Muslim American Move Away from Minaret
By Jane O'Brien
BBC News, Washington
In post 9/11 America the construction of new mosques in the US has sometimes sparked controversy and even confrontation. Is that why some new Muslim houses of worship are being built without the most recognisable features of Islamic architecture - minarets and domes?
Architect Maryam Eskandari, former associate director of the American Institute of Architects, is touring the US with a photo exhibition illustrating the transition of American mosques from traditional to postmodern design. She says Islamic Architecture has long been subject to personal interpretation and set in a cultural and historical context. "The Kaaba itself doesn't have a dome, it doesn't have a minaret - that was built later on," she says, speaking of the Mecca building hat is Islam's most holy site.
"Its just a cube. So traditionally speaking that is the idea of Islamic Architecture."
Read More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16825976
"Its just a cube. So traditionally speaking that is the idea of Islamic Architecture."
Read More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16825976
