The oldest mosques

Had it survived the earthquake that destroyed it in 1303, the Pharos would qualify as one of the oldest mosques. The Parthenon at Athens would be another possible candidate

Edited by Nick1986 - 05-Feb-2012 at 19:07

Originally posted by Parashuraman The mosque was originally a temple and retained that structure for more than a millennium, but the custodians wanted it to look like a proper mosque in the last century, so drastically altered it. Here's another mosque from the same time period, the Malik Deenar Juma Masjid, which was also originally a temple, but still has the same temple look today, built in around 640 AD:

Edited by Cryptic - 27-Nov-2011 at 10:27

Originally posted by Cryptic Originally posted by Parashuraman Cheraman Juma Masjid - One of the oldest mosques in India built in 629 AD according to the plaque in front of the building, situated in Kodungallur in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Here's what it used to look like.....   Now....   Yikes, why did they totally alter the appereance?  Does the  building in the first photo have a traditional south Indian archetectural design?  Meanwhile the building in the second photo looks like somebody "restored" the first one by transplanting a mosque from the middle east.   I wonder if this was done because the Saudis financed the "restoration"?  IF so, it is very unforutunate that local archetecture could not be kept.  I like the variety shown in older Chinese mosques (chinese design) and Circassian mosques (look like churches).

The mosque was originally a temple and retained that structure for more than a millennium, but the custodians wanted it to look like a proper mosque in the last century, so drastically altered it.


Here's another mosque from the same time period, the Malik Deenar Juma Masjid, which was also originally a temple, but still has the same temple look today, built in around 640 AD:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malik_Deenar_Mosque
http://malikdeenarmasjid.com/




Edited by Parashuraman - 26-Nov-2011 at 19:33

Originally posted by Parashuraman Cheraman Juma Masjid - One of the oldest mosques in India built in 629 AD according to the plaque in front of the building, situated in Kodungallur in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Here's what it used to look like.....   Now....

Originally posted by Nick1986 That's terrible. They should be preserving their ancient buildings as these are the things that attract tourists

Haha, Saudi Arabia won't even allow archeologists to excavate in the country, because it might cause people to "stray away from Islam". Sad really. Who knows what treasures lie hidden beneath the sands of the desert.

Anyway, here is the oldest mosque in my country, the Khamis Mosque, built about a thousand years ago. It's in pretty bad shape at the moment.

Originally posted by Nick1986 That's terrible. They should be preserving their ancient buildings as these are the things that attract tourists

It is terrible for me as a Turk. However countries and people should protect their historical past, firstly for theirselves not for foreign people like tourists and in Saudi case, it is not a misunderstanding, not protecting the ancient building is a kind of belief or culture in Saudi

" Wahhabi religious policy that emphasizes the Oneness of God (Tawhid) and entirely rejects the worship of divine proxies to God or even the practices and habits which might lead to idolatry and polytheistic association"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destruction_of_early_Islamic_heritage_sites

Originally posted by Cyrus Shahmiri Unfortunately Saudis give no value to the historical buildings, old mosques of Mecca, Medina and other cities of Saudi Arabia have been completely destroyed and new ones have been built.

Yes, I agree you. There is no value for historical buildings

I remember that Turkey and Turkish citizen got angry when Saudi decided to destory Ottoman Castle in Mecca

This castle wasn't anymore Ajyad Castle(1781-2002/R.I.P.)


                                                                    this complex is building on castle's hill
 

Now we have just this 1/25 scale model of the castle


I am angry with the saudi government, but when I try to think as a saudi, this is a bit acceptable.

Saudi didn't add much things in Arab world. Arab's empires reached the top in Egypt, in Iraq and in Spain, not in Arabia. That's why I don't hope them a culture of protection history and I guess,  current perspective is based on bedevi culture in saudi so you can't wait them to respect for historical buildings, their perspective is just function. This culture ia a result of living in desert and tough enviroment, you can't develop unnecessary emotions with your items, so I am angry but I can understand. 

Originally posted by Nick1986 I'd have thought the mosque at Mecca would have been pretty old.

The first İslamic city is not Mecca, it is Medina, so the oldest mosque is also in this city: Quba Mosque
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quba_Mosque


Anatolia
the first mosque:Habib-i Neccar Mosque in Antakya/Antioch

 
the first turkish mosque:Ebul Manucehr Mosque in Ani (Medieval Armenian Capital, near Armenia-Turkey Border)-1072

^ Albania has a lot of wise sayings.

I like "Do not drink the waters the still waters"...I can't remember many of the others I've heard.

The only one from here I really like is "Those who reach the highest peaks would freeze and starve alone  if they didn't come back down."

Viva depression. Hahaha.

It was the Red Mosque of Berat. But that was blwon to bit, anyway. It would have to be between these two Mosques



Only the structure on the right is the mosque, the other two are churches.



and



Its called "Xhamia e Vlores" it was built by the same man who built the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. In Albanian btw, "xhami" equals mosque. There an old saying in Albanian
"burri ne shtepi, eshte si dreqi ne Xhami"
"The man at home, is like the devil in the Mosque.