The architecture of the first mosques. Beautiful mosques - delicate flowers of Islam Description of the mosque inside

There are three main mosques in the Muslim world: Al-haram (Forbidden Mosque) in Mecca, Al-nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) in Medina and Al-Aqsa (Remote Mosque) in Jerusalem.

All of these mosques are very important to Muslims, and each of them has its own specific meaning.

Al-Haram Mosque (Forbidden Mosque)

Al-Haram Mosque is the main Muslim temple located in Saudi Arabia, Mecca. There is the Kaaba in the courtyard of this mosque.

Al-Haram Mosque (Forbidden Mosque) during the Hajj

The Kaaba is the shrine of Islam, which is a cubic stone structure in the courtyard, in the center of the Holy Mosque (al-Mesjed al-Haram) in Mecca. This is the main sanctuary of Islam, which Muslims call al-Bait al-Haram, which means "sacred home." The very name "Kaaba" comes from the word "cube". The building is 15 meters high. Length and width - 10 and 12 meters, respectively. The corners of the Kaaba are oriented to the cardinal points, and each of them has its own name: Yemeni (southern), Iraqi (northern), Levantine (western) and stone (eastern). The Kaaba is made of granite and covered with fabric on top, and inside it is a room where a door made of pure gold leads, which weighs 286 kilograms.

Almost three hundred kilograms of the purest gold were used to decorate the door.

In the eastern corner of the Kaaba, at a level of one and a half meters, there is a built-in Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Eswad), bordered with a silver rim. It is a solid stone of irregular oval shape, black in color with a scarlet tint. It has red spots and yellow wavy lines where the breakaway parts meet. The diameter of the stone is about thirty centimeters. He, according to Muslims, was sent by Allah from heaven. The Black Stone is the most famous sacred meteorite, the nature of which is still unknown. The stone is very fragile, but it floats in water. After the Black Stone was stolen in 930, upon returning to Mecca, its authenticity was established precisely by its property not to sink in water. The Kaaba burned twice, and in 1626 it was flooded - as a result, the Black Stone split into 15 pieces. Now they are cemented and enclosed in a silver frame. The visible surface of the stone is 16 by 20 centimeters. It is believed that Allah sent the Black Stone to Adam and Eve as a sign of forgiveness.

Until now, the seven fragments of the Stone are held in place by a large silver frame that goes around the corner of the Kaaba and hides most of it, leaving the pilgrims only a small hole for kisses and touches.

The Governor of Mecca, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal at the Black Stone during the traditional washing of the Kaaba

The Kaaba is of particular importance in Muslim rites. In the direction of the Kaaba, Muslims around the world turn their faces during prayer. Muslim believers perform a ritual around this building during the Hajj tawaf - a ritual seven-time round of the Kaaba counterclockwise. In the course of this ceremony, the worship of the Iraqi and Yemeni corners of the Kaaba is performed, in which pilgrims touch their hands, kiss this building and pray near it. According to Muslim tradition, a stone is placed in the Kaaba, which God gave to Adam after the fall and expulsion from paradise, when the first man realized his sin and repented of it. Another legend tells that the stone is the guardian angel of Adam, who was turned into stone because he overlooked and allowed the fall of the first person entrusted to his guard. According to the Arab legend, after the expulsion from paradise, Adam and Eve (Hawa) were separated - Adam ended up in Sri Lanka (the island of Ceylon), and Eve - not far from Mecca, on the shores of the Red Sea, in the places where the port of Jeddah is now located. On the outskirts of this city, the grave of Khava is allegedly still located. They met with Adam only two hundred years later, and this happened in the Mecca region. After a long separation, they met each other on Mount Arafat, which is also sacred to the Arabs. Adam, however, and after meeting his wife missed the temple in which he prayed in paradise. Then God lowered a copy of that temple from heaven for him. According to legend, when the Black Stone was lowered from the sky, it was dazzling white and at the same time shone so that it could be seen four days' journey to Mecca. But over time, from the touch of numerous sinners to him, the stone began to darken until it turned black. The time of the construction of the Kaaba and its builders are unknown. According to legend, the Kaaba was built by the first man - Adam, but it was destroyed by the Flood, and even the place where it stood was forgotten. The shrine was restored by Patriarch Abraham (Ibrahim) with his son Ismail, the ancestor of local peoples. Abraham built the Kaaba with one miraculous device. It was a flat stone on which Abraham the forefather stood, and this stone could fly above the ground and rise to any height, performing the function of mobile scaffolding. It has survived, is located a few meters from the Kaaba and is called Makam Ibrahim (the place where Ibrahim stood) and, despite the fact that it has long lost its flight properties, is also a shrine of Muslims. It has the imprint of the foot of Abraham-Ibrahim. Over time, a dome was erected over this stone. Archangel Gabriel (Jebrail) helped Ibrahim in restoring the Kaaba. From him Ibrahim and Ismail learned that the temple they had erected is an exact copy of the temple in which Adam prayed. For the peoples and tribes of the Arabian Peninsula, the Kaaba has traditionally been a sacred structure long before the rise of Islam. The Kaaba was the main sanctuary of the Hejaz, a historical region in the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula. Since ancient times, the Arabs believed that the Kaaba is the house of God, and made pilgrimages to it.

