What are some of the differences between the Christian church (building) and the Muslim mosque?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: In Christianity, a church plays a more critical role than buildings in other religions, because the structure is an expression of religious principles, an environment in the image of God. The word church derives from a Greek term meaning lord, master, and power. In many communities, the church is the largest and tallest building and has been placed at a prominent location.

Early churches were rectangular in shape, modeled after Roman buildings for public assembly, known as basilicas. A raised altar, where the priest conducted the service, symbolized the hill of Calvary, where Jesus was crucified. Since Christianity split into many denominations, no single style of church construction has dominated. Eastern Orthodox churches follow an ornate architectural style that developed in the Byzantine Empire during the fifth century. Many Protestant churches in North America are austere, with little ornamentation, a reflection of the Protestant conception of a church as an assembly hall for the congregation.

Muslims, on the other hand, consider the mosque as a space for community assembly. The mosque is organized around a central courtyard. The pulpit is placed at the end of the courtyard facing Makkah, the direction toward which all Muslims pray. A minaret or tower is where a man known as a muzzan summons people to worship.

The holiest object in the Islamic landscape, al-Ka'ba, a cubelike structure encased in silk, stands at the center of Makkah's Great Mosque, al-Haram al-Sharif. The second most holy geographic location is Madinah, where Muhammad received his first support and where he is buried in a mosque, considered the second holiest site after the al-Haram al-Sharrif.