Types of Islamic Buildings
Islamic architecture brings a distinct image to Middle Eastern cities that sets them apart from their counterparts throughout the rest of the world. Once the center of architectural innovation where concepts such as the pointed arch would someday revolutionize European buildings, there is much to be said about Islamic buildings.
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Mosque
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Mosque with mihrab and minbar The mosque, or masjid in Arabic, is the archetypal Islamic building. A key aspect of Islam is the five daily prayers believers are asked to pray while facing the direction of Mecca. While not required by Islam, mosques allow Muslims to pray together. They are typically simple structures, consisting mostly of an assembly and prayer hall and a niche in the wall, called a mihrab, indicating the direction of Mecca. Many also include a raised platform, called a minbar, from which a Muslim religious leader, called an imam, will occasionally give sermons. This is especially common on the noon Friday prayer, which is traditionally prayed in a mosque with other Muslims, in much the same way that Christians pray in churches on Sunday mornings.
Minaret
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A minaret rising high in the sky From the elegant pillars of Istanbul to the solid square structures of Cairo, nothing makes a Middle Eastern city skyline unique like the minarets soaring over the buildings. Although not found on all mosques, a minaret is a common accompanying structure. Its use is to announce the time and call Muslims to prayer for each of the five daily prayers, starting at dawn. At one time special men, called muzzein, would climb to the top of each minaret for each of the five prayers and call out to the people below. Now almost all minarets use speaker systems, but their daily calls still fill the streets of Muslim cities and are a hallmark of life in the Middle East.
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Madrassa
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A madrassa is an Arabic word meaning school. While in the Middle East a madrassa is a school of any type of education, in the West this term is generally used in conjunction with religious, Islamic education. Historically, because of the close link between Islam and Middle Eastern society, many madrassas have included religious topics in their studies. Some of the most famous madrassas, such as Cairo's Al Azhar University, are considered by some to be the forerunners of modern universities.
Personal Homes
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Personal homes in the Middle East are historically unique and worthy of mention. While time and modernization have changed the way homes are built today, the traditional Middle Eastern house was centered internally around a courtyard, with very little decoration or windows facing out in the street. In addition, the foyer to the house would be partitioned to allow unrelated men to be entertained while still keeping the women of the family separated in the harem area. A harem in this sense simply means forbidden, and it indicates the areas of a house in which the family's women lived and unrelated men were not permitted to enter.
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