Thanks to this shrine, Mecca became famous - now it is the holy city of Islam, located seventy kilometers from the coast of the Red Sea, in a very arid and unsuitable for agriculture area. The only factor that made these places attractive for people to settle there is the source of fresh water - Zamzam. The location of Mecca on the trade routes of the region was also successful. The emergence of the source, according to local legend, happened in a miraculous way - God created it for the sake of the patriarch Abraham (Ibrahim) and his son Ismail, the ancestor of the Arab tribes. It was considered one of the seven holy places by the Sabians of Persia and Chaledonia. The rest of their shrines were considered: Mars - the top of the mountain in Isfahan; Mandusan in India; Hay Bahar in Balkh; Hamdan's House in Sana'a; Kausan in Fergana, Khorasan; House in Upper China. Many of the Sabeans believed that the Kaaba was the House of Saturn, as it was the oldest known structure in that era. The Persians also made a pilgrimage to the Kaaba, believing that the spirit of Brake dwells there. The Jews also treated this shrine with respect. They worshiped one God there. Christians also came to the Kaaba with no less respect. However, over time, the Kaaba became an exclusively Muslim shrine. The idols revered by the pagans were destroyed in 630 by the prophet Muhammad, who was born in Mecca and who, according to the Koran, was a descendant of the prophet Abraham (Ibrahim). He left only the images of the Virgin Mary and Jesus that were there. Their images were not applied there by chance: Christians lived in Mecca, and besides them - Jews, as well as Hanifs - righteous followers of the faith in one God who were not part of any of the religious communities. The Prophet not only did not cancel the pilgrimage to the shrine, but he himself respectfully venerated the Kaaba with his staff. In the second year after the Hijra, or according to the more familiar to us calendar - in 623-624 AD, the Prophet Muhammad established that Muslims should pray, facing the Kaaba. Before that, they prayed, turning to Jerusalem. Muslim pilgrims flocked to the Kaaba in Mecca. They believe that the shrine is a type of the heavenly Kaaba, around which the angels also perform tawaf. The holy place was also destroyed in 930, when the Carmatians, Shiite Ismaili sectarians from Bahrain, stole the Black Stone, which was returned to its place only 21 years later. After this incident, some doubts arose about its authenticity, but they were dispelled by an investigative experiment: the stone was thrown into the water and made sure that it did not sink. But the adventures of the Black Stone did not end there: in 1050, the Caliph of Egypt sent his man to Mecca with the task of destroying the shrine. And then two times the Kaaba was engulfed in fire, and in 1626 - a flood. As a result of all these disasters, the stone was broken into 15 pieces. Nowadays, they are fastened with cement and inserted into a silver frame. Respect for the Kaaba is also expressed in wrapping the relic with a special veil - sissy. It is updated annually. Its upper part is decorated with gold-embroidered sayings from the Koran; 875 square meters of fabric are used to make kiswah. The first to cover the Kaaba with canvases decorated with silver embroidery was the tubba (king) of Yemen, Abu Bakr Assad. His successors continued this custom. Various types of fabrics were used. The tradition of covering the Kaaba has undergone significant changes: initially, before the pilgrimage to Mecca of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mahdi in 160 after Hijra, the veils on the structure were simply worn on top of each other. After the veil was worn out, a new one was placed on top. However, the ministers of the Forbidden Mosque expressed their fears to the ruler of the Caliphate that the building might simply not be able to withstand the weight of the veils piled on top of one another. The Caliph agreed with their opinion and ordered to cover the Kaaba with no more than one veil at a time. Since then, this rule has been strictly observed. The inside is also decorated with curtains. All this order is monitored by the Beni Scheibe family. The shrine is open to the public only during the washing ceremony of the Kaaba, and this happens only twice a year: two weeks before the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan and within two weeks after the Hajj. From Abraham's son Ismail, the Kaaba was inherited by the southern Arab tribe of the Jurhumites, who enjoyed the support of the Babylonians. And in the 3rd century AD, they were ousted by another southern Arab tribe, Banu Khuzaa. Out of despair, the Jurhumites, leaving Mecca, destroyed the Kaaba and filled up the source of Zamzam. The Khuzaites restored the Kaaba, and from the middle of the 3rd century BC, the Kaaba became a pantheon of Arab tribes. The leader of the Khuzaites at that time was Amr ibn Luhei, who became the ruler of Mecca and the patron of the Kaaba. Contrary to the original monotheism of Abraham Ibrahim and his son Ismail, he installed idols in the Kaaba and called on people to worship them. The first idol he set up - Khubal - he brought from Syria. Quraysh is another Arab tribe that lived in the Mecca region and descended from Adnan, one of the descendants of Ismail, and his wife, the daughter of the leader of the Khuzaites, who expelled the Khuzaites from Mecca and gained control over the city and the temple around 440-450. From this tribe the prophet Muhammad, who glorified the Kaaba to the whole world, came from. Before his preaching, the Kaaba was the center of numerous religious cults. In the center of the Kaaba stood the idol of Hubal, the deity of the Quraish tribe. He was considered the lord of the skies, the lord of thunder and rain. Over time, 360 more idols of pagan gods were erected there, which the Arabs worshiped. Near them sacrifices were made and fortune-telling. At this point, quarrels and bloodshed were strictly prohibited. It is interesting that among the characters of pagan cults there were images of Abraham (Ibrahim) and Ismail with prophetic arrows in their hands; Isa (Jesus) and Miriam with the baby (Virgin Mary). As you can see, everyone found in this place something close to their faith. Pilgrims arrived in Mecca regularly. Many people came to the local fair twice a year. The Kaaba was famous and revered far beyond the Arabian Peninsula. They revered her in the Hindu, according to the beliefs of which the spirit of Siwa, the third person of Trimurti, accompanied by his wife during her visit to the Hejaz, entered the Black Stone.

