Miḥrāb - the Architectural Form in Contemporary Studio Practice

The term mihrab refers to the niche on the wall of a Muslim sanctuary indicating the qibla, or direction of prayer towards Makkah. The mihrab is one of the few universal elements in mosque architecture. But the very familiarity and ubiquity of this form raises a number of questions: Why was the form of an arch or niche chosen? How did the term mihrab come into the mosque vocabulary? What are the levels of meaning adhering to this architectural form?

The illustrated research paper by Dr Katya Nosyreva will explore how this architectural form acquired cultural and symbolic meaning. We will discuss the history of the word miḥrāb, its significance as a means of orientation within the mosque, and its expression as an architectural element with multiple layers of meaning and function. The theoretical discussion will be supported by visual illustrations of practical design enquiries.

Dr Nosyreva will use her studio-based PhD research project — the designing and making of an architectural mihrab, executed as a hand-crafted ceramic mural, for a Sufi center in Delhi, India — to illustrate structural and ornamental applications of proportion, and geometric and biomorphic patterns. The presentation will consider the rich heritage of mosque mihrab architecture and ask how contemporary practitioners can engage in a creative dialogue with this unique form as an architectural, ornamental, and symbolic element.