The Mosque as a public space in the Islamic City - An Analytical study of Architectural & Urban design of contemporary examples

Abstract

Muslim communities have always been connected, to the Mosque- masjid as called in Arabic-The masjid wasn’t limited to being a place of worship, or performing rituals, or as just a social and political aspect of the Muslim community, but instead acted as a sign of belonging and identity. Along the history of Islam, Mosque has been the most essential building within any Muslim community / state that started or settled within any part of the world. Mosque continued to be a center of many Muslims' activities in addition to being the house of God and the most sacred place for Allah worship that incorporated many functions in addition to worship, as well as exceptionally hosting social events: funerals, condolences or marriages and some other political events like revolutions, & wars. This study analyses the role that Mosque plays - contemporarily - as a public space at the city level, and how it had a significant role in the lives of Muslims nowadays, not only as a religious building for performing worship but also as a building that serves many other functions related to people lives. Theoretical concepts and examination of some selected case studies regionally and locally have been analyzed and discussed, dealing with mosques as public spaces that play a fundamental role in the lives of Muslims. The study concludes and recommends some issues that should be considered by different means while dealing with new mosques design, or by developing some cases of current mosques.