Syncretism+and+Architecture

__Syncretism in Architecture __



This mosque in Alexandria demonstrates the typical structure that one would expect of Middle Eastern Mosque. It has the domes and it has the geometric designs that one would expect to see. Also the crescents are visible. The coloring is different, this is due to Muslims assimilating to style of architecture.



The mosque of Pakistan has domes and towers similar to the ones in Alexandria.

This Mosque is the epitome of syncretism in the Islamic World. Here we have a historic church built originally by the Visigoths. After the Moors conquered Spain, they purchased this church and converted it into a grand mosque. During the reign of the Moors, this Grand Mosque was the heart and center of the Muslim state in Spain, Al-Andalus. Elements of both Christianity and Islam are still evident in the mosque to this day, such as cathedral bells and a direction for the Qibla (towards Mecca) on one of the walls. Its architecture also combined Moorish and European elements that each portrayed the enormous influence both factions had on architecture during the time. This mosque from Timbuktu prodvides another example of syncretism. The material that was used to build this place of worship is beaten clay, a technique that was pioneered by the architect Ishak al-Sahili, a Muslim from Spain.