The Great Mosque of Cordoba has a very complex history, combining elements of ancient Roman, old Christian, Islamic and modern Christian influences. The beginning of the structure date back to the end of 8th century and the figure of Abd al-Rahman I, who was the only member of Umayyad clan that escaped the Abbasid massacre in Syria. Upon his arrival to Spain occupied by the Arab military governors, he became the overlord, establishing a beginning of the Spanish Umayyad dynasty for the next three centuries. Since Cordoba served as a capital for the Spanish Umayyads, building a beautiful mosque was not only a way to provide a place to pray but also strengthened the position of the Umayyads as a sign of triumph of Islam in Spain. The Great Mosque was build on the site of a Christian …show more content…
However, depending on one’s religious background, these ideas can be very different from each other. Therefore, upon entering the Great Mosque of Cordoba, many people coming from a Christian faith might feel lost because of the difference between the idea of a temple in Islam and Christianity. Western viewers come with expectational baggage of what a religious space should look like and when they are subjected to different view, it might feel confusing, since they have a different idea of worship.
The Mosque of Cordoba presents an unique mixture of elements from various times, putting them together to form a story of this area through art of its people. This concept is best shown through the praying hall or “the forest of columns”, since
Once a person enters the praying hall, they are surrounded by “the forest of columns”, in which the most important advancement done in this structure could be seen, namely the famous striped double arches set on more than 500 columns differing in material and
During the period of Renaissance, human’s thought and intelligence has reached its highest and its effect on the architectural form, it became clear and its engagement of rational aspect on the building. Mainly geometrical forms are the characteristics which can be identified. Not so long after Renaissance period of Baroque architecture was introduced, rather than logic and reasoning they wanted to capture the emotional atmosphere by using the architectural elements such as light, height, crafted art, costly materials and so on as being mentioned by(Scotti 2007, 5-10).
During the Romanesque era, pilgrims were the most noticeable characteristic of public religious devotion, proclaiming their faith in the power of saints (Gardner 335). Pilgrims traveled all over Europe to reach the major shrines located in Jerusalem. The large quantity of pilgrims whom wished to visit the saints effected the Romanesque churches architecturally (Gardner 335). Changes in design and structure we being made in order to accommodate the growing crowds of pilgrims. Changes such as longer and wider naves and aisles, transepts and ambulatories with additional chapels and even second-story galleries (Gardner 335). The increase of the pilgrimage routes which allowed more pilgrims to travel in order to visit their saints, established many changes in architectural styles as well as the dissemination of the faith in saints.
This work is typical for this era because the architectural style Gothic is known for its height being tall and made from stone and tall flying buttress...
When Emperor Constantine found the city of Constantinople, it was soon to become the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. But the Christin city needed a great church to represent it’s great value, so the Hagia Sophia was built (Krystek, Lee). The Hagia Sophia was built by the Byzantine Empire in 537 C.E., which was an Empire influenced greatly by the greek and roman styles (Krystek, Lee). It has a square base with a large dome on the top. Round arcs surrounded the large dome, adding mystical beauty to the Hagia Sophia (Krystek, Lee). Also, multiple colors of bricks were used to create patterns on the outside of the Hagia Sophia. On the inside, the walls are made of marble with glass panes which bring beautiful sunlight into the large museum (Krystek, Lee). The Hagia Sophia is very significant because it was rebuilt many times. The first church was built and then burnt down in 404 C.E. (Krystek, Lee). It was then rebuilt and burned down by riots in 502 C.E. (Krystek, Lee). Then the 3rd church was built by Justinian. After long periods of time, Sultan Mehmed conquered Constantinople and changed it to an islamic city, converting the church to a mosque (Krystek, Lee). In 1934, President Ataturk changed the mosque to a museum for the people and tourists, instead of a sacred place of worship (Krystek, Lee).
“Culture belongs to the imagination; to judge it rationally is to misunderstand its function” (Wilson 79). In “The Butterfly Mosque” by G. Willow Wilson, she acknowledges culture and explains why cultures can differ so greatly. She emphasizes why its highly inconclusive to try to find a meaning behind ones culture. As a young American Muslim women she is faced with cross cultural ironies as she tries to find her identity and where she fits in. Her conversion to Islam brings into light her internalized prejudice and the different perspectives of Westerners towards the Middle East and vice versa. In her memoir, she depicts both positive and negative aspects of both cultures and, her struggle to find a common ground between the two.
