LECTURE 2

THE MOSQUE:
Components & Typologies
Mosque Design (Part 1): Categories, External & Internal Elements
 Brief Introduction to the Mosque

 Mosque Typologies
- Masjid
- Friday Mosque
- Musalla

 Primary Elements
- External Elements
- Internal Elements
BRIEF INTRODUCTION
TO THE MOSQUE
• It is the most typical Islamic building dating from the birth of Islam.

• For centuries the features of mosque, especially minarets, dominated Islamic

towns and villages.

• As a principle, the mosque should be centralized in the city or in the

neighborhood in order to be accessible and reachable in equality. Located in
city centers or best sites.

• It is the link between the Islamic community and spiritual life.

 MOSQUE
TYPOLOGIES
• There are different types of mosques varying in:

1. Size (depending on number of people performing the prayer)

2. Certain features outside and inside

• Those categories are:

1. Masjid (small mosque used for daily prayer)

2. Friday mosque / Jami (much bigger in size, mainly for Friday /

Juma prayer, for large number of people)

3. Musalla (holiday mosque, place for community prayer during

holidays or certain events/celebrations, usually located outside towns
PRIMARY ELEMENTS
External Elements

Dome
Minaret
Portal
Ablution Fountain
Dome

• Constant desire to built higher, roofing method

• It is a way to cover a large area, especially in Friday mosques

• Element of constant experiments (materials, constructive elements,

techniques and shapes)

• Decorative feature and focal point, signifying power

Minaret

• New element used to call for prayer, instead of roofs of houses

• This element dominate the Islamic cities, town and villages and creates
special "image" of the place
• Raised, tower-like structure with one or more galleries. Height varies
depending on mosque size. Position and the number of minarets is
different from period to period, from region to region

• Different types of construction, materials, ornaments, shapes, and

forms were used, from square to circular to octagonal
Portal

• Usually built in a very impressive way

• Various types: with single or triple entrance usually finished with arch

• Highly decorated with different ornaments and motives

Ablution Fountain

• Place for ritual purity

• Very often locate in courtyard nicely decorated (nowadays special space

with other facilities)
Internal Elements

Mihrab
Prayer Hall
Minbar
Dikka
Kursi
Section for Women
Mihrab

• Most IMPORTANT requirement and internal element of any mosque,

marking the direction of Qibla

• It is a niche, often semi-circular, in the wall that is also called Qibla Wall

• It is a spiritual symbol that connects us with Kaaba and Mecca

• It has acoustical function and usually a frame with the mihrab panel

• All together they are richly decorated

• Most of the time mihrab is seen projected becoming the typical external
characteristic of every mosque
Prayer Hall

• It is the main space in every mosque

• Preferably square or rectangle to fit the rows of people standing behind

the Imam.

• Longer rows and column free spaces are recommended

Minbar

• Mainly found in Friday Mosques, but some smaller platforms are built
even in small mosques

• Simple ones are just a raised set of steps leading up for Imam to give his
speech

• First examples with more steps were introduced in Egypt

• Minbar is composed of staircase, full balustrade, small platform covered
with small canopy or other small roof

• Often rich in decoration

• Position is on the right side, beside the mihrab

Dikka

• Usually found in big mosques, located somewhere in the middle of the

mosque, in the axis with mihrab and imam

• It is a separate structure or platform supported with slender columns,

usually raised 1m to 1,5m above the ground floor

• It could be free standing structure or attached between mosque's

columns or pillars
• The main purpose is that in the big Friday mosques worshipers praying
in the back rows can hear better and not loose rhythm of praying

• The man on dikka is actually repeating after imam

• Sometimes it could be more than one inside big prayer hall

Kursi

• This is a special type of chair to carry or support very often heavy copies
of Quran

• Very often the shape is like letter V or in shape as X, to carry open

Quran for reading
Section for Women

• Since they are not praying in the same row as men there is a special
section in a mosque for females

• This is separated part of the mosque often with its own entrance

• It could be as gallery or at the back side of the prayer hall

What’s your favorite
mosque?

WHY???
Thank you