The building itself was rebuilt many times. For the first time - under the second righteous caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Khattab. During the Umayyad dynasty, Caliph Abd al-Malik restored the building, expanded the boundaries of the Sacred Mosque, he also installed arches decorated with mosaics, which were specially brought from Syria and Egypt. During the rule of the Abbasids, at the direction of the Caliph Abu Jafar al-Mansur, the mosque was additionally expanded and a gallery was erected along its perimeter. The area around the Kaaba was also thoroughly rebuilt by the Ottoman Sultan Abd al-Majid. And in the recent past, in 1981, the space around the relic was reconstructed by the King of Saudi Arabia Fahd ibn Abd al-Aziz. Now the territory of the Mesjed al-Haram mosque with an area around the Kaaba is 193,000 square meters. 130,000 Muslims can visit it at the same time. At the corners of the mosque there are 10 minarets, six of which (together with the crescent-shaped superstructures) reach a height of 105 meters. It is still unknown what the Black Stone is built into the structure. Some scientists consider it to be a very large meteorite. This opinion is disputed by a compelling argument that a stone cannot be an iron meteorite, based on its cracks, it cannot be a stone meteorite, since it cannot withstand displacement and floats in water. Other researchers tend to see in the stone a large piece of unknown volcanic rock: stony Arabia is rich in extinct volcanoes. It is known that it is neither basalt nor agate. However, the opinion expressed that the stone is not a meteorite is subject to serious criticism. In 1980, researcher Elisabeth Thomsen suggested that the Black Stone has an impacting nature - it is molten sand mixed with meteorite matter. It comes from Wabar Crater, 1,800 kilometers from Mecca, in the Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia. The stone from this crater is a frozen porous glass, it is quite hard and brittle, it can float in water and has inclusions of white glass (crystals) and grains of sand (stripes). However, such a harmonious theory has its weak point: the conclusion made by scientists from the results of several measurements indicates the age of the crater, which is only a few centuries. Confusion is caused by data from other measurements, which suggest that the crater is about 6400 years old. There are actually three craters in Vabara. They are scattered over an area of \u200b\u200babout 500 by 1000 meters and have diameters of 116.64 and 11 meters. This place is called al-Hadida by Bedouin nomads - iron objects. On an area of \u200b\u200bhalf a square kilometer, there are many fragments of black glass, white stones of sintered sand and iron pieces, partially covered with sand. The iron stones from the vicinity of the Vabar craters have a smooth surface covered with a black coating. The largest piece of iron and nickel found there by scientists weighs 2,200 kilograms and is called the Camel Hump. It was discovered by a scientific expedition in 1965 and was later on display at the Royal University of the Arabian capital of Riyadh. The smooth cone-shaped rock appears to be a piece of meteorite that fell to the ground and fell apart into several fragments. The holy book of Muslims - the Koran contains a story about the king of the city of Ubar named Aad. He mocked the prophet of Allah. For their wickedness, the city of Ubar and all of its inhabitants were destroyed by the black cloud brought by the hurricane. English researcher Harry Philby became interested in this story. The place most likely for the location of the lost city, he considered the Empty Quarter. However, instead of ruins - the works of human hands, he found fragments of a meteorite in that place. On the trail left by this event, it was found that the energy released by the fall of the meteorite was equivalent to a nuclear explosion with a yield of about 12 kilotons, which is comparable to the explosion in Hiroshima. Other places where meteorites fall are known, which caused even more powerful impacts, but the case with Vabar has an important feature. The meteorite fell into an open sandy area, dry and sufficiently isolated that it is an ideal natural repository. There it was easy to find both ancient nomads and modern scientists. The latter cannot yet give a definitive answer to the riddle of the Black Stone.

