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In 1992 Sultan Qaboos directed that his country of Oman should have a Grand Mosque. A competition for its design took place in 1993 and after a site was chosen construction commenced in 1995. Building work took six years and four months.
The Mosque is built on a site occupying 416,000 square metres and the complex extends to cover an area of 40,000 square metres.
The Mosque is built from 300,000 tonnes of Indian sandstone. The main musalla (prayer hall) is square (external dimensions 74.4 x 74.4 metres) with a central dome rising to a height of fifty metres above the floor. The dome and the main minaret (90 metres) and four flanking minarets (45.5 metres) are the mosque’s chief visual features. The main musalla can hold over 6,500 worshippers, while the women’s musalla can accommodate 750 worshipers. The outer paved ground can hold 8,000 worshipers and there is additional space available in the interior courtyard and the passageways, making a total capacity of up to 20,000 worshipers.
A major feature of the design of the interior is the prayer carpet which covers the entire floor of the prayer hall. It contains, 1,700,000 knots, weighs 21 tonnes and took four years to produce, and brings together the classical Tabriz, Kashan and Isfahan design traditions. 28 colors in varying shades were used, the majority obtained from traditional vegetable dyes. It is the second largest single piece carpet in the world. The carpet measures over 70 × 60 meters, and covers the 4,343 square meter area of the praying hall, all in a single piece.
The prayer hall is lit by 35 chandeliers made of Swarovski crystal: the grand chandelier being 14 meters tall and weighing 8 tonnes.
The whole interior of the Grand Mosque is panelled with off-white and dark grey marble panelling clothed in cut tile work. Ceramic floral patterns adorn arch framed mural panels set in the marble forming blind niches in a variety of classical Persian, predominantly Safavid, designs. The ceilings are inspired by those of Omani forts. The mihrab in the main prayer hall is framed by a border of Quranic verses and a gilded ceramic surround. The dome comprises a series of ornate, engraved stained glass triangles within a framework of marble columns. (wiki)
It was quite an overcast day and very difficult to get any shots without people.
It was an amazing place to visit.
The mosque was designed by architect Mehmet Aga, whose unfortunate predecessor was found wanting and executed. Sultan Ahmet was so anxious for his magnificent creation to be completed that he often assisted in the work. Sadly, he died just a year after the completion of his masterpiece, at the age of 27. He is buried outside the mosque with his wife and three sons.
The central dome of the mosque is 12.70 metres (41.7 ft) in diameter, carried on pendentives on granite piers and two half-domes on the Qibla axis
The Badshahi Mosque (in Lahore) was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1671. Capable of accommodating 5,000 worshippers in its main prayer hall and a further 95,000 in its courtyard and porticoes, it remained the largest mosque in the world from 1673 to 1986 (a period of 313 years), when overtaken in size by the completion of the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad. Today, it remains the second largest mosque in Pakistan and South Asia and the fifth largest mosque in the world after the Masjid al-Haram (Grand Mosque) of Mecca, the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina, the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca and the Faisal Mosque in Islamabad.
(Wikipidea)
Tengku Tengah Zaharah Mosque, more popularly known as The Floating Mosque.
Terengganu, Malaysia
wishing you a good weekend :)
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Manual blend (DRI) of 5 exposures
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Situated in Murshidabad, the medieval capital of Bengal (about 200 km from Calcutta, approachable by both road & railways), Katra Mosque is a huge structure built by Nawab Murshidkuli Khan in 1723-25. Built as a replica of the Holy Kaba Mosque of Mecca, this huge mosque is an excellent example of medieval Muslim architecture in Bengal.
Partially damaged , the mosque now boasts of two 22 metre high Minars & two huge domes of 15 metre in diameter. There is a big clearing inside where the devotees can offer prayer.
The entrance has 16 smaller domes.
Lying underneath the staircase of the entrance of this imposing mosque is the body of Nawab Murshidkuli Khan, who, according to the popular belief, wanted his body to be buried there so that the dust from the feet of the devotees entering the mosque brings him eternal blessings.
This heritage structure has got a facelift just yesterday (17 Feb 2011) when the Tourism Department of the Government of West Bengal installed colored lights (to be switched on every evening) with appropriate background music to attract tourists.
Fortunately I was there to watch the inauguration program of this project, & it was really spell bounding. The display of light of different colors on the imposing domes & minars was really awe-inspiring & I tried my level best to capture the aura.
I’m sharing my experience with you through some of my shots.
Have a look at Zeit Online: www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/2012-10/fs-moscheen-deutschland-2
Das Bild zeigt eine albanische Moschee in Leverkusen.
This photo shows an albanishmosque in Leverkusen.
See the whole series here: www.flickr.com/photos/michaeltimpe/sets/72157626018267479/
A documentation of mosques in germany. Many mosques in germany are located in industrial areas or backyards. This series aims to document typical mosques in germany beside the representative ones.
