Minarets: A Distinguish Characteristic of Islamic Architecture

The minaret is a significant architectural and spiritual landmark in Islam, but it has also influenced non-religious cultures. It's important in Muslim communities and homes. It is a large pillar or tower that is prevalent in local, commonly Muslim communities. The muezzin, a particular mosque official, recite the call to prayer five times a day from the top of the tower. This serves as a reminder for the community to the mosque for pray to Allah. In addition to their religious and architectural significance, minarets play an important role in Islamic discretion. When people from outside of these communities visit, they can understand easily about the worship place and the huge towers.

Origin and the meaning of Minaret

A minaret is a component of Islamic architecture that serves as the location from which the call to prayer is delivered. In Arabic, they are called a manar or manara, which both translate to "place of fire" or "light" (nar or nur). According to the Scholars the word, Manara comes from the term Aramaic, which meaning "candlestick." Another Arabic word that literally means "minaret" is Sawma'a, which means "cloister" or "cell" and refers to the spiritual illumination of the lamps in the cloister. Arabic phrase mi'dhana better describes the minaret's purpose.

According to scholarly research, minarets date back to the Umayyad era and were modelled after church steeples that had been discovered in Syria at that time. Nonetheless, some references show that these Syrian towers descended from the ziggurats of Mesopotamian Babylonian and Assyrian sanctuaries. Another way to describe the manara is as a "light house" that helps travelers navigate their way. On the other hand, Kenneth Cragg argues that the call of the minaret is an affirmation of unity and the non-entity of idols; an Islamic order for human society.

The First Minaret

Despite the fact that the Islamic world adopted from the architectural forms of other civilizations, the practice of constructing minarets as distinctive Islamic constructions did not originate as an attempt to replicate the architectural styles of other global superpowers. In addition to this, it was motivated by Mu'awiya's Islamic ambitions, who was the first Umayyad ruler and ultimate religious head, of Egypt. Middle of the sixth century: he wanted to make Islam a big part of his empire's identity. He oversaw the restoration of Egypt's first mosque, the Amr bin al-As mosque in Egypt in 673 CE during the Umayyad Caliphate. The first modification he made to the structure of the mosque was the construction of four tall towers at each corner. The oldest surviving minaret of the Islamic world was constructed between 724 and 727 C.E. in Tunisia.

Although minarets were not initially a standard feature of mosque design, they eventually became an integral part of the Islamic architectural curriculum. The civilization, culture, and background of the region had a significant impact on the construction of minarets, which defined their size, shape, and form. Throughout Islamic history, minarets have been constructed in several styles, but their function has never changed.

References:

Cragg, K., the Call of the Minaret, New York, Oxford University Press, Passim, 1956.

Gottheil, J. H., the Origin and History of the Minaret, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Mar., 1910.

Support and Rate our Work: @The Inside History