Orientation of Christian Architecture (Churches) Versus Islamic Architecture(Mosques) in East Asia, Research Paper Example

Introduction

This paper examines religious places of worship throughout the world.  It considers how the original designers looked at the architectural features when looking at the sites for alters or prayer rooms.  The paramountcy of this concern in both Islamic and Christian societies as opposed to lesser regard in other world religions.  Within the framework of the Islamic religion we will consider the importance and significance of Mecca when building mosques.  Equally the concept of the “cross” shape in Christian churches and why these faced East towards Jerusalem. The roots between Christianity and Islam can be examined and how these have departed to current day considerations.

The importance of understanding these architectural considerations goes some way towards understanding the basis of each religious concept and the need for tolerance in a multi-cultural and ultimately global society.  How best might the religions of Christianity and Islam peacefully co-exist within the global community ?   The paper focuses on why these architectural considerations were important from both a historic perspective and in modern society today.  The potential for alignment with other world religions and peaceful co-existence.  Does science recognise this importance and indeed is it even relevant to a progressively modern technological world ?

The Design of Islamic Mosques

Mosques are the main temples of worship for all followers of the Islamic faith, termed Muslims.  The original Mosque was first constructed in Saudi Arabia in a place called Medina. The wall of this courtyard mosque was where worshippers conducted payers and it faced towards Mecca the holy capital.  This is called the qibla wall[1] and the remaining walls were protected by shallow arcades.  This basic design has become the main or standard design for Mosques throughout the Islamic World.  The Mosques serve as a number of important social functions and not dedicated purely to that of worship and prayer, for example they are both social and political centres, they may serve as schools, libraries, hospitals or community centres. Prayers take place 5 times per day and it is important that the person praying faces Mecca[2]

The new face of Islam has produced some remarkable architectural designs for Mosques. A splendid example being the Assyafaah Mosque in Singapore. “The main prayer hall as well as the women’s gallery is naturally ventilated. The ground floor is raised above the existing ground level to facilitate better wind flow to the prayer hall which is open on three sides. Even the basement is designed with a 25% natural ventilation that exempts it from mechanical means of ventilation as well a sprinkler system. This results in capital savings as well as reduction in energy usage”  (Anon).  Things are changing in mainstream Islamic Society and perhaps one of the best examples is that of the  Sakirin Mosque in Istambul Turkey. What is more remarkable is that this was designed by a female architect Zeynep Fadilliogue who has managed to design a contemporary mosque using classic islamic features.  Even more remarkable considering this is the famed home of the ancient Blue Mosque.[3] ” I think I don’t know of any other person—a woman—who has designed a mosque before,” Fadillioglu says. Tall and fashionably dressed, with long blond hair, Fadillioglu is better known in Turkey as a figure from the country’s cocktail-sipping jet set. She made a career decorating restaurants, boutique hotels and homes for the very wealthy.”  (Elgrably)

The Sultan Hamet or Blue Mosque in Istambul is of classic Byzantine style architecture and regards as perhaps the best exhibit of its kind in the world.  Of particular importance today as Istambul and Turkey are where East faces West and Christianity faces Islam.  The potential entry of Turkey into the European Union in 2015 is perhaps acknowledgement of two converging religions in a global world which historically have been set apart.  Like all of the great Mosques the prayer room of the Blue Mosque faces Mecca.  Of particular note in the Architecture is that the Blue Mosque contained 6 Minarets[4].  This caused a stir at the time as the holiest shrine in Mecca had a similar amount. ” Whatever the origins of the unique feature, the six minarets caused quite a scandal, as the Haram Mosque in Mecca (the holiest in the world) also had six minarets. In the end, the sultan solved the problem by sending his architect to Mecca to add a seventh minaret”.  (Hayes).

Islam believes that there is but one God Allah and that he has a prophet Muhammad.  It is based upon 5 pillars of obedience.  Abraham of the Old Testament is believed to be an Islamic prophet. Equally Jesus of Christian faith is similarly elevated in Islamic religion. The key distinction being that  in Christianity Jesus Christ is considered to be the son of God or the manifestation of God on Earth.  ” I am the Father, I am the Son”.  Both religions believe in the concept of one supreme being or universal creator.

