Mosque

by David Macaulay

Paper Book, 2008

Status

Available

Call number

726.2

Publication

HMH Books for Young Readers (2008), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 96 pages

Description

An author and artist who has continually stripped away the mystique of architectural structures that have long fascinated modern people, David Macaulay here reveals the methods and materials used to design and construct a mosque in late-sixteenth-century Turkey. Through the fictional story and Macaulay's distinctive full-color illustrations, readers will learn not only how such monumental structures were built but also how they functioned in relation to the society they served.

User reviews

LibraryThing member bestwhensimple

David Macaulay's Mosque tells the story of a fictionalized mosque being constructed during the latter part of the Ottoman Empire. The book shines because it is not strictly dry historical information taken from encyclopedias or academic books; Macaulay manages to engage his young readers by

providing the details of the mosque-building project and the people who were involved with its construction.

Macaulay's intricate illustrations definitely draw the reader in because of their complexity. There are large illustrations that depict the construction site from a bird's eye view. Macaulay uses these high-angle shots to show his readers that building a mosque was not comprised of building only one structure. Besides the mosque itself, the building plan included a turbe (a tomb), a medrese (a school), an imaret (a soup kitchen), a hamam (a public bath), and a cesme (a public fountain). in addition to these larger illustrations, there are small drawings of a process, such as making a brick out of sand and clay. These varied illustrations illuminate the story that Macaulay so clearly describes in the text of this book.

This would be a great book to give to readers interested in construction or buildings. Macaulay has written a number of books describing architectural edifices, so if this book prompted a response, there are many more like it.

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LibraryThing member anncampbell

Beautifully illustrated book about architecture and religion. It gives a positive view of the Islamic religion such as charity, one cannot bequeath their entire fortune to their family. It is a fictitous story about the building of a mosque but it is based on fact. The mosque in the story though

fictional is based on the work of famous architect Sinan, who plays a character in the story. It is also a great introduction to architecture, mathematics, and physics which is important in building a structure that will withstand the force of earthquakes. The location of the story is Turkey which is an area prone to earthquakes.

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LibraryThing member MissJordanMae

This is a fictional story about the construction of a mosque, based on true facts and a famous architect. In the Ottoman Empire, the Islamic religion was very important. Faith drove the crew to build the structure with precision.

I like how the book includes a glossary of unfamiliar terms. I also

enjoyed the detailed illustrations. I like how the author explains the construction of the buildings and the reasoning behind it.

In the classroom, I could have my students build their own structures out of popsicle sticks. I would also take the time to explore Islamic culture after reading this book aloud. We could discuss the differences and similarities to American culture, as a class.

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