Using Geography to Teach Masjid (Mosque) Architecture Wendy Harris (with Carrie Block and Lawrence DeMarchi)

Transcription

1 Using Geography to Teach Masjid (Mosque) Architecture Wendy Harris (with Carrie Block and Lawrence DeMarchi) Essential Question: How has geography affected masjid construction around the world? Objective: Students will identify how masjids are the same and determine geographical nuances depending on climate, culture, and resources. Standards: Geography: Students will locate and describe major physical features and analyze how they influenced cultures/civilizations studied. Historical Skills: Students will identify, describe, and extract information from various types of historical sources, both primary and secondary. World History: Students will describe and compare major religious systems and practices. Prior knowledge: 5 pillars of Islam including salat (and that it is five times each day) How to find locations using latitude and longitude Materials needed: Pictures of the nine masjids laminated (optional) and labeled Cards with longitude and latitude and prayer times for the mystery cities (information provided below) Material for building masjids provided by teacher Rubric (up to individual teacher to tweak did not include) Time Frame: 1-2 days Procedure: 1. Divide class into ten small groups. Give each class one clue card with coordinates and prayer times. Students should use atlases to determine which city fits their information. You may need to review the names/times of the prayers: : from dawn to sunrise : from moments after the zenith (sun s highest point during the day) to mid-afternoon : from mid-afternoon to before sunset : from sunset to the end of twilight : from end of twilight to midnight 2. Post photos of masjids on the board or have several copies available in the classroom. Once the students have located the city, they should use geographic information from the key of the atlas try to determine which masjid (photo) is from their city. Encourage students to use clues such as climate, architectural style, cultural evidence, or resources used to build the masjid to help identify the correct match. Alternative approach: Give the small groups all the geographic information and have them try to match all the cities with the photos.

2 3. Conduct a class discussion in which students explain their reasoning. Highlight aspects of climate that would that would affect masjid architecture. Possible discussion points: Have students look at the different prayer times. Discuss with them the difference of a city closer to the equator and one farther north or south and how that would affect prayer times. How does climate affect the actual masjid? Does it have a steep roof for areas that it rains or snows a lot? Why would that be important? Examine the material used in the different masjids, what does that tell you about local resources? What types of clues in the picture helped you decide in what region the masjid was located? For example, palm trees would be somewhere tropical, snow in the picture would be somewhere farther from the equator, land that had been submerged in water after a tsunami would be a coastal region or island possibly tropical. Since the early years of Islam, masjids had the qibla (facing the direction of Mecca). What skills would Muslims rely on to achieve this as the masjids were built farther away from the city? The Great Mosque in Xi an is at a major stopping point along the Silk Trade Route. Why do you suppose that masjid was built there? Expansion: If you desire/have time, you can also use YouTube to find adhans from each country to compare. 4. Have students brainstorm what architectural elements they think are required for a masjid. (You may choose to focus on purpose-built masjid or to include masjids that were originally built for other purposes, as is the case for most US masjids.) 5. Review/teach key vocabulary related to masjid architecture. Minaret and adhan Qibla and mihrab Minbar and khutba Makhaslah and wudu You can use the virtual tour of the Suleymaniye Mosque as a visual Have students draw a basic diagram of the inside of a masjid and label the important parts using the vocabulary. Possible expansion: Discuss elements of classical masjid architecture such as the representation of heavenly, angelic, and earthly realms. You may also discuss the common physical separation of men and women (for example by balconies, separate rooms, or curtains) and other religions which also separate men and women (especially Judaism). Summative assessment: Students will either develop a design (demonstrated through a model, drawing, architect s plans, or written description) of the type of masjid that would be feasible for either their hometown, or a location of their choice. They must include the required elements of a masjid and consider cultural influences, climate, resources, and/or local artisans in their designs.

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4 Activity answers (and links to photos) 1. G - Cordoba, Spain 2. C - Istanbul, Turkey 3. A - Sofia, Bulgaria file/msofia1.jpg 4. F - Jakarta, Indonesia 5. J - Delhi, India (search Delhi ) 6. B - Makkah, Saudi Arabia 7. D - Timbuktu, Mali 8. I - Washington, DC, USA 9. E - Beijing, China (actually in Xian) H - Minneapolis, USA

5 Location #1 Latitude: N 37deg 52.98min Qibla: 100:18:10 E (From N) Longitude: W 4deg 46min Friday July 16, 2010 (4 Sha ban 1431) 5:19 7:09 2:25 6:18 9:40 11:30 Location #2 Latitude: N 41deg 1.1min Longitude: E 28deg 57.87min Qibla: 151:36:22 E (From N) Friday July 16, 2010 (4 Sha ban 1431) 3:45 5:45 1:10 5:09 8:35 10:35 Location #3 Latitude: N 42deg 40.98min Qibla: 141:50:20 E (From N) Longitude: E 23deg 19min Friday July 16, 2010 (4 Sha ban 1431) 3:55 6:03 1:33 5:35 9:02 11:09 Location #4 Latitude: S 6deg 10.45min Qibla: 64:51:17 W (From N) Longitude: E 106deg 49.75min Saturday July 17, 2010 (5 Sha ban 1431) 4:51 6:05 11:59 3:21 5:53 7:07

6 Location #5 Latitude: N 28deg 40min Longitude: E 77deg 13min Qibla: 93:28:22 W (From N) Saturday July 17, 2010 (5 Sha ban 1431) 4:02 5:33 12:27 4:00 7:21 8:52 Location #6 Latitude: N 21deg 25.6min Qibla: 145:4:33 W (From N) Longitude: E 39deg 49.55min Saturday July 17, 2010 (5 Sha ban 1431) 4:24 5:47 12:27 3:41 7:06 8:29 Location #7 Latitude: N 16deg 46min Longitude: W 3deg 1min Qibla: 76:25:37 E (From N) Friday July 16, 2010 (4 Sha ban 1431) 4:27 5:47 12:18 3:38 6:49 8:09 Location #8 Latitude: N 38deg 53.7min Longitude: W 77deg 2.2min Qibla: 56:33:47 E (From N) Friday July 16, 2010 (4 Sha ban 1431) 4:03 5:56 1:14 5:09 8:32 10:25

7 Location #9 Latitude: N 39deg 55.73min Qibla: 81:7:55 W (From N) Longitude: E 116deg 23.28min Saturday July 17, 2010 (5 Sha ban 1431) 3:02 4:59 12:20 4:17 7:42 9:38 Location #10 Latitude: N 44deg 58.8min Longitude: W 93deg 15.8min Qibla: 43:50:39 E (From N) Friday, July 16, 2010 (4 Sha ban 1431) 3:22 5:42 1:19 5:25 8:56 11:15

8 C G

9 A F

10 J B

11 I D.

12 E H