“In Islam Muslims must pray towards the Kaba in Mecca and the sacred direction or qibla.” (Bonine)

Architectural History in Korea and Japan

The first verifiable times of Islamic culture in Korea dates back to the Ninth Century. Most of the Islamic population is based around the Capital Seoul and comprised of immigrant workers to South Korea.  It is estimated that there are 200,000 immigrant workers in Seoul mainly from Middle Eastern Countries.  Other areas have included Bangladesh and Pakistan. Most of these looking to earn high wages in the lucrative South Korean economy.  In the last 50 years, particularly since the end of the Korean War the Islamic population has greatly increased.

Korea – Seoul Central Mosque, Busan Masjid

“It was not until the 1970s, when South Korea’s economic ties with many Middle Eastern countries became prominent, that interest in Islam began to rise again. Some Koreans working in Saudi Arabia converted to Islam; when they completed their term of labour and returned to Korea, they bolstered the number of indigenous Muslims. The Seoul Central Mosque was finally built in Seoul’s Itaewon neighbourhood in 1976. Today there are also mosques in Busan, Anyang, Gwangju, Jeonju and Daegu. According to Lee Hee-Soo (Yi Hui-su), president of the Korea Islam Institute” (Kenitra)

Japan – Tokyo Camii, Yokohama Masjid

There are about a dozen mosques located in the Kanto district of Tokyo and home to a large muslim community.  The Tokyo Camil  Mosques was  eestablished in 1938 it was the first permanent mosque in Tokyo, and the second in Japan as a whole. The original structure was demolished in 1986, but the mosque reopened in 2000 with Turkish government support. It serves a diverse community of worshippers. Including many migrant workers from Turkey and the Middle East. Many of these following the trading routes and jobs in the shipping industry.

Masjid Yokohama has been opened for prayers since 29th Dec 2006. It is not a very inspiring building from an architectural viewpoint and is constructed in a heavily built up and congested area. It does not have the typically great features contained in many of the Tokyo mosques. This is probably due to the fact that it was built to support the poorer islamic migrant worker as opposed to the more affluent traders that took up residence in the Kanto district of Tokyo.

The building is of a very plain design and simple construction and may best be described as more of a prayer hall than serving any other purposes that mosques are more formally noted for.  This mosque does not contain a dome or any of the impressive minarets as depicted in the Tokyo mosque above.

The Design of Christian Churches

Early Christian churches  in Armenia were built upon the sites of pagan temples. The  architectural design being of the Greco-Roman styles.   These typically observed by the series  of vertical lines running up the columnar pillars. The temple of Garni being a specific  example of his type of  place of worship  that existed throughout Armenia before the advent of Christianity.

Another sect was the Mennonites which dated around 1520 in Zurich, Switzerland.  These early settlers had little concept of architecture  as they were of Germanic origin used to being farmsteaders and living in caves or farm dwellings. The building were of pure simple rectangle structure and compared in similarity  to the Quaker meeting houses.  In addition to worship they formed more practical purposes such as meeting places for the community.

The splendour in Christian Church architecture is best demonstrated in the many catholic churches throughout the world.  Architects had a number of goals in mind when constructing these churches.  (i) They had to inspire the worshipper with awe and a sense of the power of god.  Hence the reason for height with steeples stretching into the heavens. (ii) They had to represent the fear of god – perhaps gothic churches portrayed this better than others with the gargoyles, sculptures depicting scenes from hell and the afterlife.  (iii)  They had to contain the appropriate atmosphere for worship with huge cathedral ceilings, long walkways to the alters, quiet places and wings for contemplation and prayer.  Churches were also constructed on high ground and often on hills.  This being to give them prominence in the community and to be seen as high on the community agenda ” One historic term for the church building is “city on a hill.” This refers not only to the preferred location of our churches on high places, but also less literally as occupying a place of prominence in the community.”  (Rose)

Most of the large churches or cathedrals in Europe were constructed in the form of a cross, with the longer axis of the cross aligned east-west. The main altar is normally at the eastern end of the church, frequently under a large, stained-glass window, and the entrance is either at the western end or through one of the two, shorter, north-south arms of the cross. The significance of the cross being that of Christ’s crucifixion on the cross and the alter facing East towards Jerusalem being symbolic of the resurrection of Christ which gives ultimate meaning to the Christian faith. There is life after death through Jesus Christ the Redeemer.

The Gothic Cathedral at Chartres in France is full of symbolism and the visitor is greeted with scenes of the apocalypse and days of judgement. ” A visitor entering the cathedral is immediately confronted with ‘The Last Judgment’ that is displayed at the tympanum (mural) above the entrance. In the tympanum Jesus is displayed surrounded by the four beasts of the Apocalypse. These four beasts are mentioned in John’s Revelations and have been equated with the four apostles of the four canonical books of the bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The four beasts of the Apocalypse have an astrological significance. The beast with the human face correlates with Aquarius (Matthew), the lion with Leo (Mark), the ox with Taurus (Luke) and the eagle with Aquila (John). The zodiac sign Aquila is often replaced by the zodiac sign Scorpio in ancient zodiacs.”  (Wicherink)[5].

