Orientation Towards Qibla in Iranian Mosques: The Confrontation of Elements

Document Type : Review Article

Authors

Department of Architecture and urbanism, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract

A deciding factor in the design of a mosque is the direction of the qibla. The qibla is directed toward the
Kaaba, which marks a fixed direction of prayer for Muslims worldwide. The mosque adjacent to Prophet’s house
is credited with the earliest attempt at qibla-orientation, which was based on the canopy. Later on, the orientation
would be determined through the courtyard direction. However, Iranian architecture has employed several other
ways to orientate towards qibla, thanks to its specific elements that differ from those of Arabian architecture. The
first mosques in Iran were formed through modifying the earlier chahar-taqi buildings. Yet, several other original
mosque designs also emerged as Iranian architecture was dynamic and constantly evolving. The three elements of
the “dome,” “iwan,” and “courtyard” have interacted with each other within Iranian mosques. This paper focuses
on the role and implications of these three elements for qibla-orientation. As a primary research, it combines
exploratory and descriptive-analytical approaches to study and examine various Iranian mosques from different
periods. The results suggest that the courtyard was less influential than the other two elements in the mosques in
shabestani, one-iwan and two-iwan plans. However, with the advent of the four-iwan scheme, the courtyard took
on the primary role in the pre-Safavid mosques. Mosques would begin to develop a more centripetal organization
in the Safavid period, when the courtyard and iwan, placed opposite to the direction of qibla, assumed a more
critical role.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies
Volume 12, Issue 2
2022
Pages 115-129

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