CHAPTER 10 Masjid Zahir: A Heritage Masjid as a Traditional Landmark in a City Mansor Ibrahim and Fadzidah Abdullah 10.1 THE HERITAGE MASJID In Islam, the Masjid is a sacred place on earth intended as a space where all worshippers turn to God. Besides being used for ritual prayers, a masjid is a place for learning, both secular and religious studies, and a place for honoring important historical occasions as well as a platform for announcements to society and national events. In the early days of Islam, the design of a masjid was very simple: it was a basic rectangular building with an orientation towards the Kaaba. During the Ummayyad and Abbasid caliphates, there was a rising number of masjids and courts were surrounded by shades areas. As Abdin (2010) highlights, elements in a masjid, niches such as the mihrab and mimbar, the seat for the orator (imam), and a minaret (maazana) were also developed during this time. The minarets were developed from elements of language from other provinces, for example, the spiral minaret tower in Samarra in Iraq was modelled after the Ibn Tulun masjid in Egypt. A masjid usually has one or more minarets, or towers, from which the muezzin calls Muslims to prayer five times a day. Minarets are typically the distinguishing elements of masjid architecture, and they mitigate the enormity of the roof forms including domed structures. 163