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
0 Comments
Please do not enter any spam link in the comment box.