The Gothic cathedral architecture originated in France in the early 12th century.   This was at the time of the sect known as the Knights Templar who were considered to be soldiers of Christ.  These with an additional order called the Temple of Solomon were formed to protect the journeys and rights of pilgrims going to Jerusalem.  The original grouping of nine knights became the richest and most influential groups in history.  During the time of the crusades they collected great treasures and used these to build the Gothic architecture and great Cathedrals of Europe.

Korea – Modern (Gothic): Myeongdong

The oldest gothic cathedral in career and a masterpiece in architectural terms. ” Built in the shape of a Latin cross, the cathedral follows all the basics of Gothic construction — OK, it’s not Chartres Cathedral or St. Patrick’s Cathedral, but for a Korean church, it’s fairly ornate, especially the bell tower. Judging from its liturgical east end — see the last photo above — it appears to follow the French model, with a high vaulted apse and an ambulatory. The massive bell tower is 46.7m tall — for a while, it was one of the biggest and tallest buildings in Seoul, built atop one of the highest spots in the city.”  (Koehler)

Japan – Modern: Church of Light by Tadaao Ando

“Christianity was first introduced to southern Japan in the mid-16th century by the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier, a name well known even today. It was generally tolerated for half a century and was even embraced by several daimyo (barons) and national leaders such as Oda Nobunaga and Toyot Christianity was first introduced to southern Japan in the mid-16th century by the Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier, a name well known even today. It was generally tolerated for half a century and was even embraced by several daimyo (barons) and national leaders such as Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The number of Christians grew to some 300,000. But the missionaries, along with Catholic Portuguese and Protestant Dutch and English traders, became embroiled in the power struggles of the timeomi Hideyoshi. The number of Christians grew to some 300,000. But the missionaries, along with Catholic Portuguese and Protestant Dutch and English traders, became embroiled in the power struggles of the time “(Anon, Japan Zone)

Works Cited

Anon. Architecture Design. 18 3 2008. 7 12 2009 <http://www.nikiomahe.com/architecture-design/assyafaah-mosque-singapore/>.

—. Japan Zone. 2009. 7 12 2009 <http://www.japan-zone.com/omnibus/other_religion.shtml>.

Bonine, Michael F. The Sacred Direction and City Structure. 2008. 7 12 2009 <http://www.4shared.com/file/167570877/fd8d9c25/Orientations_of_Mosques.html>.

Elgrably, Jordan. Women Design New Istanbul Mosque, a First in the Muslim World. 1 11 2009. 7 12 2009 <http://www.levantinecenter.org/levantine-review/articles/women-design-new-istanbul-mosque-first-muslim-world>.

Hayes, Hoilly. Sacred Destinations. 18 10 2009. 7 12 2009 <http://www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/istanbul-blue-mosque>.

Kenitra, Ouled. Kenitras Photopage. 2008. 7 12 2009 <http://kenitra1975.fotopages.com/?entry=1193815>.

Koehler, Robert. Myeong-dong Cathedral. 5 1 2009. 7 12 2009 <http://www.rjkoehler.com/2009/01/05/myeong-dong-cathedral/>.

Rose, Michael S. A City Set on a Hill. 2009. 7 12 2009 <http://www.dellachiesa.com/-/article?a=design-cityhill>.

Wicherink, Jan. The mystery of the Gothic cathedrals. 2009. 7 12 2009 <http://www.soulsofdistortion.nl/The%20mystery%20of%20the%20Cathedrals.html>.

[1] One of the four walls in a Mosque that faces towards the Holy City of Mecca  and birthplace of the prophet Muhammad.

[2] Mecca is the birthplace of Muhammad, founder of Islam, and is the most sacred of city in Islam. According to Islamic tradition, Muslims around the world must face Mecca during their daily prayers.

[3] During the rule of Ahmed I, Sultan Ahmed mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 CE. Designed by architect Sedefkar Mehmet Aga, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque is considered to be the last example of classical Ottoman architecture.

[4]  Towers in the Mosque that are used to call worshippers to prayer.

[5]  The astrological alignments believed to be references to the great celestial alignment of 2012 and the end of days.