Al-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque)

Al-Nabawi (Mosque of the Prophet) is the second most important Muslim mosque (after the Forbidden Mosque), located in Saudi Arabia, in Medina. Under the Green Dome of the Al-Nabawi Mosque is the tomb of the Prophet, the founder of Islam, Muhammad. The first two Muslim caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar, are also buried in the mosque.

Al-Nabawi Mosque (Mosque of the Prophet) in Medina

Green Dome (Dome of the Prophet)

Tomb of the Prophet Muhammad. The first two caliphs, Abu Bakr and Umar, are buried next to it, and on the other side there is another site that looks like an empty grave. Many Islamic scholars and researchers of the Koran believe that this place for the grave is reserved for the prophet Isa (Jesus), who will return to Earth to kill the Dajjal (Antichrist), and then rule the revived Caliphate for 40 years

The first mosque on this site was built during the life of Muhammad, who himself took part in the construction. The layout of this building has been adopted for other mosques around the world. When Muhammad was forty years old, the archangel Jabrail appeared to him and called him to serve. Muhammad began his sermons in Mecca, seeking to turn the Arabs away from pagan polytheism and convert them to the true faith. In 622, due to strong pressure from the religious leaders of Mecca, Muhammad was forced to flee to the city of Yathrib, located several hundred kilometers away. In Yasrib (which was later renamed Medina), he managed to organize the first Muslim community. Within a few years, the Muslim movement had grown so much that Muhammad was able to create a large army, which in 630 captured Mecca without a fight. Thus, the first Muslim state was formed.

Al-Aqsa Mosque (Remote Mosque)

Al-Aqsa Mosque (Arabic: المسجد الاقصى - extreme mosque) is a Muslim temple in the Old City of Jerusalem on the Temple Mount. It is the third shrine of Islam after the al-Haram mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. Islam associates Isra (the night travel of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Jerusalem) and Miraj (ascension) with this place. At the site of the al-Aqsa mosque, the prophet Muhammad performed a prayer as an imam with all the prophets sent before him.

Al-Aqsa Mosque (Remote Mosque) in Jerusalem

Founded in 636 by Caliph Omar on the site of a Jewish temple destroyed by the Romans, the Al-Aqsa Mosque was significantly expanded and rebuilt under Caliph Abd Al-Malik in 693. During the reign of Caliph Abd al-Malik, another mosque was built near Al-Aqsa, called Qubbat As-Sakhra (Dome of the Rock). Nowadays, the Dome of the Rock is often confused with the Al-Aqsa mosque.

Mosque Kubbat As-Sahra (Dome of the Rock)

Often the huge golden dome of the nearby Qubbat al-Sakhra (Dome of the Rock) mosque is confused with the more modest dome of the Al-Aqsa mosque, calling the said gold dome of Qubbat al-Sakhra the dome of the Omar Mosque. But it is Al-Aqsa that has the name “Mosque of Omar” in honor of its founder Caliph Umar (Omar) and is the historical center of two mosques on the Temple Mount, and not the Qubbat al-Sahra mosque, which, nevertheless, is architecturally plan is the center of the complex.

