During the last 10 nights of Ramadan, many Muslims spend more time in Mosques in contemplation & prayer.
Mosque ceilings are designed to reflect the magnificence of the universe.
For Ramadan, here are spectacular details of 24 Mosque ceilings from around the world…
A thread…
1/ The ceiling of Shah Mosque in Tehran, Iran
Built to the order of Fath-Ali Shah Qajar of Persia during the Qajar period, as one of several such symbols of legitimacy for the new dynasty. Construction started in 1810 & completed in 1825 #Ramadan
2/ The ceiling of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Naqsh-i Jahan Square, Esfahan, Iran
Construction of the mosque started in 1603 & finished in 1619. Built by the chief architect Mohammadreza Isfahani, during the reign of Shah Abbas I of Persia. Beautiful interior dome details #Ramadan
3/ The ceiling of Al-Askari Mosque, Samarra, Salah al-Din Governorate, Northern Iraq
Built in 944 it is a Shia Muslim mosque & mausoleum in the Iraqi city of Samarra 125 km from Baghdad. It is one of the most important Shia shrines in the world & is decorated in tiles #Ramadan
4/ The ceiling of Jami Mosque, Andijan, Uzbekistan
Construction of the madrasah began in 1883 & lasted 7 years. It has fretwork of wooden columns supporting a ceiling decorated with bright patterns made of a combination of geometrical ornaments & vegetal elements #Ramadan
The 14th-century mosque is still in use today. It was first built under Ala'oddoleh Garshasb of the Al-e Bouyeh dynasty. It was largely rebuilt between 1324 & 1365. The ceiling was built like a porch in the heart of the desert #Ramadan
7/ The ceiling of Tokyo Mosque, (東京ジャーミイ), Ōyama-chō district of Shibuya ward in Tokyo, Japan
The largest mosque in Japan. Originally built in 1938 the current building was completed in 2000. It was designed by Hilmi Senalp in Ottoman architecture style #Ramadan
8/ The ceiling of Bolo Haouz Mosque, Bukhara, Uzbekistan
Built in 1712, on the opposite side of the citadel of Ark in Registan district. Thin columns made of painted wood were added to the frontal part of the iwan (entrance) in 1917 #Ramadan
9/ The ceiling of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem, Palestine
In the Old City of Jerusalem, the 3rd holiest site in Islam. It was built on top of the Temple Mount, known as the Al Aqsa Compound or Haram esh-Sharif in Islam, several decades after Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) death #Ramadan
10/ The ceiling of Nasir Al Mulk, Shiraz, Iran
Built during the Qajar dynasty in 1876 by the order of Mirza Hassan Ali Nasir-ol-Mulk, and was completed in 1888. The designers were Mohammad Hasan-e-Memār, Mohammad Hosseini Shirazi, and Mohammad Rezā Kāshi-Sāz-e-Širāzi #Ramadan
11/ The ceiling of Wazir Khan Mosque, Lahore, Pakistan
Built in 1641 it is considered the most ornately decorated Mughal-era mosque renowned for its intricate faience tile work known as kashi-kari & its interior surfaces that are embellished with Mughal-era frescoes #Ramadan
12/ The ceiling of Hafez Tomb, Shiraz, Iran
Built in 1773 in memory of the celebrated Persian poet Hafez. The open pavilion structures are situated in the Musalla Gardens on the north bank of a seasonal river and house the marble tomb of Hafez #Ramadan
13’ The ceiling of Badshahi Mosque, Pakistan
Built by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb between 1671 & 1673 it was the largest mosque in the world from 1673 to 1986. A great example of Mughal architecture with an exterior decorated with carved red sandstone & marble inlay #Ramadan
14/ The ceiling of a Mosque, near Erbil Citadel, Iraq
Multicoloured ceiling with verses written from the Qur’an #Ramadan
15/ The ceiling of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
The largest mosque in the country, it was constructed between 1994 & 2007. The project was launched by the late president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan #Ramadan
16/ The ceiling of Tila Kari, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Commissioned a decade after the adjacent Shir Dar madrasa (1619-1636). The last, largest and most embellished structure of the famed Registan Square. It's name means ''gold-covered' #Ramadan
17/ The ceiling of Shahi Mosque Chiniot, Pakistan
A historic 17th century mosque located in Chiniot, Punjab. It was built under supervision of Mughal Grand Vizier Saadullah Khan #Ramadan
18/ The ceiling of Nur Astana Mosque, Kazakhstan
The third largest mosque in Central Asia. The 40-meter height symbolizes the age of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) when he received the revelations, and the height of the minarets are 63 meters, the age when he died #Ramadan
19/ The ceiling of Seyed Mosque, Isfahan, Iran
The biggest & the most famous mosque from the Qajar era. It was founded by Seyyed Mohammad Bagher Shafti, one of the most famous clergymen in Isfahan in the middle of the 19th century #Ramadan
20/ The ceiling of Putra Mosque, Putrajaya, Malaysia
Building began in 1997 & completed in 1999. The pink-domed Mosque is constructed with rose-tinted granite & includes a prayer hall, courtyard & learning facilities. The mosque can accommodate 15,000 worshippers #Ramadan
21/ The ceiling of Goharshad Mosque, Mashhad, Iran
A grand congregational mosque built during the Timurid period in Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran, which now serves as one of the prayer halls within the Imam Reza shrine complex #Ramadan
