Project 2: Case Study National Mosque Malaysia

In this project we carry out a case study of local mosque to understand the application of 7 Principles of Islamic Architecture on Mosque design. We carried out research on National Mosque and interviews on tourists and local workers.
Members: Chong Kai Cheng, Tan Hwa Jie, Lee Wan Teen, Lee Huey Ling.

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

Tourist (Romania)

Q:        What is the most unique feature of the mosque?

A:        The look of the building. The patterns on the panels look good. The reason I come here is it feels good.

Q:        The ambiance of the place?

A:        The water content (water body) and the building make people feel good.

Q:        How you perceive the space (how do you feel) in the main hall?

A:        The open space makes people feels free. The ornament and texture is beautiful. I feel calm and peaceful in the building. Every mosque I visited has the same feeling.

Tourist (Australia)

Q:        Is this your first visit to this mosque?

A:        Yes, this is my first time.

Q:        What do you feel in this mosque?

A:        I’m from Melbourne, Australia. Unfortunately we don’t have mosque as big and as beautiful as this, the mosques in Melbourne are load smaller. There is one mosque in Melbourne is a bit bigger than others, but not quite as big and as beautiful as this mosque, so I really enjoy visiting this mosque. The scale of the building, the wideness of the space, the beautiful fences and beautiful image u can take around, so everything is pretty much 10 out of 10.

Q:        What is your feeling and experience walking through the building?

A:        I feel very spiritual, if I’m a Muslim, this will put a really big smile on my face that we have such beautiful places like this around the world that u can go in and meet other Muslims and praying, I will feel very good inside.

Q:        What is the most unique part of the mosque?

A:        Everything, even the place you wash before you pray. There is enough room for hundreds and thousands of people go in to wash themselves and come in there. The place is shaded very well. The wide of the zone and the inside of the hall is very beautiful.  

Volunteer Worker (Chinese Philippine)

A:        There are two umbrella in the mosque design, one is opened and another is closed. And there is another one at the back which is semi-opened. So the meaning of this concept of the design of the masjid is we need an umbrella to protect ourselves from the sun and from the rain, so this is something like we are under the god protection. So that is the concept of the masjid design.

Q:        So how long have u been working here?

A:        I have been working here for two month and I am a volunteer. Actually I am a Chinese Philippine but I convert to Islam, I am still learning, I am telling you whatever I know, if there is anything that u guys are not sure about then have to ask my brothers, they know more than me. I hope this few information will help you guys in your assignment.

Q:        It helps a lot! Thank you so much!

A:        You are welcome.

Volunteer Worker (Malay)

A: In your point of view, what is the most unique feature of the mosque?

A: I think the most unique feature about the mosque is the dome. Because the normally when you talk about mosque is always represented by a dome. But here the dome is special because it looks like a semi-opened umbrella so this is the main difference. I think maybe this is the only mosque in the world having this kind of dome. Maybe according what I was told, when the architect designing this building, they said we always associate Malaysia with rain, and of course we always using umbrella, so that is how their idea semi-opened umbrella comes.

Q: So other than this, do you find any special elements of this mosque?

A: So basically when you talk about a mosque is always u need a big space for people to come and communicate and also some other features like we have a lot of opened spaces between allay area so that is the main idea, so that u can get the feeling of peacefulness in the mosque.

Q: Ok, so thank you so much!

A: You are welcome, is my pleasure.

Personal review:

The most interesting feature of National Mosque is the folded plate dome, different from any other Mosque which is represented by round dome. The concept of having an umbrella-like dome is to symbolize the protection under Allah, similar to umbrella provides shelter from rain water. The proportion of the Mosque is very balance and creates the feeling of harmony.  The Mosque surrounded by beautiful garden and the geometry wall screen panel express the principle of Haya, provides privacy to the Mosque interior. The water huge main prayer hall is a gather place for Muslim to pray and it reflected the principle of Tawhid, Unity. The wall pattern and the sculpture of Arabic calligraphy show the principle of Ikhlas and Ilm. The repeating columns create a rhythmic continuation, showing the principle of Dikr, a remembrance of Allah. The space is very spiritual with the texture and ornament, the light and shadow from the screen wall and the peacefulness of the combination of water body, Mosque and garden. I really enjoy the quality of the space and very much appreciate the well design of the National Mosque.  

Project 1: Islamic Architecture In China

In a group of 4, we study the development of Islamic culture and architecture through timeline in different dynasty in China.
Members: Chong Kai Cheng, Tan Hwa Jie, Lee Wan Teen, Lee Huey Ling

Site Visit To Islamic Museum

The site visit to Islamic Museum in Kuala Lumpur is a very interesting experience. In this visit I had the opportunity to learn a load of detail information of the development of Islamic art and architecture throughout the times. 

The building itself is a very beautiful expression of Islamic art and architecture, the interior dome ceiling and ornament on the walls reflect very good understanding of Islamic culture and teaching. 

The exhibition showcase load of artifacts and documents of the religion and art, the exhibition content very useful information for project 1 of my group, which is Islamic Architecture in China. The exhibition has various artifacts related to Islamic Art in China, such as pottery, paintings, calligraphy etc. The display throughout different dynasty in China reflected the development of Islamic culture in China.

