Colombo Masjid | 10 Unique Masjids from South Asia

10 Interesting And Unique Masjids From South Asia

We know that a masjid is a place dedicated to Allah’s worship. In South Asia, masjids have existed for centuries. In fact, Masjids from South Asia have evolved in style and architecture over the course of time. We can find traits such as elaborate domes, minarets, and prayer halls in varying styles of architecture in masjids from South Asia.

Masjids from South Asia bring together different cultural and artistic forms of expression. South Asia itself is the lace where Arabian, Persian and Turkish culture met indigenous forms of expression. This makes masjids from South Asia masterpieces of not just architectural but also artistic and structural beauty.

In this roundup, we have put together 10 unique masjids from South Asia.  Continue reading “10 Interesting And Unique Masjids From South Asia”

Jama Masjid, Delhi (India)

20 Amazing Masjids Built During The Mughal Empire

Mughal Empire was one of the most powerful entities of its days. At its peak, the Mughal Empire encompassed nearly the whole of South Asia, including majority of present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, as well as certain parts of Afghanistan, among others.

The Mughals, however, were not just a politically powerful ruling class. Instead, the Empire saw great progress and growth in all spheres, including culture, social life, as well as artistic and architectural developments. After all, who can forget the Taj Mahal, which has become famous as the symbol of love?  Continue reading “20 Amazing Masjids Built During The Mughal Empire”

Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Masjid, Putrajaya (Malaysia)

13 Masjids That Are Surrounded By Water

Apart from serving as places of worship, masjids also represent our cultural heritage and unique style of Islamic architecture. There are several magnificent and marvelous masjids around the world, but what about masjids that are surrounded by water?

In this post, we have put together some amazing, heart-capturing masjids that are surrounded by water. 🙂  Continue reading “13 Masjids That Are Surrounded By Water”

taj-mahal

The Legacy of Islamic Architecture in India

Islamic architecture can be seen all around the world. India is one such country where Islamic art and architecture is indeed very prominent.

Often, in foreign discourses, the discussion about Islamic architecture in India is confined to Taj Mahal at Agra and the Jama Masjid of Delhi. However, there is much more to it: be it the northern part of the country, or the coastal areas of the south, or the Deccan plateau region in central India, Islamic architectural marvels are present everywhere.  Continue reading “The Legacy of Islamic Architecture in India”

Giralda

Remembering The Masjids of Spain

For several centuries, Spain was under Muslim rule, and this left a significant mark on Spanish culture, art and architecture which can be seen even to this day. In fact, Spanish way of life and cultural thought attained maturity only under the guidance of Islam.

However, after the Christians occupied Spain, there embarked an era of social, political and cultural genocide. Spanish Muslims were expelled from their homeland, or forcibly converted, or killed. Several buildings, especially masjids, were either demolished or converted into churches and cathedrals.

In this post, I take a look at five such masjids — ironically, these masjids survived only because they were converted or transformed into churches. Once again, this roundup is just a small testimony of all that we, as Muslims, have lost.  Continue reading “Remembering The Masjids of Spain”

Moscow Cathedral Masjid, Moscow

5 Masjids That Were Destroyed By Extremists

Over the course of years, several masjids have been converted or transformed into churches, museums, etc. Even worse, many a times, masjids have been martyred or destroyed by extremists and terrorists.

Of course, the media is often quick to ignore and even quicker to forget such actions against our masjids. This post mentions five masjids that were martyred or destroyed by extremist outfits. Each of these masjids was an architectural marvel and a symbol of great Islamic cultural heritage.  Continue reading “5 Masjids That Were Destroyed By Extremists”