Because of strict prohibitions against idolatry, the mosque depends on Arabic calligraphy and geometric designs for its interior decoration. In the morning and early afternoon, the sunlight comes streaming through the stained glass windows, enveloping the interior of the mosque in an atmospheric light. Around a hundred Turkish artisans worked for a year to build the second-story mosque itself and the cultural center downstairs.
Tokyo Camii, the largest mosque in Japan, is architecturally similar to the famous Blue Mosque in Istanbul.Īpart from water, concrete, and steel, all the building materials and furnishings used in the mosque were brought from Turkey.
The English word “mosque” and its cognates in other European languages derive ultimately from the Arabic masjid, meaning “place where one bows one’s head.” Mosques can be found throughout Japan’s major cities-a fact that in itself is likely to come as a surprise to most Japanese people, who remain largely unaware of these pockets of Islamic culture thriving in their midst.Ĭamii is a Turkish word derived from the Arabic jami, and refers to a central “congregational mosque”-a major mosque where people gather for Friday prayers, the most important of the week. This is Tokyo Camii, the largest mosque in Japan, built in impressive Ottoman style.
0 kommentar(er)
