Salmiya

As Oleg Grabar has stressed many times in his book about Esfahan’s Masjed-e Jomeh , the mosque itself is perfectly embedded in the fabric of the Old City. There are no well-defined boundaries of the huge, 170 by 140 meters, complex. The main entrance is rather hidden at the eastern side of the building. Only helicopters and birds (or angels) may get an immediate impression of the huge dimensions of the mosques. I asked the officer near the ticket seller whether I was allowed to climb to the roofs. He declined, of course. It was very early in the morning, the sun had just risen and the glazed tiles on the mosque’s façades were glowing like gold. It reminded me of the spectacular photos taken by Henri Stierlin . Pigeons were sitting on the South Dome and warming up in the sun. When entering the courtyard, the two domes of the mosque are not visible at first sight. In particular, the northern dome is not visible at all from here, one of the main reasons for having neglected this masterp...

There are few extraordinary sights in Kuwait City and its residential and industrial areas which really deserve lots of attention. An exceptionally fine example of modern Islamic Art and Architecture can be found at the intersection of Airport Road and Gamal Abdul Nasser St in Shuwaikh, the Arab Organizations Headquarters Building , commonly known as the Arab Fund Building. Rather plain and cubic, let’s say Bauhaus-like, when seen from the highway, Arab architectural principles of integrity of space, decoration and function are applied here in an extraordinarily balanced way. Only guided tours are possible and I had opportunities to impress my guests and friends with what Islamic Art can achieve. Already the huge entrance door with its hand carved wooden inlaid pieces fitting together without any nails and allowing expansion during extreme climate changes is absolutely amazing. When you enter, on your lefts side the marvelous Moroccan water fall with its intricate blue mosaic provides ...