Asian Architecture [ARC 2213]

PROJECT 1: CASE STUDY

TITLE: Religious Significance of Mihrab in Islamic Architecture and How

it is Adapted to Contemporary Mosque Architecture in Malaysia

NAME: Nur Aida Ashikin Binti Rosdi

STUDENT ID: 0302503

LECTURER: Pn Norhayati Ramli

SUBMISSION DATE: 19 Nov 2013

Abstract

This study is to identify the religious significance of Mihrab in Islamic Architecture and how it is

adapted to contemporary mosque architecture in Malaysia. The aim of this study is to properly

establish the function of a Mihrab for a mosque and what makes it a pivotal component of a for

a mosque and to discover is Mihrab slowly losing its significance in order to achieve a simpler

and minimalist design or is it still going strong for the contemporary mosque architecture in

Malaysia. A Mihrab is not just an architectural decoration complimented with beautiful

ornaments, it holds a greater meaning towards the religion of Islam, the mosque itself and

Muslims. By conducting a thorough research with journals, books and articles both from the web

and magazines I will be able to gather a sufficient amount of information I need in order to find

the answers to the issue. I will also do a case study comparison of a traditional Islamic

architecture mosque to a contemporary mosque located in Malaysia. Hagia Sophia located in

Istanbul is a great example of an early Islamic Architecture mosque which can demonstrate the

great use of ornaments and different materials used to build the Mihrab following Istanbul's

technology and resource of material at the time. While the Masjid Wilayah in Malaysia were built

with a different and more recent technology and materials. The location of where the mosque is

located will also affect the design of the mosque as it has to consider the immediate context of

the site. This comparison will provide clear understanding what are the variables that can affect

the design, material and construction method of a Mihrab. These findings will provide a deeper

understanding on the importance of a Mihrab and identify the steps needed to be to sustain the

significance of Mihrab. From my findings, it is apparent how contemporary mosque architecture

is slowly losing the essence of a Mihrab in order to achieve a more minimalist and modern

design.

There is no better form of architecture that is a true equal composition of both religion and art

exist in the Islamic architecture than the Mihrab. A Mihrab in a mosque can generate a feeling of

unity which is significant as it unites the Muslims together during a prayer. The high aesthetic

and spiritual value of Islamic architecture influences the richness of the design of Mihrab while

acting as a strong component to a mosque and has a high functionality.

Main Question: What is the religious significance of Mihrab in Islamic Architecture and

how it is adapted to contemporary mosque architecture in Malaysia?

1. What is a Mihrab and its function?

2. What is the significance of a Mihrab to a mosque?

3. How does the different cultural context affect the design, material and construction

method?

4. Is it still relevant and used in contemporary mosque architecture in Malaysia?

5. Is it still culturally and religiously significant towards Muslim in Malaysia and should it still

be implied in contemporary designs?

What is a Mihrab and its function?

Acts a prayer niche for Muslim's congregants during communal prayer. A Mihrab is a

prayer niche that has the characteristics of a small alcove and its function to indicate the

direction the sacred Ka'bah and during prayers it involuntary provides a physical and

psychological bearing during the communal prayer. During prayers, the Imam will lead the

prayer opposite the Mihrab and acts as a focal point. Although, the Mihrab is known for its high

aesthetic and spiritual value, in addition its historical function is to highlight the qiblah wall and to

indicate the direction of Mecca. It is located at the middle of the qiblah wall, perpendicular to the

directions towards Mecca. The term Mihrab derives Surah Maryam verse 11 which a the word

"mina-Imihrabi" describes as a sanctuary or a sacred place of worship in the verse of "then he

[Zakaria] came forth to his people from the sanctuary/ place of worship [mina-Imihrabi]"(Q.

