User:Emschec22/Minaret

Functions
The formal function of a minaret is to provide a vantage point from which the muezzin can issue the call to prayer, or adhan. The call to prayer is issued five times each day: dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. In most modern mosques, the adhān is called from the musallah (prayer hall) via microphone to a speaker system on the minaret.

The minaret, with its profound historical significance, plays a crucial role in honoring Muslims wherever they reside. As Muslims migrated and settled in different regions minarets accompanied them, becoming symbolic of their presence and visibility. Its '''architectural structure served a dual purpose: it proclaimed the identity of Muslim communities to both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, signifying their cultural and religious presence in foreign lands. Additionally, minarets stood as tangible expressions of reverence, honoring something sacred within Islamic traditions.'''

Minarets historically served a visually symbolic purpose.  They signify elevation and dominance, mirroring humanity's innate connection between height and power. The prominence of a minaret is influenced significantly by its height; the taller the minaret, the greater its visibility. '''As a multifaceted symbol, the minaret embodies principles, values, knowledge, and tradition in the Islamic world. It represents the unity of social, political, and religious facets under Islam's unifying influence. In today's global landscape, characterized by diverse civilizations and the need for cooperation, the minaret acts as a call for unity, fostering cultural understanding. Preserving these symbols becomes crucial, ensuring that traditions endure while embracing change, thereby maintaining a delicate balance between heritage and evolution.''' In the early 9th century, the first minarets were placed opposite the qibla wall. Oftentimes, this placement was not beneficial in reaching the community for the call to prayer. They served as a reminder that the region was Islamic and helped to distinguish mosques from the surrounding architecture. They also acted as symbols of the political and religious authority of the Muslim rulers who built them.

Construction and design[edit]
The region's socio-cultural context have influenced the shape, size and form of minarets. Different regions and periods developed different styles of minarets. Typically, the tower's shaft has a cylindrical, cuboid (square), or octagonal shape. Stairs or ramps inside the tower climb to the top in a counter-clockwise fashion. Some minarets have two or three narrow staircases fitted inside one another in order to allow multiple individuals to safely descend and ascend simultaneously. At the top of the stairs, a balcony encircles the upper sections of the tower and from here the muezzin may give the call to prayer. Some minaret traditions featured multiple balconies along the tower's shaft. The summit often finishes in a lantern-like structure and/or a small dome, conical roof, or curving stone cap, which is in turn topped by a decorative metal finial. Different architectural traditions also placed minarets at different positions relative to the mosque. The number of minarets by mosques was also not fixed: originally only one minaret accompanied a mosque, but some later traditions constructed more, especially for larger or more prestigious mosques.

Minarets are built out of any material that is readily available, and often changes from region to region. In the construction of the tall and slender Ottoman minarets, molten iron was poured into pre-cut cavities inside the stones, which then solidified and helped to bind the stones together. This made the structures more resistant to earthquakes and powerful winds.

The construction and design of minarets play a pivotal role in the five-mosque-design-approach classification, where minarets and domes stand as key elements in mosque architecture, carrying a profound symbolic meaning that transcends both spatial and temporal boundaries. '''The design approaches employed in the examined case study mosques are determined by the assimilation of historical mosque features, showcasing the rich diversity in contemporary mosque architecture. Al-Zahrra mosque, for instance, integrates historical elements from the Taj Mahal, exemplifying both the Historical/Traditional and Populist approaches. The Adaptive Modern approach, predominant in Kuwait's contemporary mosque design, is exemplified by the innovative Fatima mosque, featuring a distinctive candle-shaped minaret and a conical dome that departs from traditional norms. The renovated Al-Saddah mosque creatively combines old and new elements, while Modhi mosque adopts an Adoptive-Modern approach with a steeped interior space and historical Islamic stylistic elements. While the Modernist approach is rare in Kuwait's contemporary mosques, Zaha Hadid's unbuilt mosque design for the Avenues Mall stands out for its avant-garde features, aiming to redefine the traditional mosque form with innovative elements like a vertical minaret-like structure emerging from elliptical courtyards.'''

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