The religious center of the Muslim community is a mosque, where services are performed and religious rites are performed, and with it most often there is a minaret. What it is?
It is not easy to answer such a question, because this building, performing purely utilitarian functions, also has a sacred, symbolic meaning.
Why build minarets
Mosques and minarets vary in both height and beauty. Small mosques usually have only one rather modest minaret, and large religious centers have four, six or more towers that surround the main building.
On the upper tier there is a balcony (sometimes there are two or three of them) that surrounds the minaret. What it is, it is easy to understand, knowing the main purpose of the building - the notification of believers about the time of prayer. A muezzin rises to the top of the minaret along a long spiral staircase and reads an adhan, a prayer-call, from the balcony.
The strong voice of the minister 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 far from the limit. For example, next to the Al-Nabawi Mosque in Medina, there are ten minarets 105 meters high.
And the Hassan mosque in the city of Casablanca (Morocco) has a minaret 210 meters high. It is the highest in the world, however, the minaret was built recently - in 1993.
If we talk about ancient buildings, the most unique is Kutub Minar in Delhi, with a height of more than 72 meters, built in the XII century. Built entirely of brick, it is richly decorated with carvings in Indian tradition.
Along with the tower for the call to prayer, minarets in the past performed another function. At their top, a lantern was lit, serving as a beacon and illuminating the surroundings. No wonder the very word "minaret" comes from the Arabic "manar" - "lighthouse".
Lighthouses have now become unnecessary, and the tradition of lighting fires on towers near mosques remains. Moreover, the kindling of fire has a sacred meaning.
A bit of history
The history of minarets is closely connected with the history of Islam and reflects its glorious and tragic pages.
Initially, in order to convene the faithful to pray, the muezzin rose to the roof of the mosque. The first small turrets 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 usual minarets.
The oldest structures 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 shapes changed. The minarets significantly “grew up”, began to be richly decorated with carvings, mosaics of colored bricks and glazed tiles and turned into real works of art.
Sacred meaning and symbolism
If you look at the minarets from a pragmatic point of view, then the voice of the muezzin from the high balcony is heard better and is carried much further. But it is also important that the minister of the mosque reads a prayer and, speaking not only with believers, but also with God, tries to be closer to him. In Christianity, high belfries and the ringing of bells serve for the same purpose.
In medieval cities and settlements with low houses, the minarets made a truly amazing 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 the eternal Sky. They allowed to touch the divine, but for this it was necessary to climb the long and steep stairs - a symbol of spiritual ascent. And it was not easy, it is enough, for example, to recall that the staircase of the Delian Qutub 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 the most beautiful mosque and the highest minarets in his possessions.
Under the crescent
Each religion has its own sacred signs. So, a cross is raised over the Christian Cathedral - a symbol of the atoning sacrifice and resurrection of Christ, and a crescent moon crowns a Muslim mosque and minaret. What it is?
The crescent is a fairly common symbol, and its history goes back more than one millennium. This sign was revered by many ancient peoples along with solar, solar symbols. For example, worshipers of Artemis and the goddess Ishtar worshiped him , and in early Christianity the crescent was considered an attribute of the Virgin Mary.
The crescent on the minaret appeared in the XV century, during the Ottoman Empire. According to legend, Mohammed II before the capture of Constantinople saw in the sky an inverted month and a star between its horns. He considered this 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. No wonder that not all supporters of Islam recognize it as sacred, considering it a pagan symbol.
The mystery of minarets
Modern historians and art historians argue from which structures of antiquity the minaret leads its history. What is it - a transformed lighthouse, the ziggurat of Mesopotamia or the majestic ancient Roman column of Troyan? Or maybe the rivalry with Christianity influenced the shape of the minaret, and, erecting towers next to mosques, Muslim architects unknowingly copied the belfries of churches and cathedrals?
But most likely, the minaret, like many great architectural structures, is the eternal desire of man to approach God and even to be somewhat equal to him. It was this desire that prompted people to make sacrifices and spend tremendous efforts on colossal buildings, amazing even modern man with their greatness.