That's a good question. Ideally, it should be defined through the spiritual space, but many people don't see it that way. In countries such as Holland and Belgium this is a very controversial issue as too many people put too much importance and value on the traditional architectural characteristics, whether in a positive or negative way. The "autochthonal" (as used in Holland and Belgium), Christian part of the population generally doesn't like to see these architectural characteristics in their living environment as it reminds them of the presence of a growing Islamic part of the population, mostly made up of immigrants and their descendents from Turkey and Marocco. The latter are often very conservative and generally consider the ability to apply traditional architectural characteristics to their spiritual spaces as a strong affirmation of their identity. Designs for new mosques that lack these architectural characteristics are usually not very much appreciated and as a result, few such examples are realized.

Of course, from the point of view of an architectural style, strong architectural characteristics simplify the specification of the style, as exemplified by the application of shape grammars to define the typology of classical period Ottoman mosques (e.g., Şener and Görgül, 2008). The concept of a spiritual space is much more difficult to capture formally.

Mosque should be defined through the spiritual space and the architectural characteristics as well. There are some internal and external features that nearly all mosques have in common. These provide both continuity and a sense of tradition among the users.

I have no answers but it is a very intriguing question. Sometimes we talk about"genius loci" that means the spirit of the place or, in different words, it is there just because there you feel it is the right place.. And it is very interesting what wrote Rudi about the interaction in Europe of different cultures and changing of population. I'm mostly oriented on the fact that the architectural value is more and observational parameter rather than the spiritual meanings. Because I can understand that a mosque is a Muslim devoted manufact even I'm rather fully ignorant about Islam

Like other structures, mosques have also evolved. In Pakistan, most of the mosques half a century ago, used to have a dome, four minartes, and a Mihrab. But now most of the new mosques have one minarte, no dome, and almost no visible mihrab. Many basic architectural characteristics have disappeared over time. It can now only be defined as a place where muslims offer mass prayers. Instead of spiritual space, which is somewhat a problematic term, today's mosques are mainly defined by affiliation with a sectarian group.

Whereas the word architecture have a fairly broad meaning, mosque has a quite specific meaning. A mosque does not necessarily mean a building or an architecture. Its more than just a place of worship or a spiritual space. The essence of mosque is in the spirit of the activity (a path of prayer and prostration) not in the structure. A place of total humility to bow before God Almighty. As long as this essence is contained in the place (mosque), there is no problem if its reflect the local culture, heritage, and resources of its community.

Dear Fulya

Through both together space is spiritual reflected the impact of a direct impact on the planning and design of the mosque Ventzam rows needs to be an area of ​​organization inside and Media Muslims shortly prayer enjoined the presence of the minaret and Alkhtabbh necessitated the pulpit and Imamate in prayer necessitated the mihrab and looking to the sky enjoined internal space which Augpth sky.

Dear Fulya,

I will give you a very simple answer. When you meet a special person, for example, a cleric. You know he is a cleric and you respect him because of his position, so, why do the cleric wear a particular dress. Same thing is for any building such as the Mosque, Church, court... etc.

It's to give privacy to the place, with special characteristic forms.

In the case of the mosque certainly form follows function, because the regularity of the shape of the inside imposed by the Islamic faith in prayer, a need for uniformity among the worshipers without any hindrance is the inner emptiness required for the regularity of the rows of worshipers, whether this space is a square or rectangular vertically or horizontally on the wall using the moving hand Kaaba, the most prominent example of this is that one of the Ottoman sultans asked engineer mosque dome that rises on the walls do not go up on the columns or piers so as to allow regular space imposed by the creed.

Mosque known through the area on which it is not through architectural form mosque built of mud that has the same sanctity of the building of high-quality raw materials such as stone, marble and other mosque important thing for any mosque shook those pure area of land walled whether to raise the ceiling Columnar and contracts that vary in its article here are highlights for us the difference between traditional architecture or architecture environment which is characterized by simple dependence on local materials and the Sultan Building or the state concerned with the form.

And Alverw between simple Mosque and the Mosque of the official state is the same as the difference between the function and shape or form and content, and this is what distinguishes Islamic architecture They combine unity and diversity unit in content or function and diversity in the form imposed by the environment, we know that the function of the minaret is the ears either shape is different from province the last of the minaret in Egypt form different from those in Turkey in the same historical period.