Islamic Mosques vs Byzantine Churches

The religious architecture of the Byzantine and Islamic empires symbolizes the vast differences of their religious cultures. Despite the fact that both religions are equally important to their civilizations, the Byzantine architecture is superior to that of Islam. I took a look at the religious architecture of each civilization, and I found that both the churches and mosques were equally extravagant in appearance but appeared to be vastly different in style.

Paraphrase 1:

 I chose to compare the Eastern Orthodox church of Hagia Sophia, and the Islamic mosque, Masjid al Haram.  As Lee Krystek explains in her writing of the Byzantine architecture, “Hagia Sophia: The Place of Holy Wisdom”, The Eastern Orthodox churches of the Byzantine Empire were very distinct with onion shaped domes set upon a rectangular base, which is a variation of the Roman way of setting domes on top of a circular base. The Hagia Sophia, after spending six years under construction, was reading for its final reveal in 537 AD.  The church was not an entirely new design. Many of the ideas that are utilized come from Rome, Greece, and Asia.  The large dome adorning the top of the church was the largest of its time and certainly a sight to see. It is flanked by half domes on both the western and eastern side of the church. On the four corners of the church, four spires rise out of the foundation, sticking up proudly for all to see for miles around. Various colors of bricks were utilized in such a way that they would create intricate designs on the outside of the building.  Justinian, who created a building plan specifically for the construction of buildings in his empire, ordered the finest materials from all over the world to construct his newest church.  The inside itself is extravagantly decorated with golden paintings on the ceiling and silk tapestries hanging above the main altar in the church. Like the brick on the outside, various amounts and colors of marble were used to create columns, pillars, the floor, and the ceiling.

Paraphrase 2: The Masjid al Haram is utilized in a very similar religious way, but the two structures, the church and mosque, are vastly different. Masjid al Haram was built under the rule of Caliph Omar Ibn al- Khattab in 634 AD .  According to “Visualizing the sites andmonuments of Islamic Pilgrimage” written by David J. Roxburgh , the Masjid al Haram is described clearly as “a perimeter constructed as a rectangle of porticoes of alternating red and black archways surrounded by domes and nineteen doors […]” The author is describing the breathtaking experience of stepping into the Grand Mosque in Mecca. The alternating colors of red and black archways lead visitors through the grand halls, nineteen named doors appearing at intervals along the porticoes winding around the perimeter of the building. The sacred black box, the Ka’ba, stands powerfully in the middle of the mess of archways, domes, and doors. The ka’ba is a solid black stone with a gold band that isn't easily looked over.  Around the box is a perfect circle for the practice of walking around the stone rectangle. The Ka’ba is a place of worship for every Muslim. Even if they are far from Mecca, the people of the religion turn towards this sacred box to pray during the day. Past this dark, obvious box are free standing figures that are most commonly associated with Abraham and “the schools of Islamic law”.

I.                    Even though both the Hagia Sophia and the Masjid al Haram are equally magnificent, the amount of detail that was incorporated into the Hagia Sophia gives it superiority over the mosque.

a.       The Hagia Sophia was also know by the name of the church of “Holy Wisdom”

b.      The architecture was a blend of many other cultures, not just Byzantium ideas.

                                                               i.      Rome, Greece, and Asian countries influenced the architectural styles of the Hagia Sophia.

c.       The new dome shape was an advancement in the architecture of the Byzantine Empire.

                                                               i.      The onion shape of the dome was a distinct feature of this brilliant, church.

                                                             ii.      The Hagia Sophia is particular was set upon a rectangular base 200ft long and 220 ft wide.

1.       This new style of base was an attempt to stray away from the styles of Roman architecture with large, circular domes set upon a vaulted roof.

                                                            iii.      The massive dome of the Hagia Sophia was the largest dome constructed during that time period.

1.       It was over 100 feet from end to end.

a.       The dome was seen as so fantastic that it was often compared to Heaven itself.

                                                           iv.      The dome was supported on four sides by large columns. Without these, the dome would have collapsed, as it is not a freestanding structure.

                                                             v.      The east and west sides of the church were flanked by two identical half domes.

d.      On the northern and southern ends of the church were two arches that helped with the support of the large dome.

e.      The interior of the Hagia Sophia was adorned with paintings, marble, tapestries, and banners.

                                                               i.      Gold paintings were spread out amongst the ceilings of the church.

                                                             ii.      Marble of vast colors was used to create the walls, floors, and ceiling of the church, giving it an interesting look on the inside. It will never be described as plain.

f.        Procopius of Caesarea had visited the church after its completed and described the Hagia Sophia as, “distinguished by indescribable beauty, excelling both in its size, and in the harmony of its measures, having no part excessive and none deficient; being more magnificent than ordinary buildings, and much more elegant […] you would declare that the place is not lighted by the sun […] but that the rays are produced within itself […].”

g.       The mere sight of the Hagia Sophia is enough to take anyone’s breath away. As the church is approached, the intricate detail becomes prominent to the observant eye, and the immense amount of work is seen.

II.                  Although just as stunning as the Hagia Sophia, the detail of the Masjid al Haram is unable to live up to that of the massive church.

a.       The Ka’ba is located in the middle of the Masjidal Haram. 

                                                               i.      The Ka’ba is the most sacred building in Islam.

                                                             ii.      It is a small, rectangular, black box standing at an approximate height of 50 ft.

                                                            iii.      Every day, five times, the people who practice Islam will turn towards the Ka’ba, despite how far away they may be, and pray to it.

b.      Like the Hagia Sophia, the architecture ideas come from the ideas of other cultures.

                                                               i.      The style of building is roughly based on the ideas of Rome, the Byzantine Empire, and Persia.

1.       The conquering of Persia directly influenced a change in the architectural styles, especially religious, of the Islamic culture.

2.       The culture adapted the arch styles of both the Romans and the Byzantine Empire.

3.       As a result of all of these adaptations, the architecture of the Islamic community was extremely influenced by Rome and the Byzantine Empire.

c.       Arabesque is most commonly seen adorning the walls of mosques.

                                                               i.      Arabesque is an art form that consists of repeated geometric patterns that often represent plants.

                                                             ii.      Painting a human was considered wrong in Islamic religion, therefore it was forbidden to do so.

d.      The Masjid al Haram has been dubbed with multiple other names such as “The Grand Mosque” or “The Forbiden Mosque”. 

e.      Red and black are a common color is the Grand Mosque.

                                                               i.      Archways, which are spread out amongst the mosque, in particular were colored in these two colors.

f.        The beauty of the Masjid al Haram in Mecca should never be overlooked, and should be respected by people of all cultures, but the amount of detail that was put into this building does not live up to that of the Hagia Sophia.

Despite the fact that both buildings are beautiful and unique to the individual cultures of the countries that they reside in, the Hagia Sophia’s plan of architecture is vastly different and more unique than that of the Masjid al Haram. The Masjid al Haram is a very open floor plan, with various arches and little to no actual color. On the other hand, the Hagia Sophia is brilliantly decorated with mosaics and tapestries hanging all around the interior of this church. When going into the detail of the vast cultures, it is obvious that more detail was put into the Byzantine architecture.

Sources:

Black, Linda, Larry S. Krieger, Phillip C. Naylor, and Dahia Ibo Shabaka. "The Muslim World, The Byzantine Empire." World History Patterns of Interactions. By Roger B. Beck. N.p.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012. 273+. Print.