CONTEMPORARY

MOSQUES OF THE
WORLD.
.

ANANDI KUNDARIA

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REPRESENTATIVES ISLAMIC CENTRES IN THE WEST

Mosques are represented as the symbol of Muslim religion, their spiritual and physical centers
and it is also considered as their first permanent structure to be built in the community.
However, some mosques represents themselves as the statement of the presence of the Muslim
religion in that area. Such mosques are generally found in the capitals or the respectable place in
the country to show the grandeur and their presence in non Muslim country and are
commissioned and funded by leading representatives or diplomats.

Since these are established in the foreign area with foreign culture, their settings are character
by few tendencies;

1) Since the culture changes, there is always the possibility of the design being tempered by
the locals. Physically, the built form responds to the context, thus deviating from norms.
2) Attempts to achieve the basic structure that fills spiritual requirement and also an add on
the as the add-in features in the baitworm
3) The design changes particularly from country to country depending upon who the
financier is and the religion which usually ends up in having a plan layout that fits the
Muslim community but the exterior being non-Muslim.

ISLAMIC CENTRE AND MOSQUE, ROME, ITALY.

Location : Rome, Parioli,

Architect : Paolo Portoghesi, Vittori Gigliotti, Sami Mousawi, Nino Tozzo

Year of construction : 1994

Capacity : 12000 worshipers

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Usually the mosques in the non-Islamic culture and place tend to deviate from their usual
architecture and are expressed more towards the contemporary, but the mosque in Rome tried
achieving the normal architectural norms in the contemporary built up by establishing a link
between the past and the present. The structure has huge mass in its horizontality, the interiors
re decorated by taking inspiration from Turkish, Morris, Persian as well as Italy décor and the
material used is concrete. The Mosque does not only holds the purpose of praying but also
provides refuge to the Muslims. The slopping and the triangular site is divided into 3 parts.

1) The prayer hall

2) The central library
3) Cultural center

The lower side of the site consumes the library and the culture center as to give them their
private space and also to establish the connections towards its surroundings. Landscape features
local flora. The prayer Hall with the area of 2,500 sq. m. Accommodates 2000 worshipers. Along
with the cultural Hall, prayer Hall, and central library, the Mosque also consists of a subsidiary
praying Hall that is located right behind the prayer Hall and is for the everyday use . They also
provide the reception hall, meeting rooms and museum. For the exterior, the columns are inspired
by the basic form of the tree, thus it has the tree like structure for its column. Basic use of various
shapes and arches are exhibited. The roof consists of the dome with 16 subsidiary domes having
ribbon like structure from the inside to make it physically stable. The central dome has 7 stepped
central dome which has 22.80m dia and is placed on 8 columns and representatives the
constellations. The openings have small arch like windows and glazes of different colors.

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MOSQUES FOR PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL INSTITUTION.

The social service institutions are the significant patrons for frequent commissions for the construction
of new mosques. Such institutions gather their funds by government authorities, ministries etc. Thus,
the choice of building eventually goes in the hands of the government and their leaders. In such cases,
the mosques are only used for a certain group, depending upon the purpose of the place, their location
and prestige. The institutions in these cases are of quite bigger size as to contain the purposes and much
more complex thus results in focusing less attention towards the design factor.

UNIVRSITY OF KERMAN MOSQUE, IRAN

Location : Kerman, Iran

Year of construction : 1988

The university complex is a private foundation and the mosque being inside the campus area. Based
upon the architecture of the Kerman mosque, the structure does not reflect any unusual style of
architecture or any experiment. Minimalistic structure is highly geometrical with a square profile , in
elevation as well as plan. The interiors consisting of plain tiled walls with a little decor on the insides
of the prayer hall. The walls are made of bricks and are arranged in the same which is also the usual
style applied in local Iranian architecture.

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The building is given visual prominence by siting it on top of the edge of the entrance gate and has the
aspect more of a monument or a mausoleum than that of the mosque due to the height. Some [art of the
walls are ornated with the inscription in the brief. And the qibla wall having narrow vertical stilts filled
with a panel.

LOCAL COMMUNITY PROJECTS WORLD WIDE.

The small group of people of a typical neighborhood contributes in order to have their common and
public space without any interference of the government or any political member. Such mosques highly
represents the local culture in relation to their religion and the practices. Such mosques are often
constructed by builders or artisans from within the community. And in some cases for the immigrants
communities that moved from one place to another especially the Islamic communities around the year
1960 when there were many migrants, the community is in no longer roots with its traditional ties that
defined them. Thus creating a mix of their traditions along with the adaptation of the place where they
migrated.

Usually in rural places the traditions are much intact related to the urban thus giving the rural
architecture its own and new form based upon the functionalities as well as the traditions they go
through. And having made by the locals , the architecture also comprises of more primitive material
hence resulting in different form and facilities.

GREAT MOSQUE, NIONA, MALI, WEST AFRICA

Location : West Africa , mali

Sudano- Sahelian architecture

Year of construction : 1907

Capacity : 5000

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This mosque in Africa is made of local mud and bricks along with the traditional building technique
which gives the mosque its own feature and the local feature. Being in the locality, the structure was
built without any architectural prints or engineers. The mosque is large enough to serve 5000
inhabitants and the construction was completed in 1948.

The mosque consists of a wall boardered on three sides of the mosque. The mosque has an entry
consisting of three towered qibla wall. Along with the main entry there are several points of entry for
example, there is a different entrance for women and a small entrance provided in the other side. The
plan of the structure consists of a very simple rectangular form . the ceiling consisting of domes and a
mihrab facing the west along with the arches. The mosque buttress has a finer low-relief and each of
the pilaster of the façade is topped with a cone like pinnacle. The façade are punctuated by projecting
bamboo stick which serves as a structural material to hold the façade as well as a decorative `

BIBLIOGRAPHY :

Book : The mosque and the modern world by Renata Holod and Hasan Uddin Khan

www.khanacademy.com

www.archnet.org

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