Qatar Mosque
Encyclopedia
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, the capital of Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
. It is located close to the corniche road and is a prominent landmark in Doha Bay. Its main features including its unique minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
design. Qatar Mosque is currently the largest mosque in Qatar.
Traditional Qatari mosques were made of coral rock, mud and wood, as opposed to the mosques from the 21st century built of brick and mortar. These materials now allow the construction of high domes, replacing the flat roofs composed of four layers depicted in the model above. Moreover, traditional mosques featured courtyards, which are rarely seen in modern mosques. Finally, the traditional outdoor "mothawaddah" in the form of a pool has been replaced with wash basins and running water.