Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Best Places to See Traditional Wind Towers
Muharraq Island, Bahrain
Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood, Dubai
Al-Sharq Village & Spa, Qatar
Central Market, Sharjah
Yaum Al-Bahhar Village, Kuwait City
A good example of instructive or inspirational visual art is calligraphy. Arabic is not
just a language for Arabs - for Muslims throughout the world it is the language of the
Quran, so it's a cohesive and unifying factor, imbued with a reverence that is hard for non-
Muslims to understand. Islamic calligraphy, the copying of God's own words, is seen by
many as a pious act and remains to this day the highest aesthetic practised in the Arab
world. All over Arabia one can see magnificent examples of this highly refined art with its
repetition of forms and symmetry of design.
The most visible expression of Islamic art, however, is surely the mosque. It too is built
on mostly functional principles. In fact, the first mosques were modelled on the Prophet
Mohammed's house. To this day the basic plan in providing a safe, cool and peaceful
haven for worship has changed little - there's the open sahn (courtyard), the arcaded ri-
waq (portico), and the covered, often domed, prayer hall. A vaulted niche in the wall is
called the mihrab; this serves to indicate the qibla, or direction of Mecca, towards which
Muslims must face when they pray. The minbar (pulpit) is traditionally reached by three
steps. The Prophet is said to have preached his sermons from the third step. Abu Bakr, his
successor, chose to preach from the second step, and this is where most imams (prayer
leaders) stand or sit today when preaching the Friday sermon.
The first minarets appeared long after Mohammed's death. Prior to that time, the
muezzin (prayer caller) often stood on a rooftop or some other elevation so that he could
be heard by as many townsfolk as possible.
Traditionally, mosques had an ablution fountain at the centre of the courtyard, often
fashioned from marble. Today most modern mosques have a more practical row of taps
and drains alongside.
The mosque serves the community in many ways. Groups of children receive Quranic
lessons or run freely across the carpet; people sit in quiet contemplation of carved wood
panels, tiled walls and marbled pillars; others simply enjoy a peaceful nap in the cool. As
such, there is no greater expression of the way that art remains at the service of people -
something that surprises secular, Western onlookers. By the same token, it will be interest-
ing to see what Muslims make of the decorative art of Europe: work began on the Jean
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