was founded by Col. Muammar al Qaddafi.

Libya - Facts and Figures

• Official name is Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
• The terrain is mostly barren, flat plain with plateaus and depressions.
• Libya’s climate is Mediterranean along its coast while being dry and extreme within its exterior.
• Libya has total land boundaries of 4,383 kilometers while its coastline is 1,770 kilometers long.
• Area: 1,759,540 sq km, all of it being land.
• The Arabs came to Libya in the middle of the seventh century and Islam quickly followed. More recently, Libya was under Italian rule.
• Population is almost 6 million, of which Berbers and Arabs comprise 97%. Other races include Greeks, Maltese, Italians, Egyptians, Pakistanis, Turks, Indians and Tunisians.
• The main languages are Arabic and Italian. English is also widely spoken. (Buy Islamic Arabic Books here)
• Islam is practiced by 97% of the population, the majority of them being Sunnis.
• Capital is Tripoli and the other major city is Benghazi.
• Major exports are machinery, transport equipment, food and consumer products.
• The local currency is the Libyan dinar.
• Agricultural products are wheat, barley, olives, dates, citrus fruits, vegetables, peanuts and soybeans.
• Major trading partners include Italy, Germany, Spain, Turkey, France, South Korea, United Kingdom and Tunisia.
• Government system is military rule.

Lebanon, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, has Israel to its south and Syria to it east. Most of the country is covered by the Lebanon Mountains on the west while the Anti-Lebanon Range is on the east. In the middle is the Bekaa Valley, which is the main agricultural area. Lebanon has a violent recent history, with parts of the country being occupied by Israeli and Syrian forces at some time.

Lebanon - Facts and Figures

• Official name is Republic of Lebanon.
• Terrain comprises of a narrow coastal plain with the Bekaa Valley separating the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains.
• Lebanon’s climate is Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Heavy snow falls on the mountains during winter.
• Lebanon’s land boundaries are 454 kilometers in total while 225 kilometers are coastline.
• Area: 10,400 sq km, of which 10,230 sq km is land and 170 sq km is water.
• Lebanon and Syria were joined under the Ottoman Empire but split after World War I and handed over to a French mandate. Full independence was declared in 1941.
• Population is about 3.8 million, comprising 95% Arabs and 4% Armenians.
• Lebanon’s official language is Arabic while French, English and Syrian are also spoken.
• About 60% of the population is Muslim (Shiite, Sunni, Druze, Ismailis and Alawite). Christians make up about 39%.
• Capital is Beirut, while other large cities include Tripoli and Sidon.
• Major exports are jewelry, inorganic chemicals, consumer goods, fruit, tobacco, textiles and paper.
• The local currency is the Lebanese pound.
• Agricultural products are citrus fruits, grapes, tomatoes, apples, vegetables, potatoes, olives, tobacco, sheep and goats.
• Major trading partners are Syria, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Italy, France, Germany, China, United States and United Kingdom.
• Republic-based government.