Looking to the sky. Minaret - what is it?

The religious center of the Muslim community is the mosque, where worship services are held and religious rites are sent , and with it there is often a minaret. What it is?

To answer this question is not easy, because this structure, performing purely utilitarian functions, has a sacral, symbolic meaning.

Why Minarets Are Built

The mosques and minarets are distinguished by the height and beauty of the decoration. Small mosques usually have only one rather modest minaret, and large religious centers have four, six and more towers that surround the main building.

On the upper tier there is a balcony (sometimes two or three), encircling the minaret. What it is, it is easy to understand, knowing the main purpose of the structure - the notice of believers about the onset of the prayer time. On the long spiral staircase to the top of the minaret rises the muezzin and reads the adhan from the balcony - prayer-appeal.

The strong voice of the servant of the mosque is far spread throughout the district, because the height of the tower can be quite significant. Fifty and even sixty meters is not the limit. For example, next to the mosque of An-Nabawi in Medina are ten minarets 105 meters high.

And the Hasan Mosque in the city of Casablanca (Morocco) has a minaret with a height of 210 meters. 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 Kutub Minar in Delhi, which is more than 72 meters tall, built in the 12th century. Constructed entirely of bricks, it is richly decorated in Indian traditions with carvings.

Along with the tower for the call to prayer minarets in the past performed one more function. On their summit a lantern was lit, serving as a beacon and illuminating the neighborhood. It is not without reason that the very word "minaret" comes from the Arabic "manara" - "lighthouse".

Lighthouses are now no longer needed, and the tradition of igniting the fire on the towers next to the mosques remains. Moreover, the burning of fire has a sacred meaning.

A bit of history

The history of the minarets is closely connected with the history of Islam and reflects its glorious and tragic pages.

Originally, in order to convoke the faithful to pray, the muezzin ascended to the roof of the mosque. The first small pinnacles were built by the governor of Egypt, Maslama ibn Muhallad, in the middle of the 7th century near the mosque of Amr ibn Asa. Although they are completely different from the minarets that are familiar to us.

The oldest buildings were low, only slightly rising above the roof of the main structure, for example, the tower of the main mosque of Damascus, built in the VIII century.

But with the development of the traditions of Islamic architecture, their sizes and forms changed. Minarets significantly "grown up", became richly decorated with carvings, mosaics made of colored bricks and glazed tiles and turned into real works of art.

Sacred meaning and symbols

If you view the minarets from a pragmatic point of view, then the voice of the muezzin from the high balcony is heard better and carried much further. But it is also important that the servant of the mosque reads a prayer and, speaking not only to believers, but also to God, tries to be closer to him. In Christianity, for the same purpose, high bell towers and bells ring.

In medieval towns and settlements with low houses, the minarets produced a truly stunning impression and served as a symbolic expression of the greatness of God. Aspiring upwards, they served as a kind of axis connecting the mortal earth and eternal Heaven. They allowed to touch the divine, but for this it was necessary to climb the 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 Delhi Kutub Minar has 379 steps.

The minaret is a symbol of not only divine power, but also the strength and wealth of earthly rulers. No wonder every Muslim ruler sought to erect in his possessions the most beautiful mosque and the highest minarets.

Under the sign of the crescent moon

Each religion has its own sacred signs. Thus, a cross crosses over the Christian cathedral - the symbol of the ransom sacrifice and resurrection of Christ, and the crescent crowns the Moslem mosque and minaret. What it is?

The crescent is a fairly common symbol, and its history dates back more than one millennium. This sign was revered by many ancient peoples along with solar, solar symbols. For example, worshipers worshiped Artemis and the goddess Ishtar, 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 time of the Ottoman Empire. According to legend, Muhammad II before the seizure of Constantinople saw in the sky an inverted month and a star between his horns. He considered it a good sign, and later these symbols began to adorn mosques and minarets.

However, this is only a legend, no one knows the exact meaning of the Muslim crescent. Not by chance, not all supporters of Islam recognize it as sacred, considering it a pagan symbol.

The Mystery of the Minarets

Contemporary historians and art critics argue, from which structures of antiquity the history of the minaret leads. What is it - the transformed lighthouse, Mesopotamia ziggurat or the majestic ancient Roman column of Troyan? Or maybe the shape of the minaret was influenced by rivalry with Christianity, and building the towers next to the mosques, Muslim architects unknowingly copied the bell towers of churches and cathedrals?

But most likely, the minaret, as well as many great architectural structures, is the eternal aspiration of a person to approach God and even to become somewhat equal with him. It is this desire that motivated people to make sacrifices and spend enormous efforts on colossal buildings, which shock even their modern man with their greatness.