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Title
Abstract
Key Takeaways
Introduction
Journal of Material Cultures in the Muslim
Conclusion
References
All Topics
Art
Architecture

Drawing the Isolated Mosque

Profile image of Ziad JamaleddineZiad Jamaleddine

2024, Journal of Material Cultures in the Muslim World

https://doi.org/10.1163/26666286-12340046
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22 pages

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Abstract

From the early-nineteenth century onwards, Orientalist visual constructs heavily shaped European depictions and analyses of mosque architecture. Over time, these representations shifted from the Orientalist exoticized scenographic model to the “scientific” language of the orthographic drawing. This article analyzes that process, tracing the evolution of a series of published plan drawings for five historical mosques. Unpacking their authors’ drafting techniques and examining the relationship between the isolation of the drawing and the understanding of the mosque as a timeless monument highlights the gaps of knowledge reproduced within the canonical texts of Islamic architecture and their disciplinary impact.

Key takeaways
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  1. The article critiques how Orientalist constructs shaped Western mosque representation, leading to the isolation of mosques in architectural drawings.
  2. It identifies five historical mosques as case studies to illustrate the abstraction in their architectural plans over time.
  3. The shift from exoticized imagery to technical abstraction led to the representation of mosques as timeless monuments.
  4. The analysis reveals how diagrammatic drawings obscured mosques' historical contexts and urban relationships.
  5. Essentialism in mosque drawings facilitated a singular narrative, diminishing the dynamic social function of these structures.

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