Mosque: An Architect's Exploration of Form, Faith and Meaning - Hardcover

by Marwa Al-Sabouni (Author)

Today, there are an estimated 3.6 million mosques around the world, which vary enormously in shape, size, and design. Told from an architect's perspective, this book offers an illuminating account of mosques--from the history and setting of significant structures to reflections on identity, modernity, and aesthetics. Elegant line drawings provide easy-to-digest information on the mosque's form, function, and features.

The mosque lies at the heart of any Islamic city--a place for group prayer, serenity, and spiritual connection. Its exterior serves as a symbol of faith, a landmark, and a point of gathering. Since the first mosque was built by the Prophet Muhammad in Medina in 622 CE, mosques have been spaces where worship and social life flourish side by side.

In this book, Syrian architect and author Marwa Al-Sabouni shares her personal experiences and reflections to bring readers inside the mosque to understand its spiritual meaning, social significance, and enduring cultural value. The role of any religious building is essentially social: worship otherwise can be practiced at home, in solitude.

This is not simply a study of architectural form, but an exploration of the mosque's meaning and essence. The chapters examine the mosque through diverse lenses--from society to the environment, art to modernity--and conclude with a powerful reflection on how mosques might help rebuild Syria, scarred by decades of war but now entering a new period of hope, however fragile.

Front Jacket

The mosque lies at the heart of any Islamic city--a place for group prayer, serenity, and spiritual connection. Its exterior serves as a symbol of faith, a landmark, and a point of gathering. Since the first mosque was built by the Prophet Muhammad in Medina in 622 CE, mosques have been spaces where worship and social life flourish side by side.

In this book, Marwa Al-Sabouni--architect, Muslim, Syrian, woman--interweaves her personal experiences and reflections to bring the reader inside the mosque to understand its spiritual meaning, social significance, and enduring cultural value. Though some 3.6 million mosques exist around the world, varying enormously in shape, size, and design, we are reminded that thought- fully designed mosques--like any communal space--can still feel intimate and personal. With the ability to foster community and connection, they take on particular significance in times of division and fragmentation, a fact felt acutely by Al-Sabouni, whose home country witnessed decades of war before entering a new period of hope, however fragile.

Back Jacket

I can pray in a hotel room or on the road, on board a plane or in my home, and I have done all of these. Of course, there are rules, and this book will shed light on some of them, but the question that arises here is: if anywhere on Earth can be a place for prayer, what is the meaning of the mosque? -- Marwa Al-Sabouni