Modern Mosque Architecture and its Impact on Islamic Identity: A Study of Mosques in European Countries
Abstract
The increasing presence of Islam in Europe has led to the emergence of modern mosque architecture, raising questions about its impact on Islamic identity. This study examines how modern architectural styles influence the perception and experience of Islamic identity within European Muslim communities. This research aims to analyze the architectural features of selected modern mosques in Europe and explore how these features interact with the construction and negotiation of Islamic identity among worshippers. Employing a qualitative research methodology, this study conducts case studies of several prominent modern mosques in various European countries. Data collection involves site visits, architectural analysis, and semi-structured interviews with mosque attendees and community leaders. The study analyzes the interplay between modern architectural aesthetics, traditional Islamic architectural elements, and the evolving interpretations of Islamic identity in a European context. Some mosques prioritize minimalist designs and contemporary materials, while others incorporate subtle Islamic motifs within modern frameworks. The study concludes that modern mosque architecture in Europe serves as a dynamic space where Islamic identity is negotiated and expressed in diverse ways, reflecting the complex interplay between tradition, modernity, and the specific socio-cultural contexts of European Muslim communities.
Full text article
References
Ahmed, A. Q. (2024). The Effects of Modern Architecture on the Evolution of Mosques in Sulaymaniyah. Buildings, 14(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14113697
Ali, U. (2021). Review of urban building energy modeling (UBEM) approaches, methods and tools using qualitative and quantitative analysis. Energy and Buildings, 246(Query date: 2024-12-01 09:57:11). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2021.111073
Asim, G. M. (2022). Analyses and architectural typology of preserved traditional mosques in the old city of Herat in Afghanistan: The case of Quzzat Quarter. Built Heritage, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43238-022-00070-0
Barker, T. H. (2022). Revising the JBI quantitative critical appraisal tools to improve their applicability: An overview of methods and the development process. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 21(3), 478–493. https://doi.org/10.11124/JBIES-22-00125
Battista, G. (2022). Retrofit Analysis of a Historical Building in an Architectural Constrained Area: A Case Study in Rome, Italy. Applied Sciences (Switzerland), 12(23). https://doi.org/10.3390/app122312305
Bellamy, C. (2021). Being Muslim the Chhipa way: Caste identity as Islamic identity in a low-caste Indian Muslim community. Contributions to Indian Sociology, 55(2), 224–253. https://doi.org/10.1177/00699667211006954
Bellizia, E. (2022). Ontogeny of a subtidal point bar in the microtidal Venice Lagoon (Italy) revealed by three-dimensional architectural analyses. Sedimentology, 69(3), 1399–1423. https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12956
Bruno, R. (2022). A Novel Bio-Architectural Temporary Housing Designed for the Mediterranean Area: Theoretical and Experimental Analysis. Energies, 15(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/en15093243
Chen, M. (2022). Value Analysis and Rehabilitation Strategies for the Former Qingdao Exchange Building—A Case Study of a Typical Modern Architectural Heritage in the Early 20th Century in China. Buildings, 12(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12070980
Choudhery, S. (2021). Malignant outcomes of architectural distortion on tomosynthesis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Roentgenology, 217(2), 295–303. https://doi.org/10.2214/AJR.20.23935
Dobrean, D. (2021). A Hybrid Approach to MVC Architectural Layers Analysis. International Conference on Evaluation of Novel Approaches to Software Engineering, ENASE - Proceedings, 2021(Query date: 2025-01-09 02:21:15), 36–46. https://doi.org/10.5220/0010326700360046
Ferre, R. (2022). Meta-analysis: Architectural distortion and breast MRI. Breast Disease, 41(1), 205–214. https://doi.org/10.3233/BD-210045
Galuppi, L. (2023). Thermal analysis of architectural glazing in uneven conditions based on Biot’s variational principle: Part II—validation and case-studies. Glass Structures and Engineering, 8(1), 57–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40940-023-00217-0
Ghandali, S. (2021). Profiled power-analysis attacks by an efficient architectural extension of a cnn implementation. Proceedings - International Symposium on Quality Electronic Design, ISQED, 2021(Query date: 2025-01-09 02:21:15), 395–400. https://doi.org/10.1109/ISQED51717.2021.9424361
Haniffa, F. (2023). The Moors’ Islamic Cultural Home and the Modern Muslim Ummah: Negotiating Identity, Politics, and Community in 1940s Sri Lanka. International Journal of Islam in Asia, 4(1), 125–150. https://doi.org/10.1163/25899996-20241071
Jha, M. K. (2024). Water immersion aging of polymer composites: Architectural change of reinforcement, mechanical, and morphological analysis. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 14(14), 15769–15783. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-022-03622-7
Jian, C. (2020). Quantitative PCR provides a simple and accessible method for quantitative microbiota profiling. PLoS ONE, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227285
Kapoor, K. S. (2024). Single Extracellular Vesicle Imaging and Computational Analysis Identifies Inherent Architectural Heterogeneity. ACS Nano, 18(18), 11717–11731. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.3c12556