I got the idea for this report or documentation while looking for an arabic mosque for some colleagues from cairo. While searching for it I was surprised of the number and different kinds of mosques located in cologne and found it very interesting where there are located - mostly in the backyard. I remembered the book "Churches" from David Spero and started my own series.
Hope you enjoy it.
In Deutschland finden sich Moscheen meist in Gewerbegebieten oder auf Hinterhöfen.
Mit dieser Bildserie möchte ich typische Moscheen in Deutschland - zu Beginn in Köln - dokumentieren.
Auf die Idee für diese Serie kam ich, als ich für einen ägyptischen Kollegen, der uns für mehrere Monate in Köln besucht hat, eine Moschee gesucht habe. Dabei wurde ich nicht nur von der großen Anzahl und den vielen unterschiedlichen Arten von Moscheen überrascht sondern auch von der Tatsache, dass die meisten Moscheen in sehr schlichten und nach aussen praktisch unauffälligen Gebäuden - häufig in Gewerbegebieten aber auch in ganz normalen Wohnhäusern - untergebracht sind. Ich fühlte mich sofort an den Bildband "Churches" von David Spero erinnert und lege nun mit einer eigenen Serie los - Moscheen.
Viel Spaß dabei und Kommentare und Diskussionen sind wie immer ausdrücklich erwünscht.
Day four: Sahline
Charlie was laid up with the lurgey so Chrystal accompanied me on a stroll to Sahline, the nearby village.
This mosque surprised me. To the right of the door is a set of tiles making up a picture of the Kaaba, with a crowd of pilgrims milling around it.
I thought that Islamic art did not represent people but stuck to abstract designs and patterns. Obviously I was wrong.
The mosque of Dai Angah was built during the reign of Shah Jahan in 1635 by his dai (wet-nurse) Angah and is known after her name. Her real name was Zebunnisa, and she was the wife of Murad Khan. It is related that Dai Angah had this beautiful mosque built on the eve of her departure for Haj. The mosque contains some of the finest examples of tile mosaic work among numerous contemporary examples in Lahore. It is the only known specimen where mosaic faience has been used for the interior as well. The prayer chamber is divided into three compartments by means of lateral arches. The central bay, larger than the others, has exceptionally rich decoration. The usual arched recess sunk deeply into the western wall serves as the mihrab. It is crowned, like its flanking counterparts, with a high double dome placed on squinches composed of eight small arched panels. The side bays, less elaborately decorated, have double domes resting on pendentives. The central compartment has a pronounced projection created by means of an engrailed arch and a half-dome embellished with tiled panels. The projected frame is marked with slender pilasters on either corner, while at the two eastern corners of the prayer chamber are square minarets surmounted with a carved platform on which once rested the kiosk.
The exterior surface of the projection, as well as the flanking compartments, have been divided into numerous decorative panels of various shapes, sizes, and designs and filled with fluoridate patterns created by means of mosaic Kashi. The dominant colours used in the tilery, here as well as in the interior panels, are blue, orange, and yellow. The domes are plastered, but possess pronounced cavettos, reminiscent of similar treatment at the Moti Masjid of Lahore Fort. Within the courtyard in which the building stands, an ablution tank has been found, and traces exist of what may prove to be a second tank. The mosque suffered vandalism at the hands of Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh, who used it as a military magazine. After annexation of the Punjab by the British, the mosque was used as a residence by Henry Cope, an editor of the old Lahore Chronicle, who sold it to the Punjab-Delhi Railway Company for Rs.12,000. It then became the office of a Punjab railway traffic manager. In 1903 it was returned to the Muslims in a greatly dilapidated condition. Since then, it has undergone so many repairs that its original features have been almost completely destroyed.
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Anga was the wet-nurse of the Emperor Shah Jahan. The Masjid known after her name is situated at the station of the Punjab Northern State railway. It is a splendid mosque, and ws used as the private residence of Mr. Henry Cope, late editor of the old Lahore Chronicle Newspaper and Press. He sold it for Rs.12,000 to the late Punjab and Delhi Railway Company. When the Railway came under the direct management of the State, the house was transferred to Government, and considerable additionas having been made to it, it is now used a the mosque are bulb-like. Passages from the Koran, on the walls inside, are preserved along, with beautiful enameled work in yellow color.
Anga, in Urdu, means wet-nurse. The real name of Anga was Zeb-un-Nisa. She was the wife of Morad Khan, a Moghal who was Adawlati or Magistrate of Bikaner during the reign of Jahangir. He had a son, Mahomed Rshid Khan, who was one of the hest archers of the time. He was killed in the action with Dara Shekoh. Anga, in her old age, expressed a wish to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca, and the Emperor Shah Jahan provided her with suitable means to perform the holy pilgrimage. Before leaving India she built this mosque in 1045 A.H. being the eighth year of the reign of Shah Jahan. It was one of the most frequented mosques enabled it to maintain its flourishing condition as a place of worship for a long time. Ranjit Singh, on coming to power, used it as a powder magazine, as he did many other mosques and mausoleums, until Mr. Cope, on the annexation of the Punjab, used it as his residence, with the sanction of the British authorities.