Temple platform

The early formation of Islam was characterized by the founding of the Caliphate and the emergence of the first mosques. During this time, a large number of principles and rules were established, concerning, among others,. After the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) left this world, the four first righteous caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them) were mainly engaged in ensuring stability and security in the Muslim society. Of course, this prevented any significant architectural design. Despite this, there were still a few unassuming projects that will be discussed in this article.

Early simplicity

The architecture of the early years of Islam (between 622 and 661) was characterized by simplicity and modesty. The newly emerging state with scarce resources was too busy defending against enemy tribes. Moreover, dedication to faith and striving for everything Divine forced to distance themselves from the extravagant and luxurious lifestyle.

Worship in Islam is based on the concept of Tawhid - monotheism. Belief in the One God, whom “it is impossible to comprehend with sight, but He comprehends everything visible, and He is aware of everything subtle, invisible” (Koran, 6: 103), had practically no analogues in the past. Therefore, there was no need to present the object of worship.

A new approach, corresponding to all the key positions of Islam, appeared only after a certain level of stability and prosperity had been achieved. Architectural sophistication came later, when intellectual and economic prosperity created a demand for detailed and refined, yet Islamic acceptable architectural forms.

A quick look at the first mosques

The first Muslim religious and public building is the Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Medina (622). Despite its simplicity, this was the first project of its kind in human history. This building has remained the center of the social, cultural and political life of the Muslim community for over 30 years.

The transfer of the capital from Medina to Kufu Ali ibn Abu Talib (the fourth righteous caliph) in 657 brought significant political, social and economic changes and marked the beginning of unprecedented architectural and construction activities. Medina lost its privileged status and became an ordinary provincial city, eventually becoming a purely spiritual and religious center.

At the same time, the relocation of the capital set a precedent that was repeated throughout the history of Islam. The relocation of the capital each time after the change of the caliph led to the spread of the propensity to waste and splendor in society. This coincided with the economic and social prosperity of the Caliphate. A simple mosque has turned into a complex structure, architecture and decoration.

Saad ibn Abu Waqqas

This companion of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with him), from a noble family, built a mosque in Kufa. Thus, he designated his permanent residence, known as Dar ul-Imara (638). This building was so exquisite and full of small details that the righteous Caliph Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was even displeased and ordered to burn it. She stood on marble columns imported from Persia and was surrounded by a moat.

The decoration of the first mosques

Historical sources report that the only item of ritual decoration of the mosques of that period were minbar in the form of steps of a staircase (others say, in the form of a chair), first introduced by the Prophet himself (peace and blessings be upon him), sitting on which he could be seen and heard by the entire audience of believers present in the mosque. Minbar is mentioned in a number of hadiths, for example, Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Prophet said: "Between my house and my minbar there is a garden that belongs to the gardens of Paradise." However, renowned scholar Martin Briggs (1931) believed that the minbar was invented by Amr ibn al-As for the mosque he built in Egypt.

Another book by Briggs (1924) states that the origin of the minbar is associated with the chair of a judge in ancient Arabia. The transfer of the capital from Kufa to Damascus in 661 by the founder of the Omayyad dynasty Muawiya (may Allah be pleased with him) was of decisive importance for the mosques and their decoration. He brought with him the transition from an ascetic, austere style in architecture to the era of luxurious palaces and the creation of architectural masterpieces of all time. Here it is enough to mention the "Dome of the Rock" - a mosque in Jerusalem, built by Abdel-Malik in 691-692.

In conclusion, it should be said that the key point of the era of the Caliphate was the emergence and development of Islam, the emphasis of the state was placed on protection from enemies and economic issues. The architectural aspirations of that period were aimed at meeting precisely these needs of society. This also influenced the architecture of the mosques of that period. ... Mosques were the centers of various activities of the first Muslims - in religious, social, military and other spheres. mosques of the early spread of Islam include the Prophet's Mosque (peace be upon him) in Medina (622), the Basra Mosque (635) and the Kufa Mosque (638), both in Iraq, and the Amr Mosque in Fustat (641) in Egypt.

