Mosque as portrait of Islamic art

In the realm of Islam, all the arts were used to serve Islam, and through this way, mosque got glory and proud. Islamic architecture art, just like most architectures of faith age, almost was mere a religious art. Houses were made for it, so the man can pass his short and negligible life in it. But the houses of God (at least from inside), was the sample of eternal beauty. For pious and poor Muslims, this was sufficient that mosque is beautiful. They were spending their money to build it. They were using all their art and craft on it and were forwarding it like carpet to God, and all the people could get interest out of it. They were usually building the mosque, close to market, so to be reached from every corner.
Mosque building is very important in Islamic structure, because it is under attention and respect, as a place of worship, assembly, place for the resolution of disputes and celebrating the events. Craftsmen and artists were trying with all their skills to have role in its construction, beauty and spiritual atmosphere. In fact, mosque is a collection of various arts that totally created a special place and space, which is proportional to the relationship between God and man. At the same splendor, adornment and decoration, should not engage the human`s mind, and remembers God. Therefore, as in Islamic lands, mosque is a social base for Muslims, and a shelter for chaos life, so honest people cared for its design, we can say that mosque was the first place to express the Islamic art.
But, the first Islamic mosques were built very simple and humble. In fact, the purpose of the mosque plan was to set a floor on one side of the country which was the shelter and shade.
As part of the courtyard, facing Mecca, the main building of the mosque would be fenced, walled and roofed square, where worshipers stood in long lines to Mecca. At the top, the dome was almost built of brick. Those buildings which were constructed in this way, were very simple and consisted of palm tree trunk, mud wall, but soon, Muslims to build strong and stable ones.
Central mosque (MASJED JAME), in every city, is the largest and most important gathering place, for announcing the news, official notices, social and cultural meetings and direction of people`s movement. For this reason, mosque is the center of Islamic cities. Its architecture is formed according to climate, materials, tradition and local characteristics. In fact, have gained its social character from Islam and building structure from native civilization.
It should be noted that, Islamic architecture began to work, without any knowledge about the history of ancient art. In other words, works began with empty hands. Worked with whatever elements and materials, that they found around the country. And did not have any idea about the selection.
In the first phase, Muslim architectures used all architectural elements of Syrian, Roman, Byzantine and Persian, without one over the other, but later they tried to improve and revised what they copied. They omitted, what was not according to their nature and circumstances. In fact they became real architects, not builder. And understood that in his job, social soul is important. So, deepest kind of life unity and meaning of society is concentrated in mosque, on the other hand, for a God worshiper Muslim, the building of the mosque must make his pray comfortable, the decoration and arrangements of the Islamic monuments, should not put the viewer in bold action but helps him to discover the insight.
Decorations of Islamic buildings are either colored or on them, there are some little deep engraved, any way it covers whole the building. Mosaics, tiles, colored glasses, KANDILS, carpets, rugs provide valuable designs. MANBAR was from wood, and for its design, they were using ivory and ebony with great care.
Another point for the mosque is the existence of minaret. It is a tower for MOAZEN (pray caller), which was made under influence of older temple towers. In Iran was more cylindrical shape, but the African Muslim minarets were rectangular, which may have been adapted from the Far Alexandria in its own way. In the first period of Islam, minarets were simple, but in next centuries, accuracy of building and its height, increased. Then small elegant balconies, arches and tiles were added. Nothing was difficult for Muslim artist. Wood, metal, brick, stucco, stone, clay, tile and glass to form shapes and his own art to interpret. Even Chinese art could not reach to it, Muslim artist used all these elements in territory of Islam. Only statue making was prohibited. So sculptors tried to shave stones and make different shapes. Painting was not allowed at the first but painters could show their talent in painting tiles and made designs for the mosques. Artists showed their beautiful talent by decorating the surface. Undoubtedly, geometric tortuosity was a wisdom. Because this was a reference to divine oneness and a base to boundless variations. We know that, light is nearest symbol to the God, therefore Islamic artists are trying to take best advantage of it by their creations. To reach to this point, artist, covers the inside surface of the mosques or palaces by files. This cover, surrounds the lower portion of the walls, to hide the thickness, for this purpose the artist, designs the other surfaces with outstanding and reticulated figures, to use the light.
Figured inscriptions which have been place on inner wall of worship place or covered the altar, not only will remember the meaning of words to pray caller but also will make him to realize the weight of figures (rhythms) and its spiritual TYRE, with glory and power of almighty`s revelation.
Islamic architecture, got help from all the designing arts, and mosques were set up in Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Syria, Mesopotamia, Iran, TRANSOXIANA, India, Egypt, Tunisia, Sicily, Morocco and Spain, which had outside strength and inside beauty, such as: mosques of Medina, Mecca, Jerusalem, Damascus, KUFA, Basra, Shiraz, NEISHABUR, Samara, IBN TOLON, AZHAR and many others which were built, in the early days, but after centuries, many of them were ruined. We have to remind that Mr. MOGHADASI mentions about some mosques, which were not lesser than Medina and Damascus mosques in glory. As he says, NEISHABUR mosque with pillar marbles, gold plates with the walls which had deep figures, was one of the strangest at that time. There was no mosque in whole KHORASAN and SISTAN like Herat in beauty.
The last word is, Islam made a new civilization with the help of old one and on its ruined buildings, as in Abbasid period, by the civilization influence of Iran and Greece, Islamic civilization, reached to the top of improvement. After Arab domination in Spain, the Islamic civilization began to spread in Western Europe and the Muslim rulers who were in power, began to erect majestic mosques and palaces to show their signs of strength and prosperity to the world. And in this way, tried to create bigger and more splendid buildings, compare to pre-Islamic period. Most of these early Islamic architectures, after some time lost its nature and originality. As we can see from the general map and their designs, constructors of the said buildings were masters of Egyptian, Syrian, Iranian, and even Byzantine.
And they were having habit of applying their own local methods in constructing the buildings. But after the second Islamic century onward, we can observe certain traditional Islamic art, which has been developed. It is noteworthy, that a significant number of distinctive decorative sample art of Muslims, especially the silk cloths, precious stones, carved ivories, glass plates and metal objects are maintained in palaces and cathedrals of Western Europe. These unique arts which have been transferred to Europe through business, personal gifts or booty in crusader battles are gathered as pleasant samples and masters dreams. And many of them have been copies by western artists.
in Islamic design art, we have to say, in fact, Islam have absorbed , design heritage of many nations, and undoubtedly, made them uniform and copied in general aspect, but maybe we can declare , gave them mental appearance.
As we have mentioned earlier, Islamic artists have shown their genius imagination in in architecture and fine arts. Mosque architecture have evolved and Muslim artist tried to cover the interior and exterior of the mosque completely. The best form of this cover are tiles and stuccos which have uniform design without contrast. It means that. Everywhere, set of light music of colors and designs are desired, and not a particular issue.
Everyone, who is familiar with Islamic art, will pay attention to this matter that, mathematics had a great role in art figures. And one of the features of Islamic art is the geometric pattern which have been shown in most of the arts. All values are equal and are parallel to each other. And finally, travel in the full colored world of mosque designs, will drown the viewer in spiritual factors and stables the faith to oneness of God in his heart.