22/ The ceiling of Al-Ashrafiya Mosque, Taiz, Yemen
Considered to be one of the most important centers in the Islamic history of Yemen. It was supposedly built in 2 stages: by Sultan Al-Ashraf Umar II (1295-6) by Sultan Al-Ashraf Isma'il I (1377-1400) & opened in 1382 #Ramadan
23/ The ceiling of Sayyidah Ruqayyah Masjid, Damascus, Syria
The mosque contains the grave of Sukaynah (née Ruqayyah), the young daughter of Al-Husayn ibn ‘Alī. It was built around the mausoleum in 1985 and exhibits the modern style of Iranian architecture #Ramadan
24/ The ceiling of Central Mosque of St. Petersburg, Russia
When opened in 1913 it was the largest mosque in Europe outside Turkey, its minarets 49 meters in height & the dome is 39 meters high. It can accommodate up to 5000 worshippers & is renowned for its blue tiles #Ramadan
Mariam Astrulabi was a pioneering female Muslim scientist & astronomer, born in Syria during the 10th century. She is known for developing Astrolabes, an ancient astronomical computer for solving problems related to time & position of the sun & stars
A thread on Mariam Astrulabi
1/ Mariam al Astrulabi's remarkable contribution to the art of astrolabes has largely been ignored by the world. What she achieved in the 10th century consequently helped several generations of scientists to explore the concept of time and space.
Astrolabe @HSMOxford
@HSMOxford 2/ Astrolabes were beneficial in determining the position of the sun, moon, stars & the planets. They were used in astronomy, astrology & horoscopes. Muslims would specifically use it to find the Qibla, determine prayer times & the initial days of Ramadan and Eid
Did you know Mosque ceilings are designed to reflect the magnificence of the universe?
Here are spectacular details of 24 Mosque ceilings from around the world…
A thread…
1/ Jami Mosque, Andijan, Uzbekistan
The construction of the madrasah began in 1883 and lasted for 7 years. It has a gorgeous fretwork of wooden columns supporting a ceiling decorated with bright patterns made of a combination of geometrical ornaments & vegetal elements
Construction of the mosque started in 1603 and was finished in 1619. Built by the chief architect Mohammadreza Isfahani, during the reign of Shah Abbas I of Persia. Beautiful interior dome details
Ever wondered who paved the way for the age of algorithms?
It was a 9th-century Muslim genius, mathematician, geographer & astronomer, Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi - also known as the Father of Algebra
A thread on the incredible Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi…
1/ Even the term algorithm is Al-Khwarizmi translated into Latin!
The scientist and mathematician Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi lived from 780 to 850 AD in Persia and Iraq.
2/ Al-Khwarizmi's most significant contribution to mathematics was the development of algebra. His book, "Kitab al-Jabr wal-Muqabala" (The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing), introduced systematic methods for solving linear and quadratic equations.
Did you know that the Persian scholar of medicine, Ibn Sina (980-1037) suspected some diseases were spread by microorganisms.
To prevent human-to-human contamination, he came up with a method of isolating people for 40 days.
A thread on Ibn Sina & his impact on modern science…
1/ Ibn Sina, also known to the Latin West as Avicenna, was a Persian polymath and one of the most influential Islamic philosophers, physicians, and scientists of the medieval period. He was born in 980 CE in present-day Uzbekistan and passed away in 1037 CE in Iran.
2/ Ibn Sina's medical works had a profound impact on European medicine. His most renowned work in medicine is "The Canon of Medicine" (Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb), considered one of the most influential medical texts in history. It consists of five books & covers a range of medical topics
‘Traveling leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller’
- Ibn Battuta
The most famous explorer in the Muslim World, Ibn Battuta, travelled more than any other explorer in pre-modern history - around 117,000 km!
A thread on the 14th century explorer Ibn Battuta…
1/ Ibn Battuta was born in 1304 CE in Tangier, Morocco. His travelogue the Rihla is his most important work. His journeys in the Rihla lasted for a period of almost thirty years, covering nearly the whole of the known Islamic world & beyond.
2/ Ibn Battuta travelled more than any other explorer in pre-modern history, surpassing Zheng He with 50,000 km (31,000 mi) and Marco Polo with 24,000 km. His total distance travelled was approximately 117,000 km (73,000 mi) (15,000 mi).
Ismail al-Jazari, a Muslim inventor from the 12th century is known as the "father of robotics" due to his groundbreaking work in the field of automata, which are self-operating machines.
A thread on Ismail al-Jazari, engineering & robotics…
1/ While robotics is considered a relatively new field of science, with the public’s consensus that it is the creation of 20th-century scientists, it would be surprising to know that the field has its roots in the medieval era nearly a millennium ago, with Ismail Al Jazari
2/ Ismail Al Jazari gained fame for his extraordinary inventions, encompassing a wide spectrum of marvels. His repertoire included robots programmed to provide guests with towels, programmable on-off switches for fountains, automated mechanical clocks & much more!
A Candle Clock from a copy of al-Jazaris treatise on automata