Mosque

http://www.islamicity.com/Culture/MOSQUES/asia/damascus.jpg This is an Umayyad Mosque http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/religion/islam/mosque.jpg this is a tradition Islamic mosque

this picture is the one given to us from the portal.

Several aspects of the Islamic faith helped the once small group of converts grow into a major world religion. One of these aspects is the sense of community and Islamic identity the early Muslims shared. This community was started when people started gathering together at mosques to pray, called together by the //muezzin,// or caller, located in the minaret. The minaret is a widely-known symbol of the Islamic faith. A minaret usually looks like a tall tower coming out of a mosque. The main function of a minaret is to give a high place for the caller to perform the //adhan//, or the call to prayer, which can be heard from miles around. The call brings Muslims from all over the surrounding city to the mosque 5 times a day. Muslims come together to pray, and then they often gather together to exchange information. Many early mosques included a large courtyard, where Muslims could congregate after the prayers. This courtyard served as a place for people to learn about current events. The development of the mosque in the Islamic faith helped unite Muslims and start a sense of Islamic culture and community, which helped Islam grow stronger and gain more followers.

A mosque is a main place of worship for Muslims, and the architectural element of the dome expressed the faithfulness of the people to Allah, their God. The dome of a mosque is semi circular, which is popular in most cultures, and makes it more open and spacious on the inside. It is used to define the Qibla, the direction of Mecca, and to lighten the mosque. The dome eventually grew to cover the entire sanctuary, allow the Muslims to convey their prayers. To Muslims, the dome structure could be interpreted in two ways: a feeling of a pathway to heaven or a strong feeling of devotion to Allah and the respect of being faithful to Islam. The dome is important to the Islam faith because it represents the loyalty to the community and to God. Muslims come to the mosque to pray five times a day to achieve a step of the Five Pillars. Here, they show respect and admiration to their mosque, and in turn, to God. The dome expresses the openness of heaven, which gives the Muslims an opportunity to connect with God when they pray and to gather with their community who share the same faith.

Great job.