The display also showcase good information of Islamic Architecture in China in different dynasty. The information include written documents, models, drawings and images of various Mosques of different architecture style in China.

The visit was very useful for me to learn about Islamic art and architecture, and I collected very useful information for my project as well.

The Seven Unifying Principles Of Islamic Architecture  

1. Architecture as Tawhid: Unity & Uniquity of Allah)

2. Architecture of Ihtiram: Respect

3. Architecture with Ikhlas: Sincerity

4. Architecture as Pursuit of ‘Ilm: Knowledge

5. Architecture for Iqtisad: Balance

6. Architecture of Haya’: Modesty

7. Architecture as Dikr: Remembrance

Shahada

Shahada is a declaration of faith and trust that professes that there is only one God (Allah) and that Muhammad is God's messenger.

Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca

The Hajj is a pilgrimage that occurs during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah to the holy city of Mecca. Every able-bodied Muslim is obliged to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life. When the pilgrim is around 10 km (6.2 mi) from Mecca, he/she must dress in Ihram clothing, which consists of two white sheets. Both men and women are required to make the pilgrimage to Mecca. After a Muslim makes the trip to Mecca, he/she is known as a hajj/hajja (one who made the pilgrimage to Mecca). The main rituals of the Hajj include walking seven times around the Kaaba termed Tawaf, touching the Black Stone termed Istilam, traveling seven times between Mount Safa and Mount Marwah termed Sa'yee, and symbolically stoning the Devil in Mina termed Ramee.

Ka'bah

The Kaaba is a cuboid-shape structure which is made of granite quarried from nearby hills. Standing upon a 250 cm (98 in) marble base that projects outwards about 35 cm (14 in). It is approximately 13.1 m (43 ft) high, with sides measuring 11.03 m (36.2 ft) by 12.86 m (42.2 ft). Inside the Kaaba, the floor is made of marble and limestone. The interior walls are clad with marble halfway to the roof. The marble is inset with Qur'anic inscriptions.

The wall directly adjacent to the entrance of the Kaaba has six tablets inlaid with inscriptions. The top part of the walls are covered with a green cloth embroidered with gold Qur'anic verses. Caretakers anoint the marble cladding with scented oil used on the Black Stone outside. Three pillars stand inside the Kaaba, with a small altar set between one and the other two. Lamp-like objects (possible crucible censers) hang by a rope above the platform. An enclosed staircase leads to the roof.

The Ka'bah was rebuilt for several times in the history. It was built twelve times, from foundations to latest comprehensive renovations. 4th ’Abraham & Ismail a.s., 5th & 6th – Al Amaliq & Jurhum tribes (fr Yemen).

Islamic Architecture in Umayyad Period:
Person And Place

The Umayyad caliphate was established in 661 after Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet was murdered in Kufa. Muawiyah I, governor of Syria, became the first Umayyad caliph. The Umayyads made Damascus their capital. Under the Umayyads the Arab empire continued to expand, eventually extending to Central Asia and the borders of India in the east, Yemen in the south, the Atlantic coast of what is now Morocco and the Iberian peninsula in the west.

The Umayyads adopted the construction techniques of the Byzantine and Sassanid empires, and often re-used existing buildings. There was some innovation in decoration and in types of building. Most buildings in Syria were of high quality ashlar masonry, using large tightly-joined blocks, sometimes with carving on the facade. Stone barrel vaults were only used to roof small spans. Wooden roofs were used for larger spans, with the wood in Syria brought from the forests of Lebanon. These roofs usually had shallow pitches and rested on wooden trusses. Wooden domes were constructed for Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, both in Jerusalem.

One of the first buildings they did build, in the 600s AD, was the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, on the site where the Jewish temple had been before the Romans destroyed it. Right away you can see that Islamic mosques are very different from Christian churches. Instead of being made like a Roman basilica, long and narrow, the Dome of the Rock is hexagonal (six-sided). The architect may have been thinking of Roman funeral chapels, which were sometimes polygonal (many-sided) like this, or he may have been thinking of early Christian baptistries, which also were polygonal.

Great Mosque in Damascus

Another early Umayyad building was the Great Mosque in the Umayyad capital of Damascus (in modern Syria), which was built about 710 AD. (for the interior, click here).

This was built more like a Christian church, but you'll notice there are no pictures of people on it - only plants and buildings.

Great Mosque at Cordoba

Another Umayyad building was the Great Mosque at Cordoba in Spain, begun in 754 AD. The architects took the many columns from older Roman buildings, which is why the columns don't match each other. This was partly because it was more efficient to reuse columns, but also to show how Islam had triumphed over Rome and destroyed their buildings to make new mosques. The striped stone arches, which are also found on the inside of the Dome of the Rock, became a very common choice in Islamic architecture, and within forty years they were copied in Christian France in Charlemagne's chapel at Aachen, and then in Italy too, for instance in the cathedrals of Florence and Pisa.

