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This episode’s guest is Dr. Dafna Sharf-Davidovich, a lecturer on the material culture of Islamic lands at the Open University of Israel and the Hebrew University. The conversation is about the architecture of mosques in Israel and around the world. It examines the stylistic, social, and political changes they reflect, from the new mosque in Abu Ghosh to contemporary trends in Muslim construction.
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The Abu Ghosh mosque and the Ottoman style
The conversation begins with Boris Gorelik’s observation of the new mosque in Abu Ghosh, which stands out with its four minarets. According to Dr. Sharf-Davidovich, the mosque is indeed unique in the local landscape. It was inaugurated in 2014, and most of its funding came from the government of Chechnya and its president, Ramzan Kadyrov. The residents of Abu Ghosh claim a historical connection to the Caucasus, so they turned to Chechnya for support, where building mosques in a neo-Ottoman style is common.
She explains that the Ottoman style is characterized by a wide prayer hall covered by a single large central dome, and that its main inspiration is the Byzantine Hagia Sophia church in Istanbul. After the conquest of Constantinople, the church became a symbol that Ottoman architects sought to surpass. The number of minarets in Ottoman mosques served as a status symbol: according to imperial law, only the sultan was allowed to build a mosque with more than one minaret. Therefore, mosques built by local governors, like the Jazzar Pasha Mosque in Acre, have a single minaret. Today, leaders like Turkish President Erdoğan adopt this symbolism, building magnificent, multi-minaret mosques to present themselves as successors to the sultans.
The social role of the mosque
Dr. Sharf-Davidovich emphasizes that the mosque has always served as a social center and not just a place of prayer. The original model is the Prophet Muhammad’s house in Medina, which served as a place for assembly, hospitality, and mediation. Even today, many mosques serve as a place for rest, conversation, and community activities similar to a community center, held in side rooms. She argues that the fact that children play soccer in the Temple Mount plaza does not indicate disrespect for the sanctity of the site, but quite the opposite. It expresses the perception of the compound as an open and comfortable community space, a kind of “second home” where believers feel close to God.
The status of women in the mosque
In the mid-20th century, with the intensification of social processes worldwide, Muslim women began to demand their place in public prayer. Traditionally, women were not obligated to come to the mosque and prayed at home. In older mosques, areas were allocated for them at the back of the prayer hall or in the courtyard. In contrast, in modern mosques like the one in Abu Ghosh, a dedicated gallery is built for them, similar to the women’s section in synagogues. Dr. Sharf-Davidovich notes that there is also separation on the Temple Mount: on Fridays, women pray in the Dome of the Rock structure and in the northern part of the plaza, while men pray in the al-Aqsa Mosque. The separation is intended to prevent the distraction of the praying men.
Golden domes and green minarets
Boris Gorelik brings up the phenomenon of new mosques in Israel being built with golden domes, in contrast to the stone domes of older mosques. Dr. Sharf-Davidovich explains that this is a visual and political statement that began to spread after the end of the First Intifada. The golden domes, coated with modern materials, stand out prominently in the landscape and constitute a declaration. At night, their place is taken by the minarets, which are illuminated with green neon light. She notes that illuminating minarets in green is a phenomenon unique to Israel, as the color green is identified with Islam and is particularly visible in the dark.
The Dome of the Rock as a national symbol
The choice of a golden dome is not accidental, and it is a direct reference to the Dome of the Rock. Moreover, many new mosques are built in an octagonal shape, similar to the structure of the Dome of the Rock. According to Dr. Sharf-Davidovich, this carries a strong political statement, because the Dome of the Rock structure is not intended for communal prayer at all but is a memorial built around the Foundation Stone. Adopting the architectural form of this iconic structure turns the new mosques into a symbol of the Palestinian national struggle and of religious and national pride.
Modernity in mosque architecture
Islamic architecture is not static and incorporates modern elements. Dr. Sharf-Davidovich gives the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi as an example, which combines classical design with modern materials, ecological considerations, and advanced technology. In new mosques, one can find digital boards displaying prayer times, sophisticated amplification systems for the muezzin’s call, and a wide range of enrichment classes for the community, from calligraphy to activities for adults.
The original episode, in Hebrew: סודות המסגדים