Online Reflection 4

ISLAMIC MUSEUM & TV AL HIJRAH VISIT

This week we got the chance to visit IAM (Islamic Art Museum), situated in Kuala Lumpur. As told by our lecturer, the design of the building is actually based on the islamic principles as well. When I first entered the building, I realized most of the detailing they used are marble. It eventually creates a sense of respect in my heart whereby everything that in relation to God, the design and materials are usually came with very good quality. This has indeed show how Muslim sincerely submit to God through their sacrificial serving.

Below are some interesting photos that I took from the museum: 

BIBI KHANUM MOSQUE
One of the largest complexes in Samarqand, the mosque is dedicated to Timur's favorite wife, Saray Mulk Khanum. Construction of the mosque began in 1399 after Timur's Indian campaign. He decorated the mosque with precious stones captured during his conquests. The facades of the mosque are decorated with glazed bricks, mosaic faience and tile insets. The outcome is array of Kufic inscriptions arranged in a diagonal composition. The mosque was built using over 500 workers and 95 elephants. The monumental entrance portal with its flanking minarets double dome and brick decorations showcases the opulence of Timurid architecture.

This Mimbar, from which an Imam conducts his sermons, is composed of four steps and a seat with armrest. The front panel of the lowest step is inlaid with an inscription in both English and Persian: "This pulpit is made alike Safavi pulpit of Isfahan Jame Mosque ordered by Isfahan Saman Gostar Inv. Co. for IAMM. Done by Saeed Alizadeh, 1419 Hijrah".

TAJ MAHAL
The imperial Mughal tomb, the Taj Mahal, was commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1631 AD, in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. A synthesis of Indian, Persian, turkish and Italian architects, craftsmen and designers contributed to this vast complex, comprising a main gateway, an elaborate garden, mosque, guesthouse and several palatial buildings. It is strongly suggested that the chief architect for the Taj Mahal was Ustad Ahmed Lahauri. The Taj Mahal took 22 years to construct with a labour force of 20,000 workers. Structurally composed entirely of white marble, it was Shah Jahan's preferred building material. The decoration is of carved and inlaid floral motif, in a technique called pietra dura. Precious and semi-precious gemstones such as agate and jasper adorn the walls. Illuminating the facade entrance is calligraphy written in the Thuluth script by the renowned master calligrapher Abd al-Haq.

TENGKERA MOSQUE
Constructed around 1728, the Tengkera mosque is one of the oldest surviving mosques in Malacca, commissioned by the Dutch during the colonial period. Its roof design and ornamentation utilizes a blend of Malay with Javenese forms. It further incorporated a pagoda-shaped minaret that reflects the influence of Chinese architectural style, with ceramic tiles imported from the Qing Empire (1644-1799). Buried in the grounds of the mosque is Sultan Hussein Shah, the Johor and Singapore ruler of the 19th century, who signed over Singapore to Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1819.

I've learnt a lot throughout the entire visit. The collection of scale models indeed provide us a more intimate impression of all the sacred spaces whereby the gallery includes a re-creation of the interior of mosques that show us a clearer image of how a mosque shall look like.