Khan, A. (2021). An Analysis of System Balance and Architectural Trends Based on Top500 Supercomputers. ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, Query date: 2025-01-09 02:21:15, 11–22. https://doi.org/10.1145/3432261.3432263
Khaznadar, B. M. A. (2023). Sustainable Continuity of Cultural Heritage: An Approach for Studying Architectural Identity Using Typo-Morphology Analysis and Perception Survey. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/su15119050
Ku?nierz-Krupa, D. (2021). Qualitative analysis of architectural education in the protection of a historic city. Wiadomosci Konserwatorskie, 2021(65), 20–25. https://doi.org/10.48234/WK65PROTECTION
Kwon, H. A. (2021). The functions of housing in response to changed lifestyles in korean residential spaces: A comparative analysis of the cases in lifestyle and architectural magazines. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(21). https://doi.org/10.3390/su132112079
Lewi?ska, P. (2022). To save from oblivion: Comparative analysis of remote sensing means of documenting forgotten architectural treasures – Zagórz Monastery complex, Poland. Measurement: Journal of the International Measurement Confederation, 189(Query date: 2025-01-09 02:21:15). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2021.110447
Li, Y. (2023). Wind Effect Analysis of a High-rise Ancient Wooden Tower with a Particular Architectural Profile via Wind Tunnel Test. International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 17(3), 518–537. https://doi.org/10.1080/15583058.2021.1938748
Lorenz, W. E. (2021). Multilayered complexity analysis in architectural design: Two measurement methods evaluating self-similarity and complexity. Fractal and Fractional, 5(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/fractalfract5040244
Mahmoud, S. (2023). Modern Trends in Mosques Architecture. Advances in Science, Technology and Innovation, Query date: 2025-01-09 02:19:58, 9–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24751-4_2
McFadden, D. (2021). Quantitative methods for analysing travel behaviour ofindividuals: Some recent developments. Behavioural Travel Modelling, Query date: 2024-12-01 09:57:11, 279–318.
Mishra, P. S. (2021). Value assessment of existing architectural heritage for future generation using criteria importance through inter-criteria correlation and grey relational analysis method: A case of Odisha temple architecture in India. Current Science, 121(6), 823–833. https://doi.org/10.18520/cs/v121/i6/823-833
Moyano, J. (2022). Analysis and management of structural deformations through parametric models and HBIM workflow in architectural heritage. Journal of Building Engineering, 45(Query date: 2025-01-09 02:21:15). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2021.103274
Nooraie, R. Y. (2020). Social Network Analysis: An Example of Fusion Between Quantitative and Qualitative Methods. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 14(1), 110–124. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558689818804060
Qi, Y. (2023). Quantitative Analysis and Cause Exploration of Architectural Feature Changes in a Traditional Chinese Village: Lingquan Village, Heyang County, Shaanxi Province. Land, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040886
Rosso, F. (2021). A sustainable approach towards the retrofit of the public housing building stock: Energy-architectural experimental and numerical analysis. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(5), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052881
Russo, M. (2021). Semantic-driven analysis and classification in architectural heritage. DISEGNARECON, 14(26). https://doi.org/10.20365/disegnarecon.26.2021.ed
Scott, H. C. (2022). Leaf architectural analysis of taxonomically ambiguous Hoya lacunosa Blume and Hoya krohniana Kloppenb. & Siar. Biodiversitas, 23(4), 2055–2065. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d230441
Sibenik, G. (2021). Interpreted open data exchange between architectural design and structural analysis models. Journal of Information Technology in Construction, 26(Query date: 2025-01-09 02:21:15), 39–57. https://doi.org/10.36680/J.ITCON.2021.004
Sleutel, M. (2023). Structural analysis and architectural principles of the bacterial amyloid curli. Nature Communications, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38204-2
Soares, C. S. (2021). Standardized Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) from canine and feline origin: An analysis on its secretome pattern and architectural structure. Cytokine, 148(Query date: 2025-01-09 02:21:15). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cyto.2021.155695
Souviron, J. (2021). The materiality of transparency: An environmental analysis of the architectural flat glass industry since 1945 in Europe, France and Belgium. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 174(Query date: 2025-01-09 02:21:15). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105779
Viacrucis, J. D. L. (2021). Short communication: Leaf architectural analysis of confusing syzygium species: Syzygium aqueum (burm.f.) alston and syzygium samarangense (blume) merr. & l.m.perry (myrtaceae). Biodiversitas, 22(6), 3341–3348. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d220640
Wu, J. (2021). Invariant Signatures of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Objects to Support BIM Interoperability between Architectural Design and Structural Analysis. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 147(1). https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001943
Authors
Copyright (c) 2025 Sudarmadi Putra, Tamer Youssef, Dina Ahmed, Jasafat Jasafat

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.