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Mosque with six minarets under a crescent, hexagonal zellige pattern, arabesque manuscript, openwork brass lantern and mihrab niche with muqarnas
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Religions & SpiritualityMedium

Mosques and Islamic Art

Which Turkish city produces the most famous blue ceramics? What is the niche oriented toward Mecca called? 10 questions on sanctuaries and decorative arts of the Muslim world.

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The 10 quiz questions

Question 1 : Which Jerusalem sanctuary is considered the third holiest place in Islam?

Possible answers:

  • The Al-Aqsa Mosque
  • The Great Mosque of Aleppo
  • The Umayyad Mosque of Damascus
  • Al-Azhar Mosque in Cairo

Explanation: The Al-Aqsa Mosque stands on the Temple Mount, where Muslim tradition places Muhammad's night journey to the heavens. The site is shared with Judaism, for whom it is the Temple Mount, making it one of the most politically sensitive places on the planet.

Question 2 : Which Istanbul mosque is famous for its 6 minarets and 20,000 blue Iznik tiles?

Possible answers:

  • The Süleymaniye Mosque
  • The Sultanahmet Mosque
  • The Fatih Mosque
  • The Eyüp Sultan Mosque

Explanation: The Sultanahmet Mosque, known as the Blue Mosque, caused a scandal when built in the 17th century: its 6 minarets equaled those of Mecca. Sultan Ahmet had to fund a 7th minaret for the sanctuary in Mecca to ease the controversy.

Question 3 : Which Andalusian mosque shelters a forest of 850 columns topped with two-tone arches?

Possible answers:

  • The Giralda of Seville
  • The Koutoubia of Marrakesh
  • The Mezquita of Cordoba
  • The Alhambra of Granada

Explanation: The Mezquita of Cordoba was begun in 785 by Abd al-Rahman I. After the Reconquista, a cathedral was inserted right in the middle in 1523, which angered Charles V: "You have built what could have been built anywhere, and undone what was unique in the world."

Question 4 : What is the name of the niche in a mosque that indicates the direction of Mecca?

Possible answers:

  • The minbar
  • The qibla
  • The maqsura
  • The mihrab

Explanation: The mihrab is carved into the qibla wall, the wall facing Mecca. It is not an altar: it is a visual marker to align communal prayer. Its decoration is often the most ornate spot in the entire mosque, mosaics, calligraphy, sculpted marble.

Question 5 : Which art form has a particularly central status in Islamic culture, tied to the Quran?

Possible answers:

  • Calligraphy
  • Marble sculpture
  • Silk painting
  • Woodcut engraving

Explanation: Arabic calligraphy has an almost sacred status because it writes the word of God. The main styles are Kufic (angular, ancient), Naskh (rounded, readable) and Thuluth (elegant, ornamental). Many calligraphers were actually superstar artists of their time.

Question 6 : What are the geometric and vegetal interlacings typical of Islamic decoration called?

Possible answers:

  • Frescoes
  • Arabesques
  • Mandalas
  • Bas-reliefs

Explanation: Arabesques avoid all figurative representation of humans or animals, in line with a traditional interpretation of Muslim aniconism. This constraint pushed artists toward extreme geometric virtuosity, with infinite patterns that tile the plane according to rules mathematicians took centuries to formalize.

Question 7 : Which gold-domed monument is the oldest surviving masterpiece of Islamic architecture?

Possible answers:

  • The Kaaba
  • The Great Mosque of Kairouan
  • The Dome of the Rock
  • The Ibn Tulun Mosque

Explanation: The Dome of the Rock was completed in 691 under Caliph Abd al-Malik. Its octagonal plan and gilded wooden dome draw on Byzantine models, which makes sense: the architects were probably local Christians working for a Muslim patron. A magnificent example of artistic syncretism.

Question 8 : Which Turkish city is famous for its blue and turquoise ceramics that decorated Ottoman mosques?

Possible answers:

  • Konya
  • Bursa
  • Edirne
  • Iznik

Explanation: Iznik produced ceramics of unmatched technical quality in the 15th and 16th centuries. The secret: a white siliceous body and a very pure transparent glaze that give a particular luminosity to the blues and turquoises. Production collapsed in the 17th century and the know-how is partly lost.

Question 9 : In what year was construction of Istanbul's Blue Mosque completed?

Possible answers:

  • 1616
  • 1670
  • 1701
  • 1750

Explanation: The work lasted from 1609 to 1616, under Ahmet I. The sultan wanted to surpass the mosque of his rival Suleiman the Magnificent: he pushed the architect Sedefkar Mehmet Aga to go bigger, bluer, taller. The result became the emblem of Istanbul.

Question 10 : Who is in charge of calling the faithful to prayer from the top of a minaret?

Possible answers:

  • The imam
  • The muezzin
  • The caliph
  • The mufti

Explanation: The muezzin gives the adhan five times a day. Bilal, a companion of Muhammad and former Ethiopian slave, is considered the very first muezzin in the history of Islam. Today many calls are broadcast through loudspeakers or even pre-recorded, which sparks debate within the community.

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