The Architecture of the Mosque: Historical Roots and Modern Influences

An overview of the mosque's historical evolution over the course of the millennium extending from the birth of Islam until the mid-seventeenth century.

Since the mosque is a historically defined building type, however, the course provides an overview of its historical evolution over the course of the millennium extending from the birth of Islam until the mid-seventeenth century. This will be followed by the impacts of Westernization and modernization on its architecture beginning in the mid-eighteenth century. The course presents initial attempts dating back to the 1950s that aimed at designing mosques that are more rooted in contemporary architectural practices rather than being defined by historical prototypes. Beginning with mosques designed since the 1970s, the course focuses on ones that have received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and that have been shortlisted for it.

These lectures present over thirty mosques covering a wide geographic expanse that includes East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Iran, Turkey, the Arab World, Western Africa, and Europe.

This series is a collaboration between the Centre for the Study of the Built Environment and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Education Programme. The lectures are presented by Dr. Mohammad al-Asad.