The Shah Cherakh Mausoleum is a funerary monument and mosque located in the city of Shiraz, Iran. The name literally translates as "king of the world", and this is quite justified. Perhaps the outside of the mosque looks familiar, but you'd better hold your jaw tightly so as not to break it on the floor, because inside the mausoleum looks like something fantastic. The interior of the building is dotted with millions of tiny mirror fragments reflecting light in all directions, and the emerald color of the interior is so mesmerizing that Hogwarts is resting.

This is how the Shah-Cherakh mosque-mausoleum looks from the outside. Nice of course, but nothing like that, right?

But going inside, you will definitely change your mind

According to one story around 900 AD. the traveler noticed something shining in the distance

Coming closer, he saw that the source of light was the grave in which the body of an important Muslim figure in armor lay.

After its discovery, the tomb became a place of pilgrimage for Shia Muslims

Over time, this place was rebuilt, and the more time passed, the more complex the structure of the building became.

Eventually the tomb turned into a temple

The fabulous beauty of the mosque and its diamond shine attracts many pilgrims and tourists from all over the world

But above all it is, of course, a religious place

Despite the fact that the Shah-Cherakh mausoleum suffered huge damage from people, nature and time, thanks to numerous repairs and restorations, it continues to stand to this day

The list of must-see places is +1.

Mosques are not only places of worship for performing religious rituals, but also beautiful original architectural monuments. The familiar appearance of most of them with round domes-gambises, arches and columns appeared as a result of their centuries-old history, having undergone a number of changes. The world's first mosques with flat roofs have survived.

1. Minimum images, maximum decor

The interior decoration of mosques is devoid of any divine images, there are only lines from the Koran. But the decorative elements are striking in their splendor - in this way the community demonstrates the wealth and luxury, the greatness of the rulers. If you raise your head up, then the ceilings of amazing beauty will appear. They are difficult to describe in words, you just need to see.

Since the dome symbolizes the firmament above the earth, the creators of mosques try to make them unique, investing in them their skill and respect for those who are worshiped.

2. Combining styles

The Ottoman style absorbed the architectural heritage of Byzantine culture, which was creatively reworked and supplemented with new techniques. In particular, it has become customary to erect domes over the main prayer hall. In early traditions, they towered only over the part where the mihrab and qibla were located (a niche and a wall facing the Muslim shrine of the Kaaba in Mecca).

In ancient times, builders and architects showed miracles of ingenuity so that a large hemisphere could be erected on the basis of a quadrangular building. We have developed several methods that have been successfully applied. In addition, it was necessary to find the appropriate material for construction. Depending on the natural features of the territory, it could be stones or bricks, wood with copper or lead coating.

3. Improving technology

Further integration of elements from different cultures led to the emergence of new architectural traditions. For example, the number of domes has changed - in addition to the huge hemisphere covering the main hall, they began to complement several small ones from different sides. Construction technologies were improved, more modern materials were used.

Until now, the exquisite pattern of domes and walls deprives speech of the gift, leaving only a short exclamation in different languages \u200b\u200bof the world: "Oh, what a beauty!"

The grandiose mosques in Muslim countries have been and remain a place of worship for followers of Islam and a must-see item in tourist programs. Their domes are visible from afar. If you are there, do not pass by, do not deprive yourself of the pleasure of enjoying the ingenious creations of human hands. And pay attention to the ceilings - you will get aesthetic pleasure, we assure you.

Umayyad Mosque in Damascus
In the initial period of the spread of Islam, Byzantine temples were used as mosques. They were not destroyed, but adapted, reorienting to Mecca and adding a huge courtyard to the main building, where all the worshipers could sit. Until the 8th century, an example of such a "conversion" was the oldest Umayyad mosque in Damascus - the former temple of John the Baptist (even earlier there was the Roman temple of Jupiter, the remains of which are visible from the outside of the mosque). However, in the VIII century, the temple was completely rebuilt, and a new mosque appeared in its place, the appearance of which is considered to be the standard today. The mosque still houses one of the shrines of both the Muslim and Christian world - the Head of John the Baptist, the prophet Yahya in Islam.

The mosque is not a temple where the sacraments are performed during the service, but a place for collective prayer pointing to the qibla believers, that is, the direction to the Kaaba, the main shrine of the Muslim world, a cubic structure in the courtyard of the Forbidden Mosque in Mecca, where the Black Stone is kept.

There are quarter mosques - for the daily five-time prayer of the residents of the surrounding area, as well as cathedral - those in which the entire community gathers for Friday prayer. A special type of city-wide mosque - musalla - an open square with a single wall, near which services are held on the holiday of Kurbanbayram.

