Australia now has its own grand mosque: a brief history of how these buildings fold into the urban landscape
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火曜日, 5月 9, 2023
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Grand mosques mark the urban space of major historical cities such as Mecca, Medina, Cordoba and Tunis.
Key Points:
- Grand mosques mark the urban space of major historical cities such as Mecca, Medina, Cordoba and Tunis.
- The notion of a “grand mosque” has been shaped by the location of the mosque, its scale and its historical importance.
- But what makes a grand mosque “grand”?
Building the grand mosques
- This charitable act was an important legacy, and mosques were also a reflection of the powers of dynasties.
- But mosques also provided civic, educational and cultural spaces to provide for extensive community involvement.
- The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is a centre of science and knowledge which can accommodate 40,000 worshippers.
- Through a combination of scale and architectural design, these grand mosques make their mark in the urban landscape.
An Australian grand mosque
- The first mosque in Australia was completed in 1882 in Maree, 600 kilometres north of Adelaide.
- Now, Australia has its own grand mosque.
- Melbourne’s Grand Mosque opened its doors last year.
- The community wanted to make a grand architectural statement which would meet the spiritual and social needs of Australia’s Muslim community.
A mosque for the community
- The grand mosque of today is about community: their involvement in the design processes and its openness as a hub for diverse communities of the 21st century.
- Today, the realisation of a grand mosque such as the one in Melbourne transforms the idea of “grand” to a level of social interaction and community aspirations.