Customer Reviews

Mosque

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I take such pleasure in reading about Paul Edward Logan's accomplished woodworking skills in THE LAND, when I become so attached to Alex and Morris Rose's old house and unique towers in THE OUTCASTS OF 19 SCHUYLER PLACE, and when I delight in telling middle school audiences about Duncan's toilet-stealing scene in ACCELERATION, it is within the context of those beloved childhood memories: Days breathing sawdust and trying to keep my hands warm through a gray autumn Saturday as I did a man's work on my dad's construction jobs and created something lasting.

Thus, I can imagine being one of Huseyin Bey's nine sons. Huseyin is hired to serve as the superintendent of building for the fictitious, late-1500s construction feat that is chronicled in David Macaulay's MOSQUE. To read David's dedication, "For my children and their children's children" is to get but an inkling of the temporal scale we must learn to think in when discussing the subject matter. This is a book which can quite handily serve as the front step for a comprehensive study of the Islamic religion, or of the Ottoman empire, or of what is going on today. And while the impeccable work of David Macaulay is no secret to any of us, this focus on the magnificent vision, the mathematical beauty, and detailed craftsmanship inherent in these structures sacred to a large part of the world, is a wonderful way to begin educating children (and their parents) about that which most of the West is so ignorant. (I am sad to say that as I read MOSQUE during half-time at a freshman basketball game yesterday, someone's parent leaned over and muttered, "Yeah, mosques, that's where they hide the weapons of mass destruction.")

Throughout the book we're treated to those illustrations for which David Macaulay is so well known and loved: from large overviews of the overall project as it rises from the ground, down to detailed views of creating stained glass windows, bricks, forged iron grilles, perfectly rounded arches, and the Muezzins' balcony.

The what?

Yes, that's another great thing about MOSQUE. We are provided with a whole series of new "languages," involving architecture and the Islamic culture. And not only do we see how the project is laid out so that the worshippers are facing Mecca when they pray, but we also get to see the balconies, the bakeries, the bathrooms and the bath house.

Not a picture book for little kids, MOSQUE is an entertaining and info-packed illustrated introduction to a world different from our own--temporally, geographically, and culturally--which we learn is not all so different as some would want us to think.

Macaulay has been writing thrillingly illustrated books about architecture for over 20 years. This latest volume seems to grow out of a desire to increase understanding of Islam in the West after the attacks on the US. In his preface he says, "I was convinced ... that the time had come to find out where these extraordinary buildings came from, who built them, and of course how." There follows a wonderful explanation of the planning and constructing of a fictional mosque. Along the way, you learn the meaning of minaret towers, qibla walls, and why much Islamic art is so closely tied with Arabic calligraphy. During the Dark Ages, Islam was the caretaker of geometry and architecture, and this book is a quick primer on how they did it.

The first book by David Macaulay that I ever read was Cathedral, so that's the benchmark by which I measure his other books. Mosque is based on the same premise as that book (i.e. the construction of a great structure for religious worship), but adds the new element of color for the first time and is obviously not set in Medieval Europe. And while I did enjoy the color prints, and the book is well done, overall I felt like it fell a bit short of Cathedral because the drawings lacked the detail found in that book. Mosque seems to present a bigger picture rather than focusing on the intricate details that made Cathedral so interesting to me. You'll notice that I still gave Mosque four stars, so I'm not unhappy with it at all. But I didn't think it quite lived up to the high standards set by Cathedral, which is the only reason I shorted it one star. I would add that my four-and-a-half-year-old son, who absolutely loves all things related to construction, really enjoyed this book becuase of its illustrations and the interesting subject matter, but also becuase I summarized the narrative rather than reading it word for word. I did that because it is written at a higher reading level than Cathedral. That may or may not suit your needs depending on your situation, but for younger kids this would be a long slog if you read every word to them.

A very informative book about the building of a mosque in the Middle Ages that can be appreciated by anyone from teenagers on up (anyone younger might not get the full benefit of the text, unless they are intellectually gifted). Macaulay focuses on the architectural and social aspects surrounding these holy structures, so that even those with no knowledge of Islam can appreciate the significance that these buildings have in Muslim culture. Not only that, the author's drawing style has improved greatly from his books of the mid-70s, bringing more vividness to the subject and doing justice to the intricacies and beauty of the artwork within the mosque. As always with Macaulay's books, a treat for the eye and the mind.

I work in a Technical College with Arab students who are quite familiar with Mosques, since they pray in them up to five times a day. This book allows the Engineering students to see just how a mosque is actually constructed. They found it to be fascinating, and it brought about many interesting conversations during class time. After using the book, we had a trip to one of the large mosques so students could study the architecture and relate it to the book. One of the guys even carried the book along as a reference. This generated still more discussion between the students and the older men who happened to be at the mosque. What came from it were some interesting stories linking the past to the present. A good book for Arab students wishing to know more about their heritage.

Mosque is David Macaulay's latest book on architecture. Macaulay does not get into politics and does not dwelve deep into religion; he just focuses on architecture.

I have read all of Macaulay's other books (Castle, Cathedral, Underground, Ship, and City) and Mosque lives up to all the books he wrote and illustrated before. However, this book is Macaulay's first in color. All his other books were in black and white pen drawings. With the color in Mosque, you are able to picture the towering minarets and the grand interior of the mosque.

Macaulay's books are a tribute to architecture and should not be overlooked. Buy this book!

As the author has shown in numerous award-winning books-Cathedral, Pyramid and City, to name a few-his unique gift is the ability to show how monumental historical creations have been fabricated through wonderfully complex sequences of logical steps. This book fits neatly into that lineage, which could seem formulaic by now if each book were anything less than fascinating. Though the mosque, architect and patron in his story are all fictional, the book is set in Istanbul between 1540 and 1580, during the life-time of Sinan, the most renowned architect of the Ottoman Empire. The author remains faithful to that history, and imparts genuine awe at the resulting beauty. DD

Beautiful illustrations, informative narrative about the construction of a Turkish mosque in context of its society and culture. Will help reader appreciate the majesty of Islamic architecture.

My seven year old son and I are dedicating the next six months to reading about the Middle Ages. A central theme of this period is the conflict between the West and Islam. There are many books that come from the Christian perspective but many fewer come from the Muslim point of view. Understanding both perspectives is essential to gaining a more complete understanding of the period.

David Macauly's "Mosque" carefully follows the construction of a mosque complex in Seventeenth Century Instanbul. Most of Macaulay's focus is on the engineering and building crafts associated with the construction of the mosque. Yet at the same time, he provides us insights into Islamic culture by describing the religious prerequisites that dictate the site location and functions of the buildings. Islamic culture in the Middle Ages is a complex subject and "Mosque" is a great introduction to the subject. Highly recommended.

I'm a big fan of Macaulay's work and have nearly all of his books. There is no denying that "Mosque" provides a much-needed introduction to Islamic culture for Westerners who are increasingly interacting with and often clashing with the Eastern world. Macaulay has added color to his illustrations, a departure from earlier works like "Cathedral" and "Pyramid." I prefer his monochrome pen-and-ink work over the colorized versions, for the simple reason that his pen-and-ink work is extraordinary, and the addition of color seems to me to actually detract from it a little bit. (That said, they are still quite good.) But nonetheless it is a fine book and one which I look forward to sharing with my son. I just hope that Macaulay hasn't abandoned altogether his amazing drawing technique.