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
Artists have been using paper as a form of expression for thousands of years, through paper folding and intricate cutting techniques. Today, artists are redefining the art of paper.
Here are 24 contemporary paper artists inspired by Islamic geometry & pattern
A thread…
1/ Zubin Jhaveri is a Mumbai based paper sculptor and designer. After graduating from art college, he set out on a journey of self discovery and expression, experimenting with geometric paper sculptures
NEBULA artwork
Layered paper cut art with 25 layers of 300gsm paper.
2/ Rania Mousa creates paper artwork by repeating patterns. Inspired by Islamic geometry, origami and parametric design, she transforms sheets of paper into neat three-dimensional framed installations. Each piece is handmade with precision, patience and care.
Each year, the residents of central Mali work together to preserve one of the most iconic structures in both Islamic & African architectural history: the Great Mosque of Djenne, the world’s largest mud-brick structure.
This epic one-day event is called the Crépissage
A thread…
1/ Located in southern Mali, the Great Mosque of Djenné is a unique structure that instantly captures the imagination. Nearly 20m high & built on a 91m-long platform, it's the world's largest mud-brick building and the finest example of Sudano-Sahelian architecture
2/ The walls of Djenné's Great Mosque are reconstructed with mud each April in the Crépissage
Not only is the Crépissage an act of maintenance to protect the mosque from crumbling, it's also a festival to celebrate community, faith & heritage
Gargee'an (قرقيعان) is an eastern Arabian traditional annual festival which takes place on the 15th night of Ramadan.
It is celebrated by children dressing in traditional attire & going door-to-door to receive sweets from neighbours, as they sing traditional songs
A thread…
1/ The Gargee'an tradition has existed for hundreds of years, and is deeply rooted in some parts of the Gulf culture, especially in Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE and Saudi Arabia
The word Gargee’an refers to the giving of gifts but has widely been used to refer to the day itself.
2/ Children wearing traditional attire — boys in thobes and ghutras and girls in jalabiyas — frolic door-to-door singing and exchanging candy and nuts
Every spring roses bloom in the western Saudi city of Taif, turning pockets of the Kingdom’s vast desert landscape a vivid & fragrant pink. In April, they are harvested for the essential oil used to cleanse the walls of the sacred Kaaba in Makkah
A thread on the roses of Taif…
1/ Thanks to its favorable climate, Taif is home to nearly a thousand rose farms, with aromatic blossoms stretching from Wadi Mahram to Al-Hada. This is perhaps why the city of Taif is no stranger to festivals themed around roses
2/ The Arabic word for rose is pronounced warda and written ﻭَﺭﺩَﺓ
The colour blue (al-azraq) in Islamic tradition often signifies the impenetrable depths of the universe, and turquoise blue is thought to have mystical qualities.
For Ramadan, here are 24 beautiful Islamic buildings & Mosques, designed using the colour blue…
A thread…
1/ Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Oman
Inaugurated in 2018 & influenced by Persian & central Asian blue Islamic architectural styles with touches of traditional Omani architectural elements that make it unique #Ramadan
2/ Kalta Minor Minaret, Khiva, Uzbekistan
One of the last great blue buildings in the Khanate of Khiva was Kalta Minor. This had to be the tallest structure in Khiva & in the whole of Central Asia. Works ended abruptly in 1855, leaving this beautiful minaret unfinished #Ramadan