19:11). This verse is usually used to convey how the word "mina-Imihrabi" influence to the

Mihrab's to be qualified as sacred space and becomes the most significant spiritual and

aesthetic value in Islamic architecture and a mosque. The Mihrab is rich with Islamic ornaments

the emphasize of Islam's non-figurative illusory while highlighting the main principles of Islamic

doctrines of Tawhid (Divine Unity and Oneness) and convey a significant message extricate

from the Quran. "Umar b. Abd al-Aziz, Walid's governer of Medina, was the first person to

introduce the mihrab mujawwaf" (Treadwall,****). It was said that when he renovated and

extended the Mosque of the Prophet(Al-Aqsa?) he incorporated the prayer niche into the

design. It was contradicted that the prayer niche was already existed in the mid-70s AB (690s)

(Treadwell, ****), therefore predating its appearance by a decade. An example of one of the

early design of Mihrab was carved from white marble with an inscribed border. With pointed

arch rested on upon two semicircular lobes and beneath it the archivolts descends vertically,

extends to form as an architrave and continues to form a rectangular shape. As a whole, the

prayer niches is not known to be either extend of Mihrab or an architectural decoration that

displays ornamentation for which it is sufficient to approximately suggest a date and providence.

Nearly all the great Mihrab has a surface inscription that was taken from the Qur'an.

What is the significance of a Mihrab to a mosque?

Commonly there is only one Mihrab in each mosque but it not unusual to see several Mihrab

located at the qibla wall. In a mosque the Mihrab would be one of the major component of

the qibla wall. The qibla wall would not be completed without Mihrab and the Minbar which is

also one of the major component of the qibla wall. Mihrab can be used as an acoustic

device as its form enables the voice of the Imam to be bounce back and it also magnifies

their voice when the Imam leads the congregation of prayers. Therefore, it shows how

functional the Mihrab can be for a mosque. The Mihrabs also acts as a centre of interest in

the decoration of the mosque interiors and offer various and unique design following

different region and periods. The creation of Mihrab is very unique as it can only be used in

a mosque. To design the Mihrab without its functional and religious characteristic and

reconstruct it outside of the context of a mosque would destroy its significance and

undermine the purpose and concept of the Mihrab as to why it was built in the first place.

How does the different cultural context affect the design, material and construction

method?

The basic element of Mihrab's should be interpreted according to its iconography details and

context which it is located. The location and period that the mosque was build can influence

the design of the Mihrab. Even different providence in the same country can become one of

the variable as to why Mihrab goes through different types of design, material and

construction method. Different location and period where the mosque is located would want

to accentuate their own unique expertise in creating a cultural Mihrab because it was

considered an aesthetic key of Islamic architecture and worthy to be designed by the finest

Islamic architecture masters could offer. "Certainly Mihrab became a focus for architectural

decoration and was often embellished with the latest artistic techniques."(Peterson, 1996)

Whenever there is a new technology or technique at a certain location or period. It certainly

would be applied to the design of the Mihrab and it some are regarded as the world's most

unique and intricate art. Numerous Mihrab are known for their colourful tile work in varied

style-stamped, polychromatic and faience. An example would be the Mihrab Khiva mosque,

Uzbekistan. Ceramic would usually be cut and assembled by one of the finest to produce

multi-coloured mosaic decoration. While in countries like Oman produced an engraved

gypsum Mihrab that has an Arabic script wall decoration illustration at Al-Alyn mosque in Al-

Bilad Manah. In designing a Mihrab, there is no particular architectural style appropriate but

rather any type of pan-Islamic aesthetic principles. Some styles would differ in quality in the

design of artistic technique and the local finest design techniques, materials and

construction would further make the design of Mihrab more unique in different mosque. The

design of Mihrab may differ for different mosque but the core of the purpose, meaning and

functionality is still the same as any other Mihrab.

Is it still relevant and used in contemporary mosque architecture in Malaysia?

