MASTER OF DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA, SHAH ALAM

EAH 712: ISLAMIC ORNAMENTATION

TASK 1:
MIHRAB: A BRIEF STUDY OF THE KEY COMPONENT IN ISLAMIC
ARCHITECTURE OF PUTRA MOSQUE, PUTRAJAYA

MUHAMMAD IQMAL BIN ROSLAN

2023343371
CAAD704FT/01

To be submitted:
DR. NURUL HUDA MOHD DIN
INTRODUCTION

In Islamic art and architecture, the greatest extent of ornamentation and motifs probably describe
aesthetic values that serve as a platform for delivering information about Islam's culture, including Islamic
values and identity (Zahra & Safrizal Bin Shahir, 2022). Furthermore, the most distinguishing feature of
Islamic decoration is the depth of meaning behind it, which may impact a person's concept of spiritual
aesthetics. Islamic architecture is a term used for the building traditions of multiple states since the 7th
century, where Islam was the main religion and a major cultural influence, though usually associated with
religious buildings. Islamic architecture encompasses fortresses, palaces, tombs, public buildings such as
schools, and smaller structures such as fountains and public baths, as well as domestic architecture with
its towering minarets, horseshoe and pointed arches, muqarnas vaulting, and ornamental details. Islamic
architecture has made unique contributions to the history of architecture (Nikolic, 2022).

This paper is aimed at focusing on one of the most significant components of Islamic buildings
and interpreting its aesthetic as well as artistic expressions. The purpose of this study is to contextualise
the concept and assess the Muslim adornment in the Putra Mosque, Putrajaya, and to indicate Muslim
discipline components as new decorative components that have the same outcome within the limits of
Muslim ideology and principles, to gift new ornamentation components (Nor Azlan, 2019). Mihrab is a
recess in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla, or the direction of Mecca's Kaaba, that Muslims
should face when praying. The "qibla wall" is thus the wall on which a mihrab appears (Hossam Eldien et
al., 2023). This function conveys an important message to individuals interested in art in general: the
ability of non-figurative adornment to articulate spiritual reality. Indeed, the mihrab’s function and
spiritual significance earn it a coveted place in the history of Islamic sacred art.

Figure 1: Putra Mosque, Putrajaya

ARTISTIC AND AESTHETIC EXPRESSIONS

The Mihrab's creative message contradicts mainstream art theories. It imparts a highly utilitarian,
intensely devout, and aesthetically pleasing concept based on Islam's taboo on depicting human and animal
figures. The mihrab's artistic seduction pulls Muslims into deeper contact with the wonder of divine
creation as "decorated," which is an essential characteristic of beauty in Islam (Longhurst, 2023). The
mihrab also questions the notion that artworks from the past must be studied as historical events with little
or no relevance to the present. It defies this relativistic worldview by being fundamentally present in both
its artistic and functional forms. Because it is firmly based in Islam, the mihrab transcends the temporal
framework of art. Taking the mihrab out of its functional and religious context and reconstructing it
outside of it to place the mosque in an art gallery or museum would diminish its significance and contradict
the Islamic concept of unity.

Through artistic variation, the mihrab also develops creative richness. As an aesthetic experience,
it incorporates three distinct art divisions: ornamental, sculptural, and architectural. Furthermore, as the
location for Quranic recitation, it also houses Islam's auditory art, which is regarded as a fine art in the
Muslim world. A cursory examination of various art forms, as well as the distinguishing traits of Islamic
art, reveals the mihrab's aesthetic potential in a distinct spiritual setting. It will also highlight the symbolic
value of beauty in Islam, which is at the heart of its art.

DECORATION

Soon after its establishment, the Mihrab was seen as an artistic component of Islamic culture,
deserving of the best Islamic masters had to offer. Certainly, the mihrab became a focal point for
architectural ornamentation, and it was frequently adorned with cutting-edge artistic techniques. The
mihrab is also known for its colourful tile work in a variety of styles; for example, Putra Mosque’s mihrab
is an interior focal point.

Figure 2: Putra Mosque’s Interior.

 There is no one style of decorative art ideal for the mihrab, but rather pan-Islamic aesthetic
principles that apply to all sorts. Although the degree of creative technique varies between cultures, the
same forms and designs appear throughout the Muslim world. They all illustrate Islam's preoccupation
with the visual principles of abstraction, the use of symmetry and continuous patterning to symbolize the
divine infinite (Al-Bq), and the harmony and balance (mizan) in the universe. The mihrab contains the
greatest geometric, vegetal, arabesque, and calligraphic themes from this bearing. These patterns, like
Islamic art in general, emphasize the Divine Essence as wholly spiritual, undivided, and irreducible to the
material, majestic, and simple.