The Laleli Mosque was built by Sultan Mustafa III from 1760–1763, designed in the baroque style by Ottoman imperial architect Mehmet Tahir Ağa
The complex was destroyed by a fire in 1783 shortly after its completion and was immediately rebuilt. A fire in 1911 destroyed the madrasah, and subsequent road construction work destroyed many other auxiliary structures to the mosque.
From Wikipedia:
The Süleymaniye Mosque (Turkish: 'Süleymaniye Camii') is an Ottoman imperial mosque located on the Third Hill of Istanbul, Turkey. It is the second largest mosque in the city, and one of the best-known sights of Istanbul.
he Süleymaniye Mosque was built on the order of Sultan Suleiman I (Suleiman the Magnificent) and was constructed by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan. The construction work began in 1550 and the mosque was finished in 1557.
Sinan considered the design to be an architectural counterpoint to the Byzantine Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia, converted into a mosque under Mehmed II, served as a model to many Ottoman mosques in Istanbul. However, Sinan's Süleymaniye is a more symmetrical, rationalized and light-filled interpretation of earlier Ottoman precedents, as well as the Hagia Sophia. It is possible that dialogue between Italy and Istanbul contributed to Sinan's enthusiasm for symmetrical and rational forms, as promoted by writers like Alberti.
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.
The Süleymaniye was ravaged by a fire in 1660 and was restored by Sultan Mehmed IV. Part of the dome collapsed again during the earthquake of 1766. Subsequent repairs damaged what was left of the original decoration of Sinan (recent cleaning has shown that Sinan experimented first with blue, before turning red the dominant color of the dome). The mosque was restored again in the middle of the 19th century by the Swiss-Italian architect brothers Gaspare and Giuseppe Fossati. In a botched attempt to restore it to its supposed original glory, the dome and the semi-domes were painted in an Ottoman baroque style. During the recent cleaning the original design was faithfully restored.
During World War I the courtyard was used as a weapons depot and when some of the ammunition ignited the mosque suffered another fire. Not until 1956 was it fully restored again.
As with other imperial mosques in Istanbul, the Süleymaniye Mosque was designed as a kulliye, or complex with adjacent structures to service both religious and cultural needs. The original complex consisted of the mosque itself, a hospital (darüşşifa), primary school, public baths (hamam), a Caravanserai, four Qur'an schools (medrese), a specialized school for the learning of hadith, a medical college, and a public kitchen (imaret) which served food to the poor. Many of these structures are still in existence, and the former imaret is now a noted restaurant. The former hospital is now a printing factory owned by the Turkish Army.
In the garden behind the main mosque there are two mausoleums (türbe) including the tombs of sultan Suleiman I, his wife Roxelana (Haseki Hürrem), his daughter Mihrimah, his mother Dilaşub Saliha and his sister Asiye. The sultans Suleiman II, Ahmed II and Safiye (died in 1777), the daughter of Mustafa II, are also buried here.
Just outside the mosque walls to the north is the tomb of architect Sinan.
The Süleymaniye Mosque, built on the order of Sultan Süleyman (Süleyman the Magnificent), "was fortunate to be able to draw on the talents of the architectural genius of Mimar Sinan" (481 Traditions and Encounters: Brief Global History). The construction work began in 1550 and the mosque was finished in 1557.
This "vast religious complex called the Süleymaniye...blended Islamic and Byzantine architectural elements. It combines tall, slender minarets with large domed buildings supported by half domes in the style of the Byzantine church Hagia Sophia (which the Ottomans converted into the mosque of Aya Sofya)" (481 Traditions and Encounters: Brief Global History).
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!"[1] 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.
Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque (Persian: مسجد شیخ لطف الله)[2] is one of the architectural masterpieces of Safavid Iranian architecture, standing on the eastern side of Naghsh-i Jahan Square, Isfahan, Iran.
Construction of the mosque started in 1603 and was finished in 1619. It was built by the chief architect Shaykh Bahai, during the reigh of Shah Abbas I of the Safavid dynasty.
The Larabanga mosque, reputed to be the oldest in Ghana, dating perhaps from 1421, is constructed in the Sahelian or Sudano-Sahelian style: mudbricks covered with abobe plaster, whitewashed and reapired regularly, with maintenance made easier by the projecting wooden beams. Next to Larabanga, famous examples can be found in Djenne and other cities in Mali (see my Mali set) and in Burkina FAso (see my Burkina Faso set) among other locations. They are beautifiul to behold.
The largest mosque in Morocco and the third largest mosque in the world.
Built with an extra donation of the people of Morocco, it now leaves open issues about its maintenance and costs.
It's the only moroccan mosque non-muslims are allowed to get in.
Full of kids and families strolling around, its location, right in front of the ocean, makes it an astonishing place to visit.
Best viewed large and on black.