Quarter mosques are usually small, visible among urban buildings only thanks to the minaret. Most often they do not possess any architectural merit, but perform only a religious function (that's why I call them “hozblok” in my mind). Friday mosques are another matter entirely. Huge, commensurate with medieval cathedrals, cathedral mosques in Istanbul and Isfahan, Marrakesh, Damascus and Delhi were built at the expense of the treasury by the best craftsmen. Architecture is a traditional way of demonstrating the power of government, and Friday mosques showed the city and the world the power of the state, although, of course, they gathered believers for prayer and sermons. It was in such mosques that the sultan and his court performed namaz. Such mosques always have several minarets (the quarter ones have only one), since the more minarets and the higher they are, the further the call to prayer is carried. And, of course, most of these mosques are also museums today. These are historical monuments, examples of architectural styles: Ottoman, Seljuk, Persian, Mughal, etc.

Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul
One of the most common types of mosques in the world is the Ottoman. The architectural pinnacle of this style is the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, built by the great architect of the Ottoman Empire Sinan in the first half of the 16th century by order of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (hence the name). Ottoman architects inherited the constructive principle of the Byzantine temple, primarily the Constantinople Hagia Sophia. Like her, (1) the Suleymaniye dome is laid on massive support (2) pillars with (3) "Sails". The weight of the dome is evenly "damped" through the side (4) semi-dome. The mosque is decorated with the famous tiles from Iznik, as well as numerous lamps and galleries. The courtyard of the mosque is framed by a covered (5) gallery decorated (6) small domes. In the center of the courtyard is located (7) a fountain for ritual ablutions, which today plays a decorative role (ablutions take place under the outer gallery). At the corners of the courtyard, Sinan placed four (8) minaret - Suleiman was the fourth ruler of the empire after the transfer of the capital to Istanbul. Ten (9) the balconies from which the call to prayer was proclaimed, also in honor of Suleiman, the tenth sultan from the Ottoman dynasty. Per (10) the walls of the qibla (qibla - direction to the Kaaba) are the tombs of the Sultan and his wife Roksolana.

You can get to the Friday mosque at any time of the day. In order not to find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, adhere to basic rules that are universal for any place associated with a cult. Be discreet, calm. Behave the way the locals do when they are not praying. If they are sitting, or lying, or sleeping, then you can calmly sit on the carpet yourself, take a nap by the wall. The only thing that really annoys believers is the lack of respect for their religion from the outside.

Do not forget that, entering the mosque, you must, firstly, have a decent look - no shorts and T-shirts. And secondly, you will have to leave your shoes at the entrance. On the one hand, this demonstrates respect for the house of Allah, on the other, this custom, like many others, is associated with hygiene: during prayer, believers repeatedly touch the floor with their palms and foreheads. And for those who disdain to walk barefoot (for example, in Indian mosques, the floor is sometimes uncovered and rather dirty), it is better to stock up on socks. Shoes can be worn by hand, but it is easier to throw shoes at the entrance, as everyone else does - theft in the mosque is impossible. Finally, women will have to cover their heads and arms. In the historic mosques of large cities, headscarves are offered at the entrance, and in the Umayyad mosques in Damascus, for example, I was surprised to find that a woman could rent a hoodie with a hood. That in general solves the problem of any "informal" clothing.

Forbidden Mosque in Mecca
The main mosque of the Muslim world has a completely different structure. Since its first task is to accommodate hundreds of thousands of pilgrims during the Hajj to the main shrine of Islam, the Kaaba, the mosque is a huge courtyard surrounded by a multi-tiered (1) gallery with (2) minarets in the corners. In the center of the yard there is (3) Kaaba is a sanctuary towards which Muslims all over the world turn during prayer. It is a cubic structure 15 meters high and a base of 10 by 12 meters. In the eastern corner of the Kaaba ("black corner") is embedded (4) a black stone enclosed in a silver setting. The stone is of meteorite origin, it was the object of an ancient Semitic cult long before the formation of Islam. During the youth of the Prophet Muhammad, the idol of Hubal, the patron deity of Mecca, was located in this place, around which 360 idols of deities worshiped in Arabia were located. The significance of the Kaaba for Islam increased sharply when it was declared a holy place, turning to which Muslims are required to pray (until 622, the direction of the qiblah was to Jerusalem, where, according to legend, the ascension of the prophet took place). In Muslim religious mythology, the "black stone" is the "white yahont" from paradise, given to Adam by Allah when he, thrown to the ground, reached Mecca. He became black later because of human sins and vices. Next to the "black stone" is (5) makam Ibrahim (place of Ibrahim) - a stone from paradise, standing on which the prophet Ibrahim built the Kaaba and which preserved the imprint of his feet. Next to the maqam of Ibrahim, the imams lead the prayer of the faithful. To the right of it, behind a semicircular wall, is (6) Al-Hijr is the place where the prophet Ibrahim left his wife Hajar and son Ismail, bringing them to Mecca, and where he ordered Hajar to build a house. This is a special place where pilgrims do not go during the detour of the Kaaba: it is believed that under the prophet Ibrahim it was a part of the Kaaba and there, according to legend, his wife and son were buried.

