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Post by pieter on Aug 4, 2012 12:27:50 GMT -7
 Khaled Ibn Al-Waleed Mosque in Homs Nur al-Din Mosque in Hama  The Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus The Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus The Nabi Habeel Mosque in Damascus with the tomb of Abel, son of Prophet Adam (Shia mosque)  The Tekkiye Mosque, a mosque complex in Damascus, Syria, located on the banks of the Barada River. Built by the the chief Ottoman architect (Turkish) architect Mimar Sinan between 1554 and 1560 on the orders of on the orders of Suleiman the Magnificent. Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque, a shrine located in Damascus, Syria, that contains the grave of Sukayna (née Ruqayyah), the infant daughter of Husayn ibn ‘Alī. Sayyidah Ruqayya Mosque in Damascus The Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque in Damascus. It contains the Shrine of Zaynab bint Ali. Where the Great Umayyed Mosque is about peace and sanctuary, the Sayyida Zainab Mosque is about pilgrimage and intense religious fervour. In a Shia part of town, about 10 kilometres from the centre of Damascus, this beautiful mosque is patronised by many Iranians and Iraqi Shiites. The Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque in Damascus The Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque in Damascus The Great Mosque of Aleppo. It contains the shrine of Zechariah, father of John the Baptist. The Great Mosque of Aleppo. |
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Post by pieter on Aug 4, 2012 14:29:04 GMT -7
The Middle-east, Islam and Arab countries are often bad in the news, due to Islamic infighting between various sects, extremism, islamist terrorism and tensions between European natives and muslim migrants. In that perspective or view we often forget the good things that the Islamic civilization brought, such as wonderful architecture, ornament and mosaic forms, calligraphy, science and words that entered the vocabulary of the Western world and languages.  Damascus west north viewZelij: The art of Moroccan tilesIn the old, walled Moroccan city of Fes, you never have to look far to find examples of the traditional tile art of zelij. Gateways, mosques, courtyards in private homes, public fountains and the walls of Islamic schools are all decorated with these glazed cut tiles.  The great blue gate of Bab Boujloud is covered in intricately carved midnight blue tiles, framing a dramatic entranceway into the medina.    Moroccan tile pattern Arabic calligraphic art in the roof of a mosque |
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Post by karl on Aug 5, 2012 12:48:46 GMT -7
Pieter
Very beautiful indeed so....It is good of you to introduce the various mosques, for in each is a respective beauty that is only to each.
There is one thing that is separation from Christian churches, and that is no pictures/photos or statues, for that would be forbidden.
Perhaps Rabia could elaborate more so.
Karl
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Post by pieter on Aug 5, 2012 13:19:19 GMT -7
Karl, This is not entirely true, because the Shia Muslims carry Jesus like images of their martyrs at their processions.   Islam Shia Imam Husain Holding His Martyr Son Ali Al-Asghar. This colorful Poster depicts picture of Imam Husain holding His 6 month infant in Karbala whom was martyred by his oponents after He asked them to take & give it Water.  A mural in KarbalaThe city Karbala in Iraq is one of the holy cities for Shia Muslims and is one of the centers for the annual celebration of martyr Husayn ibn Ali. It also hosts the Imam Hussein Shrine and is considered sacred. Holy PlaceIn the belief of the Shia, Karbala is supposed to be one of the holiest places on Earth, even though there are etymological roots that suggest that it not only suggest a nearness to God and paradise but also „ the land which will cause many agonies and afflictions“ which unfortunately came true during the 90s, when a Shia rebellion against Hussein caused many deaths and the destruction of wide areas of the city. |
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Post by karl on Aug 5, 2012 14:43:22 GMT -7
Pieter Thank you for introducing a correction to my prior statement, for I do not profess to know every thing. My intrinsic knowledge of Islamic culture is limited to working with others of Islamic. For as with Christianity, so goes similar with Islamic. For the basics of: Sunni and Shiite with some differences between the two and the foundations of their belief's. The following was/is reasons provided to me by some past friendships and people in past I worked with. I was unable to remember most all, so in this case, was to cheat with google for better description. Pieter, I am not arguing, simple better for us to understand a culture so diverse from what we have. It is to use of empirical understanding to see the world through anothers eyes to understand what they see. 1. The mosque is a place for congregational prayer. Islam teaches that congregational prayer reaps greater rewards than solitary prayer. 2. The mosque is free of idols (pictures or statues of "gods" or created beings.) Muslims worship God alone, and may not place in a room where there are idols. 