The mosque (masjid) is the site of communal prayer rituals as well as many other activities in Islamic cultures. By definition, it must simply be a clean space oriented towards Mecca. In actuality, mosques have taken diverse architectural forms ranging from simple hypostyle halls of mud-brick to elaborate complexes of reinforced concrete and plate glass. This course will address the stylistic and regional differences from the seventh to twentieth century, including the columned halls of the central Arab lands, the centralized domed structures of the Ottoman world and the courtyard structures of the Persian tradition. Elements of architectural decoration such as monumental calligraphy, glazed tilework and carved stucco will also be considered. The course will culminate in a consideration of modern mosque architecture in which tradition and modernism combine to generate new forms of sacred space.