Interior architecture of mosques and Christian basilicas

¶ … interior of a mosque and a basilica. There are three references used for this paper.

Most religious structures have a unique interior. It is interesting to compare and contrast a mosque and a basilica.

Differences

A mosque's interior is "much more inextricably decorated than the exterior. Structures, surface patterns and light are commonly used within mosques to create a sense of space, weightlessness and clarity. Interlacing designs accompanied with variations in color and texture create the illusion of many planes (computingws1.gold.ac.uk/ma702ab/mosqInteriors2.htm)." There is a mihrab, which is a "niche in the wall of the mosque or a room in the mosque that indicates the direction of Mecca (http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entries/02/m0290200.html)."

To enter a Christian basilica, one must pass through a "covered porch or antechamber called the narthex. After passing through the narthex, the worshipper enters the nave, a great hall flanked on each side by one or two aisles. Large windows pierce the wall above the height of the aisle, known as the clerestory, and light the nave (www.yale.edu/adhoc/research_resources/liturgy/f_basilica.html)." Semicircular apses, or recesses, overlook a large open area which contains a bishop's throne and benches for the church elders.

Similarities