Sacred Splendour: Mosques of the Middle East by Devanshi Mody

Ramadan is a period of reflection and prayer. Where better to engage in these pietistic activities than within the beauteous precincts of the Middle East’s most magnificent mosques where architectural and artistic splendour are implemented to glorify a higher purpose.  Whilst Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia remain the pinnacle of Islamic pilgrimage, the divine conjunction of the aesthetic and ethereal at some of the exquisite historic mosques strewn across the region make them paradisiacal enclaves.

Esfahan

Iran, which is constantly in the news for all the wrong reasons these days, was once spoken about for the splendour of it mosques, amongst other cultural wonders. But then, this should come as little wonder for the Persians are renowned for their refinement and artistic excellences.

Few places beguile the imagination like the Persian city of Esfahan. Fabled Imam Square’s enchanting ensemble of turquoise domes, soaring minarets, graceful arches, flowing arabesques, glowing mosaics and opalescent enamelled bricks ever move the beholder to fresh dimensions of rapture. Architectural poetry flirts with Persian verses and Kufic and Tulth inscriptions that adorn monumental mosques.

One cannot but obey the summons of the imperious cupola, flanked by towering minarets, of Imam Mosque. Famous Tabrizi calligrapher Abd al-Baghi’s works adorn the cupola and main avian of this four avian structure. Silver-plated carved doors open into a serene sanctuary. Esfahani youth come to play games in the courtyard, read under iridescent beehive-like carved stalactites or picnic in the haven of arbours (not during Ramadan, of course…). School kids descend en masse upon tourists with a hundred million questions charmingly asked in impeccable English whilst locals usually proffer explanations about the mosque’s asymmetric architecture: the architecture is deliberately imperfect to incarnate in stone the message that only God is perfect. Unlike in most tourist haunts of the region here no monetary recompense is sought for this fascinating but unsolicited piece of information. Thank God!

Contrasting dramatically with Imam Mosque are the harmonious proportions of Sheikh Loftollah mosque next door. This masterpiece of decorative art took 17 years to complete. What superb Mehrab, marble cornices, cunning latticework, striking inscriptions by Ali-Reza Abbasi and colour scheme of outstanding beauty!

Looming over Esfahan’s Old Quarter is the 900-year-old Jame Mosque, the city’s most ancient and most diversified monument combining Dailamite, Seljuquid and Mogul art. The earth cupola, according to its Kufic inscription, dates to 1088 AD. The Uljaitu Mosque on the West of the complex harbours the legendary Kufic inscription-carved stucco Mehrab with its plasterwork, a 1310 AD. This is one of the most astonishing works of art you’ll ever see- if you get to see it. The priceless mehrab is not usually accessible to tourists. Unless the guardian takes a liking to you…

Shiraz

The capital Tehran teams with mosques set in bustling bazaars but is somewhat less known for its mosque architecture than Shiraz. Traditionally called the city of Roses and Nightingales this capital of the Fars Province, the heartland of Iran, happens to be the city of poets, philosophers, warriors and kings is also the city of revolutionaries who incited the Islamic revolution. Does it come as any surprise then that Shiraz boasts an incredible concentration of mosaiced mosques? Encrusted in every little street and adorning endless tree-shaded, blossom-lined avenues is a mosque, if not a few in a tapestry of gardens, orchards, orangeries, mausoleums and marvellous monuments.

The Vakil Mosque is by far the most impressive Vakil era monument in Shiraz. It was completed in 1773 and restored in 1825 and, unusually, has only two Evans instead of the usual four in the large open court. The Evans and court are decorated with typical Shirazi " haft rangy " (seven coloured) tiles, a characteristic feature of the art and industry of Shiraz during the latter half of the 18th century. Their gay colour and floral design attracted the admiration of the likes of English poet Alexander Pope and give a special charm to this unusual building. Every one of Shiraz’s mosques, be it grand or ever so little, is a delicious oasis of colourful calm and you can’t have enough of them. It is advisable entering each mosque you come across or spend an afternoon in one, as is the want of the Shirazis, basking in the other-wordly quiet.

Shah Cheragh Shrine was built in honour of Seyed Amir Ahmad, known as Shah-e Cheragh (the king of light) who died in the city in the 8th century. Imam Reza’s tomb is a place of pilgrimage. The tomb, the beautiful silver doors and the exquisite mirror work of the sanctuary are the works of the 19th century Shirazi masters and contemporary artists. However, the mosque may be thought of as glaringly garish.

Attiq Friday Mosque, which was begun in 894 by the Saffarid Amr-ibn-e Laith ,is the most interesting and oldest of the building in the old town. It’s also called the Masjed-e Attiq.

The New Mosque is not that new- begun in 1219 AD it took 17 years to complete. The colossal structure’s courtyard alone sprawls over 20,000 sq m. The aged plane trees give this spacious courtyard a particular charm and grace, making it pleasant not only in the summer, but also in the winter. It is believed that Atabak Sa'd Zangi, immortalized by the poet Sa'adi, built this mosque in gratitude for the good health bestowed on his only daughter.

