The religious center of the Muslim community is the mosque, where services are performed and religious ceremonies are performed, and most often there is a minaret with it. What is it?
Answering such a question is not easy, because this structure, performing purely utilitarian functions, also has a sacred, symbolic meaning.
Why are minarets built
Mosques and minarets differ in both height and beauty of decoration. Small mosques usually have only one rather modest minaret, while large religious centers have four, six or more towers that surround the main building.
On the upper tier there is a balcony (sometimes there are two or three of them), encircling the minaret. What it is is easy to understand, knowing the main purpose of the structure - to notify the believers about the onset of prayer time. A muezzin climbs a long spiral staircase to the top of the minaret and reads the azan from the balcony - a prayer-call.
The strong voice of the minister of the mosque is carried far throughout the district, because the height of the tower can be quite significant. Fifty or even sixty meters is far from the limit. For example, next to the Al-Nabawi Mosque in Medina, there are ten minarets 105 meters high.meters.
And the Hassan mosque in the city of Casablanca (Morocco) has a minaret 210 meters high. It is the highest in the world, however, the minaret was built quite recently - in 1993.
If we talk about ancient buildings, the most unique is the Qutub Minar in Delhi, over 72 meters high, built in the 12th century. Built entirely of brick, it is richly carved in the Indian tradition.
Along with the tower for calling to prayer, the minarets served another function in the past. At their top, a lantern was lit, serving as a beacon and illuminating the surroundings. No wonder the word "minaret" itself comes from the Arabic "manar" - "lighthouse".
Beacons are now no longer needed, and the tradition of lighting fires on towers next to mosques remains. Moreover, the kindling of fire has a sacred meaning.
A bit of history
The history of minarets is closely connected with the history of Islam and reflects its glorious and tragic pages.
Initially, in order to call the faithful to prayer, the muezzin went up to the roof of the mosque. The first small turrets were built by the governor of Egypt Maslama ibn Muhallad in the middle of the 7th century near the Amr ibn Asa mosque. Although they are completely different from the minarets we are used to.
The oldest buildings were low, only slightly rising above the roof of the main building, for example, the tower of the main mosque of Damascus, built in the 8th century.
But with the development of the traditions of Islamic architecture, their size and shape changed. The minarets "grew up" significantly, began to be richly decorated with carvings,mosaic of colored bricks and glazed tiles, and turned into real works of art.
Sacred meaning and symbolism
If we consider the minarets from a pragmatic point of view, then the muezzin's voice from a high balcony is heard better and spreads much further. But it is also important that the mosque attendant reads a prayer and, speaking not only with believers, but also with God, tries to be closer to him. In Christianity, high bell towers and the ringing of bells serve the same purpose.
In medieval cities and settlements with low houses, minarets made a truly amazing impression and served as a symbolic expression of the greatness of God. Aiming upward, they served as a kind of axis connecting the mortal earth and the eternal Sky. They allowed to touch the divine, but for this it was necessary to climb a long and steep staircase - a symbol of spiritual ascent. And it was not easy, it is enough, for example, to remember that the staircase of the Delhi Qutub Minar has 379 steps.
The minaret is a symbol of not only divine power, but also the strength and we alth of earthly rulers. No wonder every Muslim ruler sought to build the most beautiful mosque and the highest minarets in his possessions.
Under the sign of the crescent moon
Each religion has its sacred signs. So, a cross rises above the Christian cathedral - a symbol of the atoning sacrifice and resurrection of Christ, and a crescent moon crowns the Muslim mosque and minaret. What is it?
Crescent is enougha common symbol, and its history spans more than one millennium. This sign was revered by many ancient peoples along with solar, solar symbols. For example, worshipers of Artemis and the goddess Ishtar worshiped him, and in early Christianity the crescent was considered an attribute of the Virgin Mary.
The crescent on the minaret appeared in the 15th century, during the Ottoman Empire. According to legend, Mohammed II, before the capture of Constantinople, saw an inverted month in the sky and a star between its horns. He considered this a good sign, and later these symbols began to decorate mosques and minarets.
However, this is only a legend, no one knows the exact meaning of the Muslim crescent. It is not for nothing that not all supporters of Islam recognize it as sacred, considering it a pagan symbol.
The Mystery of the Minarets
Modern historians and art historians are arguing about what ancient structures the minaret traces its history from. What is it - a transformed lighthouse, a ziggurat of Mesopotamia or a majestic ancient Roman column of Trojan? Or maybe the shape of the minaret was influenced by rivalry with Christianity, and when building towers next to mosques, Muslim architects unconsciously copied the bell towers of churches and cathedrals?
But most likely, the minaret, like many great architectural structures, is the eternal desire of a person to get closer to God and even to be equal to him in some way. It was this desire that motivated people to make sacrifices and expend great efforts on colossal buildings that amaze even modern man with their grandeur.
