Memorial mosque

Memorial mosque is the name of mosques , the creation of which is more due to the creation of historical places of remembrance or memorials for Islamic saints than to a specific need for a suitable prayer room.

The Islam had quickly created historical memories themselves, led to the emergence of new soon mosques. After the death of the Prophet Mohammed, the places where he stayed for prayer acquired a special meaning. In memory, his followers preferred to perform their salāt in these places . On the way between Mecca and Medina, numerous mosques to commemorate the prophets quickly emerged , including the Al-Haram mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's mosque in Medina. The same applies to the way to Tabūk . Other mosques were built in places where the Prophet is said to have received revelations or others where a special victory was achieved, such as the Masdjid al-Fath , which commemorates the victory over the Meccans. According to a legend, the Ibn Tulun mosque in Cairo is said to have been built where Noah's ark landed after the flood. A mosque next to Istakhar has been associated with Sulaiman .

The tomb mosque is a special type of memorial mosque that was connected to a tomb / mausoleum. Another form of the memorial mosque is the pilgrimage mosque , which is the destination of Islamic pilgrimages. The boundaries are fluid, so that it is not always possible to clearly distinguish between memorial mosque, grave mosque and pilgrimage mosque.

literature

• AJ Wensinck and JH Kramers: Handwortbuch des Islam , EJ Brill, Leiden, 1941, p. 427f