Different religions have shaped the cultural landscapes throughout history. In most religions, they have what is known as a sacred site. Many of the sacred sites are near the founding of the religion or near a place where something significant had once occurred. The followers of these religions often build temples to worship their gods. One example, would be the Dome of the Rock, where Muhammad, a prophet of God in the Muslim culture, said to have ascended into heaven.The Dome of the Rock is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture and is the "Noble Sanctuary" by Muslims. The place of worship for Muslims is known as the mosque, but the Dome of the Rock is much more iconic and would be best identified as a Muslim shrine. The temple was originally made for pilgrims and took thirteen years to construct. This is also a significant place for the Muslim community
Pantheon and Hagia Sophia Pantheon and Hagia Sophia are two extremely outstanding architectural pieces of their times. They have been built according to the traditions of those particular times. The materials used to built these buildings and the purpose for which they were used are all very important aspects and have been briefly covered in this report. Pantheon The statesman Agrippa built pantheon in 27 B.C. Then it was completely rebuilt by the emperor Hadrian. The Pantheon is remarkable for its size, its construction, and its design. The dome was the largest built until modern times. The present structure was probably originally built as a temple for all the pagan gods. We do hear of it as being a law-court and a reception area for Emperor Hadrian meeting his quests too. Some say that the rotunda of the building was once a Roman bath. Due to all this mystery, the Pantheon is often referred to as the Sphinx of Rome. The visitor will probably not appreciate the construction as much as the Flavian amphitheatre, but it is still a great masterpiece of engineering and well worth a visit. Most Roman and Greek temples at the time of the Pantheon's construction were large, colonnaded, rectangular enclosures with sanctuaries situated in their centers. The Pantheon was different. It consisted of a large circular drum topped with a hemispherical dome. It is a masterpiece of both engineering and art a lasting memory of Ancient Rome’s might. Roman architecture is architecture of wall and enclosed tactile space. Individual column with entablature is no longer the basic architectural unity. Spatially, it shows a development from closed, simple space units and regular articulation to more complex spatial relations, more fluid interpenetrati...
In a media platform where Islam is often portrayed as radical, terrorist and subservient religion, the television program Little Mosque on the Prairie, serves to combat modern day Orientalism and Islamophobia through education and humor. Filled with richly diverse characters and viewpoints, Little Mosque offers viewers an alternate depiction of muslims within popular culture and successfully illustrates Forbes and Mahan’s religious and cultural typology. Additionally, Little Mosque attempts to bring awareness and greater understandings of Islamic practice and culture, while highlighting ongoing gender discourse within both the muslim and secular community.
Before addressing the column’s physical attributes it’s important to discuss the significance of the closely related landmarks that surround it. According to author Marilyn Stokstad, “The last and largest Imperial Forum was built by Trajan about 110-113 CE and finished under Hadrian about 117 CE on a large piece of property next to the earlier forums of Augustus and Julius Caesar” (Stokstad 191). At the north end of the courtyard was a closed off section from a building referred to as the Basilica Ulpia (Fig. 2). It was created in c. 112 CE and named after the family which Trajan had been a part of. The basilica was a long, spacious structure measured 385 feet long (without the apes included) and 182 feet wide that was mainly used for government related purposes (Stokstad 192). There were also two libraries behi...
Not only is the Pantheon one of the most amazing architectural structures of the Roman Empire, but it is also one of the most intriguing. It was built during the early second century under the rule of Emperor Hadrian to replace a temple built in 27 B.C. by Marcus Agrippa which had burned down in 80 A.D. Like the temple it replaced, the Pantheon was a dedication to the Roman gods. An intriguing fact about the Pantheon is that it was one of the first buildings where the focus is on the interior rather than the exterior. On the outside, the cella appears in the shape of a ...
Abd-al-Malik changes the common Byzantine coins that have icons and figures on it to Arabic script from the Quran. This is one of the most important change the Umayyad brought to the Islamic Empire. In some ways it set a precedence of the importance of calligraphy in Islamic art, which continues to be used to this day. By replacing the coins that had leaders on them to Quranic verses, the Umayyad caliphate unified the Islamic Empire and emphasized the power of God and not humans. When the Abbasid Dynasty came into power, the last ruler of the Umayyad dynasty fled to Spain and became the ruler there and became the Amir of the state and ruled for a long time. The Islamic Empire there adapted to the arts influenced by the majority non-Muslims in
In the Islamic conquest, Muslims conquered large areas consisting of distinct religion members. Muslims believed that all religions should be treated respectably; hence Jews and Christians followed ...
Driving along the highway, all eyes are drawn as a magnet to the unique building with its golden dome and unusual architecture. The Islamic Center is located at the base of a residential street in a small neighborhood. The center houses an Islamic school, a community center, an international school and the Mosque, which is the place of worship for Muslims.
In The Sacred & The Profane: A Nature of Religion, Mircea Eliade attempts to define the sacred by stating it is “the opposite of the profane” (pg. 10). Through out the book he tries to explain this statement through the concept of hierophany (the idea that one can experience, sensorily, the manifestation of the holy/sacred), however his main explanation of the sacred being “the opposite of the profane” is the comparison of a modern religious man and a modern non-religious man (a profane man). Eliade compares the two by explaining how each would react to space, time, nature, and life. This essay will explain the idea of sacred space, how a religious and a profane man would experience it, and how the idea of sacred space might be applied to the study of medieval art and architecture.
...f frescoes painted by the most famous of artists. There isn’t a religious building in the world that compares to the magnificently detailed stories that line the walls. To stand inside such a building is to feel the presence of God, and that is something that cannot be put into words.