MOSQUE AL-HARAM

Architecture of Mosque Al-Haram



Architecture of Mosque Al-Haram

Introduction

“God is beautiful and loves beauty,” - says a well-known hadith.

The beauty is recognized attribute of the divine essence. Islam has created a civilization in which art has always been important. It can be argued that Islam professes an aesthetic view of life. Clear indication of understanding the Qur'an and the beauty of creation all created by Allah, openly and clearly indicates a serious attention to the beauty of Islam. The Masjid al-Haram is the most important mosque in the city of Mecca and the first holy place of Islam. This paper will look at the different implications of the mosque, understanding the historical roots, cosmological connections and the architecture of the mosque.

It is considered the largest mosque in the world. The current mosque dates back from 1570 and is in the form of a central square surrounded by stone walls. Around the inner sanctuary there is a marble pavement, the mataf. In the center of the courtyard is the Kaaba, the holiest shrine of Islam. The first mosque was built in 638, when the increase of Muslims took to the Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab to expand the site (McMillan, 2011, pp. 78). Since then, the mosque and the city have undergone many changes, reflecting the passage of time. It is the ultimate pilgrimage site for the Muslims.

It was built in 622 on the occasion of the Hegira of Muhammad and his companions from Mecca to Medina. A few days after starting the construction of the mosque of Quba , Muhammad began to build a second mosque in Medina, now known by the name of Masjid al-Nabawi, or mosque of the prophet. The site of the mosque was chosen for the place that held the first Friday prayers in Medina. In fact, after they return to Medina road, left by his camel, Qoçoua, the task of determine the place of arrival to leaving him loose flange. So, after many detours, he stopped at a large empty lot and knelt down. In this area was built the mosque of Medina.

Cosmology

Al Haram al-Sherif was built by angels before the creation of humanity to be reflected in the land of Al-Baytu Mamur, the place of worship of the angels believed to be directly above the Kaaba celestial (archetype of the center or axis mundi). The Kaaba was destroyed and later rebuilt by Adam, the archetype of man, in charge of restoring the equivalent of the celestial Kaaba on earth. But the religion of Islam was forgotten, and it took successive prophets and messengers sent by Allah as a reminder of the covenant that binds within the Creator and creatures. Abraham was the last man who rebuilt the Kaaba with the help of his son Ishmael. The original black stone of paradise is located on the fourth corner of the Kaaba, and is black because of the sins of men (Mohamed, 1996, pp. 56). Abraham built the Kaaba to locate geographically the heart of man, to ...