Istanbul

The massively domed Hagia Sophia, epitomising Byzantine architecture, is considered to have "changed the history of architecture." Today’s mosque turned museum stands where 3 churches existed previously, the last a cathedral commissioned by Byzantine Emperor Justinian. It was the world’s largest cathedral for almost a thousand years and remained the religious focal point of the Eastern Orthodox Church for as long until the Ottomans conquered Constantinople and Sultan Mehmed II ordered the building to be converted into a mosque. The mosaics were eventually plastered over and bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were replaced with mehrab,  minbar and four minarets. For almost 500 years the principal mosque of Istanbul, Hagia Sophia served as a model for many Ottoman mosques including the Blue Mosque.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque: Owing to the blue tiles adorning its interiors, Turkey’s national mosque has come to be known as The Blue Mosque. It is one of the two mosques in Turkey that has six minarets. When the number of minarets was revealed, the Sultan was criticised for his presumption in trying to rival the same number of minarets as at the mosque of the Ka'aba in Mecca. The Sultan solved this problem by paying for a seventh minaret at the Mecca mosque.

Today, the fluted, pencil-shaped, balconied minarets guarding the smooth succession of domes and semi-domes culminating in the apogee of the central dome have become a symbol of the city. Mehmet Paşa lavished stone and marble on the mosque, draining away resources for other important works. Only the sultan was allowed to enter the mosque on horseback. A heavy iron chain hangs in the courtyard so that the sultan had to lower his head when entering, a symbolic gesture signifying the humility of the ruler before the divine.

The interiors are embellished with 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles including  fifty tulip designs, traditional motifs and flamboyant floral representations. Over 200 stained glass windows bear intricate designs with verses from the Qur'an, many by Seyyid Kasim Gubari, regarded as the greatest calligrapher of his time.  Lamps swirling the interior were once covered with gold and gems whilst the glass bowls contained ostrich eggs and crystal balls all now pillaged or preserved in  museums. The mosque is so designed that even when crowded, everyone  can see and hear the Imam on the richly adorned minber.

The Süleymaniye Mosque

Commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent this fantastic mosque was constructed by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan who considered the design to be an architectural counterpoint to the Hagia Sophia. Sinan's Süleymaniye, possibly inspired by Italian architecture of the time, is a more symmetrical, rationalized and light-filled interpretation of earlier Ottoman precedents. The monumentally colonnaded courtyard is of exceptional grandeur, its four minarets signifying imperial commission (royals could construct two minarets; others only one). 

The design of the Süleymaniye also plays on Suleyman's self-conscious representation of himself as a 'second Solomon.' It references the Dome of the Rock, which was built on the site of the Temple of Solomon, as well as Justinian's boast upon the completion of the Hagia Sophia: "Solomon, I have surpassed thee!" The Süleymaniye, similar in magnificence to the preceding structures, asserts Suleyman's historical importance. The structure is nevertheless smaller in size than its older archetype, the Hagia Sophia.

Alleppo

If Damascus is visited for its Christian associations then Alleppo is an embodiment of Islamic art and architecture. The major mosques, and there are a lot of them, gravitate around the ancient Medina. The Great Mosque or the Umayyad Mosque is the most important one. Constructed on the site of a former Roman temple and Byzantine cathedral commissioned by St. Helen (mother of Constantine the Great) it was repeatedly destroyed and restored. Today’s recently renovated mosque little resembles the 715 AD original but is renowned for its immense fountain-filled courtyard with geometric-patterned floors, Kufic-inscription-carved minaret and stone-encrusted façade. 

Of the 16th century Ottoman-era mosques the loveliest ones are the Al-Bahramiyya Mosque and the Al-Adliyya Mosque, amongst the city's most celebrated for its remarkable tiling. In use since 1537 the Al-Khosrowiyya Mosque is also renowned for it is one of the first exemplifications of legendary Turkish architect Sinan’s craft.

Cairo

Egypt evokes the Pyramids and the Pharaohnic extravagances that embrace the stretches of the Nile. Little known to most, the old quarter of Islamic Cairo is one of the most astounding centres of Muslim spiritual marvels.

Indeed, Cairo even claims the largest Oriental Citadel containing the Ottoman-style Al Nasser Mohammed Mosque. Madrasa Hassan (for which international architects were imported and money from Black Death victims used) rivals Istanbul’s Blue Mosque. Certainly, Sultan Hassan’s ambition was to make it the world’s greatest madrasa but he was prematurely assassinated.

Al Rifai mosque has the monumental tombs of the last King of Egypt and the last Shah of Iran. If you are very nice to the caretaker, he might even let you into the vaults with royal tombs and exquisite ceilings.

Kiruan

Every city in Tunisia has a Great Mosque, but the Great Mosque in Kairouan is the most important of all. It is the oldest Muslim place of prayer in North Africa and is commonly regarded as the fourth holiest site in Islam (after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem).

Nothing remains of the original 670 AD Sidi Okba mosque, built by the founder of Kairouan, Sidi Okba, shortly after the arrival of Muslim Arabs to North Africa. The current Great Mosque of Kairouan dates from 863 AD. Uts exteriors are in typically austere Aghlabid design, but the colonnaded courtyard is superbly supported by 400 pillars plundered from many local sources whilst pagan Roman, Byzantine, and Latin Christian symbols are scattered about incongruously. The tiles of the mehrab and the wood for the nearby minbar (pulpit) were imported from Baghdad.

The 414 pillars that support the mosque, bearing tombs of local saints, are, like the courtyard columns, Roman or Byzantine pieces salvaged from Carthage and Sousse, and no two are alike. Outside is a cemetery restricted to descendents of the family of the Prophet. The 115-ft minaret features two reused Roman slabs (one upside down) with Latin inscriptions. For centuries, this mosque has served as a pilgrimage destination for North Africans unable to go to Mecca. According to popular belief, seven trips to Kairouan were worth one hajj to Mecca…

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