3. The mosque is free of impurities. Muslims must worship in a place that is clean. Read more: wiki.answers.com/Q/How_does_a_mosque_reflects_Muslim_beliefs#ixzz22hzBln5xPieter, what I describe is of experience in Syria and Turkey, I would be out of my depth and with out any qualifications to speak of other countries. For as with people, there will be exceptions such as: A painting would not be acceptable in the Mosque, but a photograph would be, as the reason, the painting is by the hand of man, whilst the photograph would be a machine retention of a reflected image. In of image painting demonstrated out side the Mosque is quite very common. In Syria, {Aleppo}, it is well known of that the ruling party is The Baath party, but, with respect to understanding that position is a rather fragile with predominant Alawite membership. To survive with safety in Aleppo Syria, there needs be the power of religious politics. Aleppo is a commercial business oriented city with many office buildings dedicated to commercial interest. In this manner, it is very important to understand protocol of another in accord with their principals in life, and often this is dictated by their religious sect. In this manner, The order of religion, has certain advantages with out the issue of religious division, and that is Shiite. For it is cross division acceptable with very few closed doors. In this manner, even for as well known as Christian, if to be associated with Shiite, is a very good plus and key to the doors of opportunity. Even though, Sunni is most prominent. Now, the present, who knows what? For the foreign fighters fighting to over throw the government have made a mess of Aleppo and where ever they take the fight. Karl |
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Post by Jaga on Aug 5, 2012 21:18:49 GMT -7
Pieter, thanks for posting beautiful photos of the mosques. Your commentary is very good. We really forget how sophisticated Islam culture is. I was surprised to see Jesus picture by Shia. It looked very Persian  |
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Post by pieter on Aug 6, 2012 1:40:15 GMT -7
Pieter, thanks for posting beautiful photos of the mosques. Your commentary is very good. We really forget how sophisticated Islam culture is. I was surprised to see Jesus picture by Shia. It looked very Persian Jaga, Your words are not far from the truth. The images of Husain, the Shia martyr and Saint looks very simular to our Jesus Christ, but he is another person. Karl is right that with the majority of Muslims, the Sunni's, to portray people is prohibited. That's why geographical abstract mosaic tileworks, architecture and calligraphy is so advanced in the Sunni (and Shia) Muslim world. The Muslim cities, towns and villages are very beautiful, elegant and fairytale like with their kashba's, city walls, castles, pallaces, beautiful gardens and parks, olive trees, buildings with ornaments, fountains, and the colors they use. The Golden domes, the turquoise and Pastel colors next to black and silver and green (the color of Islam). The images of Husain indeed have Persian roots, because the Arab Shia Islam in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq is closely linked to Iran. A lot of the Arab Shia clerics have Persian roots or are actually Iranian, next to the Arab Shia clerics. Rabia has to correct me if I am wrong, but that is what I learned (books, education, encyclopedia and media: "quality press"). Cheers, Pieter |
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Post by pieter on Aug 6, 2012 1:54:40 GMT -7
Pieter Thank you for introducing a correction to my prior statement, for I do not profess to know every thing. My intrinsic knowledge of Islamic culture is limited to working with others of Islamic. For as with Christianity, so goes similar with Islamic. For the basics of: Sunni and Shiite with some differences between the two and the foundations of their belief's. The following was/is reasons provided to me by some past friendships and people in past I worked with. I was unable to remember most all, so in this case, was to cheat with google for better description. Pieter, I am not arguing, simple better for us to understand a culture so diverse from what we have. It is to use of empirical understanding to see the world through anothers eyes to understand what they see. 1. The mosque is a place for congregational prayer. Islam teaches that congregational prayer reaps greater rewards than solitary prayer. 2. The mosque is free of idols (pictures or statues of "gods" or created beings.) Muslims worship God alone, and may not place in a room where there are idols. 3. The mosque is free of impurities. Muslims must worship in a place that is clean. Read more: wiki.answers.com/Q/How_does_a_mosque_reflects_Muslim_beliefs#ixzz22hzBln5xPieter, what I describe is of experience in Syria and Turkey, I would be out of my depth and with out any qualifications to speak of other countries. For as with people, there will be exceptions such as: A painting would not be acceptable in the Mosque, but a photograph would be, as the reason, the painting is by the hand of man, whilst the photograph would be a machine retention of a reflected image. In of image painting demonstrated out side the Mosque is quite very common. In Syria, {Aleppo}, it is well known of that the ruling party is The Baath party, but, with respect to understanding that position is a rather fragile with predominant Alawite membership. To survive with safety in Aleppo Syria, there needs be the power of religious politics. Aleppo is a commercial business oriented city with many office buildings dedicated to commercial