SCULPTURE

The mihrab is also a work of sculptural art. The best examples are seen in forms that incorporate
sculptural elements such as columns on either side of the niche entrance and a shell hood, as seen in the
Putra Mosque, which includes a very remarkable sculptural mihrab. Unlike typical carved artworks, which
have no specific position and hence may be placed anywhere, the mihrab, on the other hand, is fixed. As
a result, it defines both an interior area within the mosque and a position indicating the direction towards
Mecca, pointing to the Kaaba.

Figure 3: The mihrab of Putra Mosque

ARCHITECTURE

The mihrab is also an example of Islamic religious architecture and has been widely explored as
such in architectural art theory studies. Because of its spatial three-dimensional character, varied depths
of relief, and use of the arch, it has a strong link to architecture. This explains why the mihrab is seen as a
distinctly Islamic architectural module that includes both architectural art and small-scale sculptural
buildings. The immovable nature of the mihrab also contributes to its architectural standing.
QURANIC RECITATION

The mihrab also adds to the beauty of Islam's ceremonial prayer by acting as an acoustic device or
resonator for the prayer leader's voice during Salah. This is due to its concave shape, which is designed to
reverberate and intensify sound. The mihrab thus serves a vital role in the dissemination of Islam's Divine
Word, as well as providing a venue for the embodiment of that Word in form and space, the tangible and
temporalized expression of Kalam Allah through the beautified speech "taliwa" through Quranic
recitation. Because the Quran is first and foremost a spoken revelation, this art form is one of the most
revered in the Islamic faith.

Figure 4: Quranic Recitation and Calligraphy on Mihrab of Putra Mosque

The mihrab also serves to qualify the mosque’s interior space as sacred by creatively defining the
area where spiritual exigencies dominate. A sense of sacred space is created, an atmosphere to perform
sense the space inside and around the mihrab is qualified as sacred insofar as other spaces inside the
mosque through a mysterious kind of self-consciousness constituting its distinction, thus Islamic prayer
plays an essential role in establishing the mihrab’s religious and sacred identity architectural elements, it
dramatizes the overall mosque space, creating a sense of spiritual gravity by orienting the open space of
the prayer hall to facilitate an understanding of divine worship and ritual prayer as universal in attempting
to symbolize the simple perfection of God, many mosques are of God’s infinity and the divisibility of
space. The mihrab elevates the local mosque to the level of a worldwide movement. The symbolic
associations of the mihrab with Islamic theology also underscore the entire Islamic community’s witness
to the divine will and law when the community congregates for prayer.
CONCLUSION

The mihrab is much more than just a utilitarian aspect of mosque design. Not only does it point in
the direction of Mecca, symbolizing unity, and peace, it not only represents universality in prayer, but it
is also a masterpiece of Islamic sacred art and a hybrid element of Islamic decorative art, sculpture, and
architecture. These categories formally integrate at the mihrab to convey a theological and aesthetic ideal.
As one of Islam's most significant artistic and religious features, this mosque module unites Islam's
spirituality and beauty by simultaneously occupying specific space as if it were sculpture while creating
qualified space to contour as if it were architecture. This is how the mihrab artistically and substantively
contributes to Islam's sense of sacred unity. While displaying the key elements of religious art, it shows
the essence of the Muslims' faith and understanding of God "tawhid". In addition to its visual value, the
mihrab has significant spiritual appeal, which contributes to its religious identity. The mihrab is a reservoir
for the Islamic religion's physical and spiritual yearnings as both a piece of theology and a masterwork of
Islamic sacred art, and this is without a doubt the mihrab's most authoritative standing.

REFERENCES

Zahra, F., & Safrizal Bin Shahir. (2022). The Aesthetic Value and Spiritual Aesthetics of Islamic
Ornaments in Islamic Architecture. Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization, 12(1), 164–175.
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Nikolic, D. (2022, December 19). 6 Key Characteristics of Islamic Architecture. The Collector.
https://www.thecollector.com/islamic-architecture-characteristics/

Hossam Eldien, H., M. Bongwirnso, U., & Hammad, E. (2023). Impact of Mihrab geometry on the
acoustics of the mosque. INTER-NOISE and NOISE-CON Congress and Conference Proceedings,
265(7), 379–391. https://doi.org/10.3397/in_2022_0055

Nor Azlan, S. N. S. (2019). A study on ornamentation in the Putra Mosque of Putrajaya.

Longhurst, C. (2013). Miḥrāb: Symbol of Unity and Masterpiece of Islamic Art and Architecture.
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