Churches and mosques PDF

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Both churches and mosques are a place of worship and prayer and yet there are many distinct characteristics that set them apart. The most significant difference is their form and function surrounding varying religious practices. The church is structured for Christian practices whereas mosques reflect a connection to Islamic traditions. Churches became known as the house of God and under the reign of Emperor Justinian, the styles of prayer directly impacted the church’s structural elements. The church's interior is influenced by Christian practices that call for a larger more elaborate space to enact prayers and rituals. Its long nave and different ends of the building sectioned off for religious personnel. The narthex or entrance at the west end reserved for penitents and unbaptized believers in the earliest built churches. Later in history, the floor plan of churches was enhanced to add a transept, perpendicular to the nave to create a Latin cross structure in alignment with the catholic religion. There is a distinct flow from the entrance, through the nave, leading to the altar in which the main ceremonies and rituals are held. While the church floor plan is more rigid and structured, mosques are found to be a more open-ended space for prayer. With people seated in rows facing the altar for prayer in churches, Islamic prayer is much different. Muslims pray five times a day, facing Mecca, in a practice called Salat. The architectural piece in Mosques to represent this is the mihrab which is a niche in the wall of a mosque where Muslims face to conduct prayer as it is the closest point to Mecca. Unlike churches, mosques do not hold seating or altars for prayer, rather all ceremonies and prayer rituals happen on the floor as a collective group. In addition, unlike the rigid Latin-cross plan found in churches, mosques have distinct structures that make it unique to its religion of Islam. One notable aspect of mosques is the minaret or tower where the call to prayer is announced. Another fundamental necessity to mosque architecture would be the sahn, or courtyard usually one that holds a fountain for Muslims to perform a ritual cleansing. Besides these structural pieces is the qubba or dome. Most mosques have one or more domes, and while it doesn’t hold any ceremonial significance it does represent the vault of heaven. It is the interior decoration of the qubba that points to its symbolic nature. Other than the difference in structure and religious rituals are the art pieces found inside each structure. In the interior of Qubbas are intricate geometric and colorful designs whereas churches are illuminated by religious figures and paintings. Churches and mosques have their structural and artistic distinctions as the unique architectural style of each structure is designed to fit its specific religious function....