Drawing the Isolated Mosque

Abstract

From the early-nineteenth century onwards, Orientalist visual constructs heavily shaped European depictions and analyses of mosque architecture. Over time, these representations shifted from the Orientalist exoticized scenographic model to the “scientific” language of the orthographic drawing. This article analyzes that process, tracing the evolution of a series of published plan drawings for five historical mosques. Unpacking their authors’ drafting techniques and examining the relationship between the isolation of the drawing and the understanding of the mosque as a timeless monument highlights the gaps of knowledge reproduced within the canonical texts of Islamic architecture and their disciplinary impact.