Inside the mosque, if there is no prayer, you can walk anywhere for men, women, and children: there are no “sacred places” or “protected areas”. However, of course, it is better to turn off the mobile phone and not speak loudly, although children, who often frolic on the carpets of the mosque, quite naturally yell, as they should. And, of course, it is better for men not to meddle in the female half. As a rule, it is fenced off with wooden screens, but even if not, then you should take a closer look where local men do not enter.

A faithful who has entered the mosque before the start of prayer does not have to go out when the believers began to pray. If he does not interfere with those who are praying, no one will expel him. There is nothing wrong with entering the mosque after the beginning of the prayer. Many believers themselves come running from their shops and offices late, not at all embarrassed by this.

Upon entering the mosque, you should choose a quiet corner with a good view, sit by the wall and look at the interior and people from the floor. Most of the faithful are waiting for prayer or staying after it to communicate and rest. This is one of the main pleasures in a red-hot Muslim city: the coolness of huge mosques, the quiet hum of voices, children's running around. Legs are resting, eyes, tired of the sun, too.

1. Minbar - departmentwith which the imam reads the Friday sermon. It is always located to the right of the mihrab. It has the shape of a staircase decorated with a peaked dome on top. In Friday mosques, the minbar is often elaborately carved, of the type common in the country where the mosque is located. According to tradition, the imam occupies the penultimate rung of the ladder from the top, since the prophet Muhammad himself is invisibly present at the top rung.
2. Mihrab - niche in the wall of the mosque, indicating the direction to the Kaaba. Muslims turn their faces to the mihrab during prayer. The mihrab is often decorated around the perimeter with tiles, carvings and inscriptions from the Koran, and is flanked by two half-columns. In large mosques, several mihrabs are erected so that one of them is always in the field of view of the worshiper. Mihrabs are also arranged in the courtyard of the mosque - for those who are late for prayer and are forced to perform namaz outside.

In large mosques, especially Shiite ones (outwardly they are easily recognizable by the abundant ornamental decorations and a dome covered with gold or tiles; in addition, they were erected at the burial place of one of the descendants of the prophet), Muslims come with families to not only worship the grave of the righteous, but also to chat, spend time, show the luxurious interiors to children. It is not forbidden to arrange a mini-picnic in the courtyards of large mosques: the journey has been long, and it is expensive to walk to cafes. No one will drink wine and fry meat, but sandwiches, fruits, bottles of water spread out on a scarf are a common sight.

Often during religious holidays, there are charity events at the mosques - for example, food distribution. Once in Tehran, I treated myself to an excellent baked potato wrapped in lavash with salt, and in Isfahan, on the occasion of the Ashura holiday, I stood in line for a free lunch - rice and meat with plums - and received it in a special thermal package. True, it was during the aggravation of the conflict in Palestine, so the packaging bore the inscription (literally): Down with Israeli, down with USA - “Down with Israel, down with the USA”.

And the last thing. In some cities, at the entrance to the mosque, a kind of face control is introduced (extremely rarely and most often spontaneously). Some particularly religious elder may suddenly ask a person of an unusual appearance: "Muslim?" ("Muslim?"). This happened to me twice: in the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and in the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca. What to do? If you really need to get inside - for example, to see with your own eyes a mosque with a retractable roof that can accommodate 25,000 worshipers - give a calm affirmative answer: "Yes, Muslim." And you can go through. There is also an easier option: to wrap a Muslim rosary around your fingers. Having seen them, even an Islamic fundamentalist will not ask any questions.

Illustrations by Eldar Zakirov