The intention of the Mihrab was to create a simple Islamic architectural feature of a mosque that

stands out by its simplicity not by its ornaments and acts as a directional element, instead of

distracting their worshippers during their prayers. Orthodox Islamic teaching are against lavish

decorations inside the mosque as it can be distracting to the worshippers. But the decorations

are an essential characteristic of beauty in Islam being convey in an architectural form. The

ornamented Mihrab should be seen as a way to hold sacred and glorify our God. The Mihrab is

a strong Islamic religious architecture that in a mosque that has been studied in art history of

Islamic architecture. It retains a strong link to architecture due to its three dimensional character

of using different depths of relief and use of the arch. For every mosque the architectural

elements of the Mihrab emphasize the qiblah axis. As such they serve to unite space and focus

on the Mecca. As an architectural element the Mihrab contributes to qualifying mosque interior

space as sacred, even though the building itself is not necessarily considered as such. The

Mihrab defines its space for a particular religious purpose, therefore it has both religious and

symbolic architectural value. Unfortunately the most of the mosque in contemporary Malaysian

Mosque have lost some the beautiful essence of the Mihrab. Following the architecture of the

mosque as a whole, a Mihrab in a contemporary mosque would have a very simplistic design

that lacks ornamentation and depth. Slowly the Mihrab becomes an inessential component of

the mosque. Although the Mihrab is trying to achieve a simpler form, it should convey a strong

poetic core of Islam and the meaning behind a Mihrab. In result, the Muslims will pay no heed to

the beauty of Mihrab and it will slowly be forgotten and becomes less relevant and used in

Malaysian Contemporary Mosque Architecture.

Is it still culturally and religiously significant towards Muslim in Malaysia and should

it still be implied in contemporary designs?

The existance of Mihrab is not for the purpose of art but for the purpose of Islam. Its role of

art is to serve Islam and not the other way round. It conforms to Islam's theory of beauty and

conveys how magnificent and beautiful the religion of Islam. Mihrab contributes by playing a

role to diffuse Islam's Divine Word and to convey for the embodiment of those words in form

and space, and to temporalised expression of kalam Allah throught beautified speeches of

the Qur'an. The qur'anic recitation captures the texture of the sound qualified by God. The

Mihrab serves as hub for the soul of the believer towards an interior disposition of

submission to God which is the true end of all sacred art. During prayers, the Mihrab

enables the Imam's voice to resonate encompassing the mosque which exhibits God's word

as an absolute power. The foremost religion significance of a Mihrab is that it symbolises a

gateway to paradise, which is to Muslim's true and final homeland. Therefore the delights of

paradise are ornamented using abstract artistic decoration, floral, arabesque, and vegetal

motifs relating to al-Djanna-the heavenly garden. The archway of a Mihrab is indicates of

entering a spiritual dimension, a suggestive of heaven's promise of glory. Amplifying this

symbolism would be contour, the elements of interweaving of Arabic words from the Qur'an

fuse into a compelling whole. It is uncertain of how many Muslims acknowledge how

significant a Mihrab is to a mosque, what meaning it holds for the religion. By making the

Mihrab more interesting and carries a greater meaning, it will interest Muslims to understand

the underlying meaning that it holds.

Case Study

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia was converted from

a Christian Church to an Islamic

Mosque shortly after the dismiss

of Constanople in 1453. Built by

Emperor Justinian in the 537

following the Byzantanium

architecture, therefore originally

Hagia Sophia did not have any

Mihrab in it or much Islamic architecture characteristic. Soon after it was grasp by the Islamic

leaders, a Mihrab and all the figurative sculpture and paintings were transformed into Arabic

calligraphy writings. Richly decorated Mihrab of Hagia Sophia mosque in Istanbul. It was slightly

off centre on the Christian apse as the orientation of the mosque and direction of Mecca form

the mosque was Southeast but the orientation was a bit off thus the reason of the Mihrab's

placing. The Mihrab comprises of Qur'anic verses of beautifully written in stone, stucco, marble,

mosaic and painted to embellish and direct attention towards recitation of the Divine Word. It is

apparent that the decorated incorporate qur'anic verses into abstract patterning to provide

Muslims with a provided a visual expression of how beautiful meaning of the verse. The Mihrab

make full use of God's divine Words and transform them into intricate ornaments and decorative

art. The an acoustic device as its form enables the voice of the Imam to be bounce back and it

also magnifies their voice when the Imam leads the congregation of prayers and that exhibits

God's word as an absolute power in the Hagia Sophia.

Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque

Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque was completed in August 2009. It was named after Yang

di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin. It is also known as the Iron Mosque for short

because of the structure of the mosque

comprises 70 percent steel overall, which be

made of 6000 tons of steel. The other

percentage of the structure was made out of

concrete. The mosque was build with the

influence traditional and contemporary

Islamic architecture. The Mihrab in the

mosque was made out of marble and surrounded by glass panels about 13 meters high. The

glass panels are carved with 2 lines of verse from Surah Al-Baqarah on the right and Surah

Ibrahim on the left using Thuluth calligraphy. The contemporary design of the mosque

minimizes the amount of ornaments and decoration in the mosque. The Mihrab was made up of

plain marble without any form of ornamentation or Arabic calligraphy writing extracted from the

Qur'an. The only function of the Mihrab is to only pin point the direction of Mecca from the

mosque. The designer did not take advantage of a traditional Mihrab to enable the voice of the

Imam to be bounce back into the mosque. This is an example where the Mihrab become an

inessential component of the mosque. The foremost religion significance of a Mihrab is that it

symbolises a gateway to paradise, which is to Muslim's true and final homeland, but the Mihrab

needed ornaments of abstract artistic decoration, floral, arabesque, and vegetal motifs relating

to al-Djanna-the heavenly garden and the delights of paradise. The interesting location and

period where the mosque is located could have accentuate their own unique expertise in

creating a cultural Mihrab because it was considered an aesthetic key of Islamic architecture

and worthy to be designed by the finest Islamic architecture masters could offer.

Ensuring Mihrab is being adapted well into Contemporary Mosque Architecture in

Malaysia

The art of Mihrab its beauty in a mosque is slowly dying by the incline number of Contemporary

Mosque Architecture. The main core of the function, purpose, and meaning in a Mihrab should

not be sacrifice in order to achieve a more aesthetically complimenting design with

contemporary architecture. There are ways for The Mihrab is significantly more than a functional

feature of mosque design. Not only does it mark the direction of Mecca thereby symbolizing

unity and universality in prayer, it also constitutes a masterpiece of Islamic sacred art; a hybrid

element of Islam’s decorative art, sculpture and architecture. At the Mihrab these categories

formally integrate to express a theological and aesthetic ideal.

Increasing religious significance of Mihrab towards Muslims

Islam’s most significant artistic and religious features this mosque module unities Islam’s

spirituality and beauty obscuring points of differentiating between the arts in Islam by

simultaneously filling specific space as if it were a sculpture while creating qualified space to

contour as if it were architecture. This is how the Mihrab contributes to Islam’s sense of sacred

unity—artistically and substantially. While exhibiting religious art’s essential characteristics, it

reveals the essence of the Muslims’ religion and understanding of God— Tauhid. Accordingly it

exemplifies a coherent theological aesthetic, offering a qualified art specifying religious space

and connecting every Muslim with the true meaning of God as The Unseen, and The

Boundless. In Islam no better example of the convergence between religion and art, or between

the spiritual dimension of religion and the concept of abstract art, exists than at the Mihrab. In

addition to its aesthetic value, the Mihrab has noteworthy spiritual appeal which serves to

augment its religious identity. As both a piece of theology and as a masterwork of Islam’s

sacred art, the Mihrab reservoir for the Islamic religion's physical and spiritual yearnings and this

is undoubtedly the Mihrab most authoritative status.

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