Faisal Mosque in Pakistan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Faisal Mosque in Pakistan - Research Paper Example The mosque was built as an attribution to the late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Its symbolism was based on the fact that it was to portray the hopes and aspiration of Pakistani people (Archnet Digital Library, â€Å"Faisal Mosque†). According to Serageldin, the Muslim culture values the symbolic portray of the architectural building. Some of the most important symbolic structures in Muslim architecture include the minaret, dome, gateway and mihrab. These parts communicate a message to everybody, Muslims or non-Muslims. Vedat Dalokay implemented this symbolic meaning into the Faisal Mosque and, that is why it has become a landmark. According to Mandour, Islamic culture includes art, design, education, science, religion and sport, which has a specific meaning. The design architecture by Vedat Dalokay symbolized and implemented art, beliefs, values and customs in the Pakistani people. The architecture of the mosque was based on a new design that was not related to the usual and t raditional mosques that had been previously built. As a tribute to King Faisal, it was to have a unique architecture and that was why Vedat Dalokay was chosen to make it a state of the art construction. Some of its characteristics were that it was looking like a desert tent where its height was approximately 40 m, and it had girders that supported its concrete walls. The surface was pure white, and its interior design was decorated with mosaic designs and a Turkish chandelier that was strategically placed by its architect, Vedat Dalokay. Its space was big to accommodate a total of 10,000 worshippers in the main prayer hall, and it had four minarets, each measuring approximately 90 m, and they were slender and sharply pointed. Lastly, it was a people’s mosque, meaning it was a contribution to the people of Pakistan by King Faisal, and thus it also accommodated the mausoleum of General Zia-ul-Haq, who was the President of Pakistan from 1978 to 1988 (Archnet Digital Library, â⠂¬Å"Faisal Mosque†). Thesis Architecture is one of the most prestigious arts that can be portrayed in form of a structure. The King Faisal Mosque is one of the best-designed mosques in Pakistan and in the world. This research paper will seek to analyze the architecture of the Faisal Mosque, its symbolism, the color of the mosque and its design and some of the quotes from the founding architect Vedat Dalokay. The paper will also seek to discuss the possible symbolism of the mosque and its historical and cultural concept. Analysis of the design Dalokay was a great architect whose designs were based on the 20th century designs. The mosque's architecture is modern and unique. The mosque was also constructed with the twist of Turkish design as well as Islamic designs. The modern mosque lacked the traditional dome shapes design, as compared to other mosques that are located in the world. The traditional shapes for the olden mosques were related to the historical religious designs th at were dated back then to the olden days of the Islamic culture. The mosque’s design also includes a triangular prayer hall that can hold up to 10,000 people, and in addition to that, it has four minarets that depict the classical shapes of modern architecture. The minarets are also said to have been designed with regard to the Turkish tradition because they are sharp-pointed. It has an eight-sided shape, which was inspired by the famous desert Beduoin's tent and the cubic Kaaba in Mecca and whose architect was Vedat Dalokay, according to Rengel. Speaking to students, the architect, Vedat Dalokay later explained his acute and unique architectural design to design school students commenting that: I tried to capture the spirit, proportion and geometry of Ka'aba in a purely abstract manner. Imagine