Great Mosque, Djenne, Mali, current plan 1909 [Prussin p. 185; 190]

Hypostyle Mosque

-earthen construction, high level of maitnence.

-Communal aspects (everyone spends one day each year making repairs to the mosque)

-Wooden posts reduce stress on the mud structure.

-Openings are small for support of the structure. 

Belief in Allah and the Prophet Muhummad 

Religion in the Central Sudan area:

(Mali Kingdom, Ancient Ghana, Timbuktu, city-state of Kano)

-Closly associated with commerce in western Sudan 

-Islamic art and architecture helped in the spread of the religion. 

"Messanger of God" or Al-Amin

Prophet 

recieves divine revalations from Arch-angel Gabriel. (These revelations eventually are documented in the Koran)  

The Book of Islam

The revelations of Allah as they were revealed to Muhummad by Arch-Angel Gabriel 

Kabba

Structure at/in Mecca

??? 

Islamic Structure for congregational worship

Fridays 

-usually made out of mud in the Western Sudan 

masjid-  "place of prostration"

multi-colomned hall

(Great Mosque, Mali) 

Tall-Spike-like structures around a mosque.

-Traditionally prayer callers would call the prayers from atop the minarets in order to further amplify their voices. 

-"creates a sense of verticality and serves as a visual beacon for a mosque" 

courtyard area surrounding a mosque

-Ritual ablutions: Everyone must clean themselves before entering the mosque. Also, no shoes in the mosque.

used in the Islamic faith for the five daily prayers

knelt upon