Mosque phase 1

At the end of my time in Afghanistan, I had the opportunity to visit Herat, where (among many other treats), I had a tour of the magnificent Friday Mosque.  It is utterly magnificent, originally dating from medieval times but undergoing constant renovation and restoration.  The bright blue, white and turquoise tiles covering the mosque in particular amazed me.  When I started my Afghan city building, I always knew that it needed to include a mosque.  I've been daunted by the task of creating anything that could even remotely compare to the beauty of the Great Mosque of Herat.

After far too long a time dithering, I have finally started on my Afghan Masjid project.  It's too big and too detailed for me to complete in any reasonable time, so I'm going to build in stages.  Here is stage 1, the basic structure.

As per my experience following Matakishi's building patterns, the walls are cork board.  The semi-dome is a Styrofoam ball from Michael's.   

The layout consists of a courtyard, with the prayer hall to direct the faithful to pray in the direction of Mecca.  I am grateful to the book, Built to Last by David Macaulay for teaching me some of the details of how a mosque is built! I've been a fan of David Macaulay for as long as I can remember, and the many hours I spent poring over copies of City, Castle and other of his books that I borrowed and then borrowed again from my elementary school library.  His books were one of the reasons I ended up as a civil engineer!

Here are some of the interior details, showing the arcade around the courtyard and the iwan entrance to the prayer hall.

I'm taking a break from this project now, but over time I intend to add further features and details.  I would love to recreate the gorgeous Islamic tiles of the Herat mosque, for which I'll probably need to print some suitable wallpaper and paste in place.  I'd also like to improve on the dome.  I plan to provide a sadirvan or fountain in the courtyard, and a minaret from which the faithful can be called to prayer.  

My Afghan city is now fairly extensive, and covers most of my 4'x6' gaming mat.  

Cheers,

Will