Abstract:
The thesis is an endeavour to portray the essence of the message of Islam and Islamic ideals via the means of architecture. The essence of Islam was decided to be described by analyzing key moments in the lives of six of the noble Messengers of God, namely, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them), with special emphasis on the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The title “A quest of the spirit” was identified and implemented in order to govern the underlying theme of the project via a broad spectrum of topics as illustrated below: A quest of the spirit in terms of the spirit being -- A quest of the journey of the soul of mankind, from the beginning of creation to the end of time -- The meaning of living in God’s way, which in essence is portrayed by the lives of His noble Messengers -- Islamic culture, norms and value systems and its development over time -- Signs and symbols and their definitions over time --Islamic architecture and its development over time -- The essence of Islam, in terms of Islam as religion, Islam as culture, and Islam as a way of life in modern society -- My personal zeal to uncover the link between Islam, culture, and architecture, and their development over time By an exhaustive research analysis of important Islamic precedent studies, a basic guide of essential principles comes across, which become meaningful and depict symbolic importance, which, even though modernized, maintain their universal image and appeal. These principles become entrenched as the basic guide towards space making, whilst the narrative of the lives of the Messengers, dictates the path of the spectator through the passages of time and the lessons of God. Alas, via the study of religious norms and ideals, via an understanding of culture and symbols, and via the implementation of architecture and space-making, a narrative becomes alive in the form of a physical journey, which unfolds an understanding of the essence of a message, the essence of the soul, and the essence of a quest of the spirit …
