Aesthetic Representation Levels in Mosques: Insights from the Great State Mosque Competition in Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract

Mosques represent the most distinctive type in terms of functional and semantic aspects. State mosques are among the most specific which derive the characteristics of them from the various places and times in which they exist. The process of designing a contemporary state mosque is often an important opportunity for a dialogue between different cultures, especially when the designers belong to any one of those cultures. This has been the case in the competition of the Great State Mosque in Baghdad. Some studies examining Islamic thought, art, and architecture have shown that there are four gradual levels of aesthetic representations there. There is the level of simple formal tasting perceived by the senses, the level of beauty meeting a psychological need, the level of beauty generating positive moral values, and the higher spiritual level perceived by reasons and metaphysical thoughts. However, there is a lack of a proper understanding of these. In this context, this research examines the variations in the levels and nature of the aesthetic representation adopted by the designers of the competition. It employs a descriptive analytical approach and the methodology of text analysis. The proposals were explained by the designers participating in the competition. The research analyzed those texts using indicators derived from previous theoretical studies. The designers were treated as one group and later classified into two, local and foreign. The results were analyzed by simple statistical formulas, the ratios, and averages. Mathematical correlation factors were extracted between the different categories and among designers. The findings show an absence of the third aesthetic level as a clear intention in the proposals of all the designers, despite the closeness of the results. The remarkable finding is that the foreign designers were focusing on the higher metaphysical and spiritual level, while the locals were focusing on the level of simple formal visual taste.