Great Mosque at Kairouan

The Umayyad caliphs built their last major building in the 700s AD, in North Africa (modern Tunisia) - the Great Mosque of Kairouan. Kairouan's mosque has the oldest surviving minaret in the world.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umayyad_architecture

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/islam/architecture/umayyad.htm

http://muslimheritage.com/topics/default.cfm?ArticleID=273

Islamic Architecture in Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Era: Person- Islam As Way Of Life

The leadership of the development of the Islamic state and Islamic civilization while swinging towards the Abbasids and Iraq and Iran appeared as though making a full natural cycle, having hitherto been under the custody firstly of the rightly-guided caliphs (al-Khulafa’ al-Rashidun) principally in Madinah and then under the custody of the Umayyads in Syria. It was not by chance that the cycle occurred right in the lands which were destined to serve as the nucleus of Islam from its inception and during nearly each subsequent Islamic generation and period with all the major parties, both political and religious, playing their roles and making their contributions. By and large, the end of the first period of the Abbasid state is considered as the end of the most prosperous period of the long Abbasid rule, as well as the end of one of the most glorious eras of Islam and its cosmopolitan civilization. It stands to reason that the development of Islamic architecture towards the end of the same period was at its zenith together with the rest of the cultural and civilizational constituents.

The second reason why the end of the first period of the Abbasid state is regarded as the final phase in the evolution of the total identity of Islamic architecture is that by the end of that particular period all the major ethnic groups: the Arabs, the Romans, the Persians and, to a lesser extent, the Turks, were actively exerting their influences over the expansion of Islamic civilization leaving their respective marks on the latter’s extensive makeup. That means that the rich talent and prolonged cultural and civilizational exposures of these groups -- and in fact many others but whose roles and contributions were not as significant at that point of time -- were readily and happily employed for carrying the culture and civilization of Islam to some new and hitherto unknown heights. Once the members of these groups and communities entered the fold of Islam -- somewhere more and at a fast rate and somewhere less and at a much slower rate, though -- it was no longer the case of foreigners contributing to an alien religion and its alien culture and people who came from some distant foreign lands. Rather, it was the case of the new Muslim members joining the ranks of the fast growing Islamic fraternity in the lands newly liberated by Islam which they all closely and proudly associated themselves with. The whole thing, furthermore, was the case of the Islamic universal association and Islamic comprehensive worldview being fully at work.

The evolution and growth of Islamic architecture was not an exception to this rule. Islamic architecture was immensely enriched and spurred by the presence and contributions of the new geographic, cultural and socio-economic factors, making it a genuinely universal, eclectic and authoritative phenomenon that mirrored the universality and authority of the Islamic message that inspired it. Islam as a universal religion saw nothing wrong in enriching and multiplying the legitimate means for fulfilling its divine mission. The existing resources of the communities which were newly exposed to Islam were seen as a source of such novel and legitimate means. Naturally, the more the members of those new communities embraced Islam, the faster and wider the adoption and application of such means became.

The Islamic Way of Life:

In the Holy Qur'an, God teaches human beings that they were created in order to worship Him, and that the basis of all true worship is God-consciousness. Since the teachings of Islamic encompass all aspects of life and ethics, God-consciousness is encouraged in all human affairs. Islam makes it clear that all human acts are acts of worship if they are done for God alone and in accordance to His Divine Law. As such, worship in Islam is not limited to religious rituals. The teachings of Islam act as a mercy and a healing for the human soul, and such qualities as humility, sincerity, patience and charity are strongly encouraged. Additionally, Islam condemns pride and self-righteousness, since Almighty God is the only judge of human righteousness. The Islamic view of the nature of man is also realistic and well-balanced. Human beings are not believed to be inherently sinful, but are seen as equally capable of both good and evil. Islam also teaches that faith and action go hand-in-hand. God has given people free-will, and the measure of one's faith is one's deeds and actions. However, human beings have also been created weak and regularly fall into sin. This is the nature of the human being as created by God in His Wisdom, and it is not inherently "corrupt" or in need of repair. This is because the avenue of repentance of always open to all human beings, and Almighty God loves the repentant sinner more than one who does not sin at all. The true balance of an Islamic life is established by having a healthy fear of God as well as a sincere belief in His infinite Mercy. A life without fear of God leads to sin and disobedience, while believing that we have sinned so much that God will not possibly forgive us only leads to despair. In light of this, Islam teaches that: only the misguided despair of the Mercy of their Lord. Additionally, the Holy Qur'an, which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, contains a great deal of teachings about the life hereafter and the Day of Judgment. Due to this, Muslims believe that all human beings will ultimately be judged by God for their beliefs and actions in their earthly lives. In judging human beings, Almighty God will be both Merciful and Just, and people will only be judged for what they were capable of. Suffice it to say that Islam teaches that life is a test, and that all human beings will be accountable before God. A sincere belief in the life hereafter is key to leading a well-balanced life and moral. Otherwise, life is viewed as an end in itself, which causes human beings to become more selfish, materialistic and immoral.

Reference:

http://discover.islamway.net/articles.php?article_id=2

http://www.medinanet.org/index.php/urban-history/199-the-evolution-of-the-identity-of-islamic-architecture-after-prophet-muhammad?showall=1&limitstart=