interest. In this manner, it is very important to understand protocol of another in accord with their principals in life, and often this is dictated by their religious sect. In this manner, The order of religion, has certain advantages with out the issue of religious division, and that is Shiite. For it is cross division acceptable with very few closed doors. In this manner, even for as well known as Christian, if to be associated with Shiite, is a very good plus and key to the doors of opportunity. Even though, Sunni is most prominent. Now, the present, who knows what? For the foreign fighters fighting to over throw the government have made a mess of Aleppo and where ever they take the fight. Karl Karl, Your words have a truth in them, and you have your experiance which I have to respect. I tried to make this a cultural, religious and artistic thread about Syrian, Arab and Muslim culture. We are outsiders in Syria, and my only concern is the suffering, safety and destruction which concerns Syria and it's citizens. I don't take sides, because I am not involved in the struggle. I am a bystander who watches from a safe distance the terrible distruction of a beautiful country and the torture, death and suffering of people of all sects in Syria. Inside and outside powers want to make a sectarian war of this, but before this conflict people of all sects could get along. I don't want to trivialize or excuse the dictatorship of the Syrian regime and it's role in the Lebanese civil war. But in the arab world all parties and sects have some guilt, because there were and are no real democracies in the arab world. And thus both sides in the conflict are supported by despotic and dictatorial regimes. I understand that the Sunni population and others are opressed in Syria, but in the same time understand the fear and agony of Allawites, Christians and Druze who are one the other side, and who fear retaliation. And don't count out the Sunni supporters of the Assad regime. Most leading figures of the Free Syrian Army are themselves former Baath party generals, mayors, colonels and other leading people. The situation is not black and white. Fact is the Syrian civilians are targeted by the Syrian armed forces, the Assad militia, the Free Syrian Army and the Salafist Jihadist fractions. We have to imagine the situation of the ordinairy Syrian civilians who did not take sides, and who are crushed or stuck between the two sides who are engaged in heavy battle. A million Syrians are on the run inside Syria and hundreds of thousands or tens of thousands have fled to Turkey, Jordan and Iraq. Cheers, Pieter |
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Post by pieter on Aug 6, 2012 13:38:13 GMT -7
 Building the Prophet’s Mosque in MedinaThe Muslim belief is that the locations of many mosques were selected by divine intervention. They believe the Godly decision was accurate and clear, no human interpretations were needed. It was written in divine and prophetic books. The last place that was built was the Prophet’s Mosque.english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/08/06/230739.html |
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Post by kaima on Aug 6, 2012 17:30:00 GMT -7
A mural in KarbalaThe city Karbala in Iraq is one of the holy cities for Shia Muslims and is one of the centers for the annual celebration of martyr Husayn ibn Ali. It also hosts the Imam Hussein Shrine and is considered sacred. . I am surprised to see the human image in a mural. As I understand the beautiful geometric graphics (and the advanced development of algebra and geometry in Old Arabia?) were developed because uses of human images was forbidden. Perhaps this is due to some current and historical nations being more liberal in their interpretations.... |
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Post by pieter on Aug 8, 2012 15:34:42 GMT -7
A mural in KarbalaThe city Karbala in Iraq is one of the holy cities for Shia Muslims and is one of the centers for the annual celebration of martyr Husayn ibn Ali. It also hosts the Imam Hussein Shrine and is considered sacred. . I am surprised to see the human image in a mural. As I understand the beautiful geometric graphics (and the advanced development of algebra and geometry in Old Arabia?) were developed because uses of human images was forbidden. Perhaps this is due to some current and historical nations being more liberal in their interpretations.... Kaima, You might be true, but in the same time I do believe that both in the Sunni and Shia muslim world you have more conservative, orthodox or fundamentalist views and others have more moderate, liberal or secularist views. Rabia, coming from the Middle east maybe knows more about this. I have the impression that she is a Sunni Muslim, and in Sunni Islam uses of human images was forbidden like you say. Only Shia Islam has drawn or painted images of human beings in the sense of art and cultural religious use (pilgrimages and illustrations). Cheers, Pieter |
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Post by pieter on Aug 19, 2012 9:26:40 GMT -7
 Shrine of John the Baptist in the the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. John is regarded as a prophet in Christianity, Islam, the Bahá'í Faith, and Mandaeism. Sayyeda Zeinab Mosque in Damascus – Syria Selimiye Mosque in Edirne - Turkey (exterior) Selimiye Mosque in Edirne - Turkey (dome) |
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