“Abu Setit” Mosque in Sohag Governorate... a sustainable architectural masterpiece

Abu Setit Mosque in Sohag Governorate...a sustainable architectural masterpiece

The mosque provides a unique model of sustainable mosque architecture

Over the successive decades, “Abu Steit” was the main mosque in the village of “Basouna” in the Maragha Center in Sohag Governorate. The mosque, whose walls were initially built of mud bricks, whose roof was covered with palm trunks and branches, and whose floor was spread with mats, and which at that time contained a well, had been rebuilt and renovated through the own efforts of the village people in the middle of the century. Past.

It is located in the center of the village, next to the residents’ cemetery. It served as the main Friday mosque and the only funeral mosque in the entire village. However, it was subjected to major structural damage resulting from the decline in the soil level. Because of the floods, it was made unsafe for worshipers, and therefore it had to be rebuilt, a project that began in 2016 and was completed in 2019.

The new mosque, which covers an area of 480 square meters (it was 140 square meters before the renovation), is considered a unique architectural masterpiece. Its details arouse admiration and amazement not only with its wonderful appearance, but also because of the many details during the process of its construction, and its application of many development principles. Sustainable.

Challenges in design and construction

The location of the “Abu Setit” mosque__EG_PH_20in the village of Basouna in Sohag Governorate, Upper Egypt. It is characterized by a very hot, dry climate. Add to that the cemetery next to it and the narrow space, and the street in front of it that livestock pass through throughout the week. This is in contrast to the market. The little one who is held before him every week.

The characteristics of the surrounding environment, in turn, represented by odors and dust, added new challenges to its design, so it was necessary to create bold and innovative solutions that combine traditional and modern mosque architecture while preserving the independent architectural character of the mosque.

 All of these matters constituted a difficult obstacle when designing it, as the new building must provide peace and tranquility for its users, and accordingly a number of matters must be taken into account, which are summarized in the quality of the air inside the mosque; To prevent dust and odors from entering, isolate external noise, reduce temperatures, in addition to taking into account the cost allocated to rebuilding, and the limited accessibility of equipment due to the narrow area.

The great benefits ofSustainable design

From the outside, it appears to the viewer that the structure of the mosque, which is covered with local stones, is protected from the penetration of anything from the outside, except for 4 entrances for worshipers, two of which are accessible to worshipers with special needs.

The structure of the mosque is a hybrid structure, which includes simple concrete parts with a roof that includes two unique domes. The side openings were also reduced to the minimum possible to protect worshipers from noise, dust, and odors. This was compensated for with an innovative roof that allows fresh air to enter from the north direction. As well as sunlight and indirect glare; To give it natural lighting that eliminates the need to use lighting except at night.

The innovative roof contains 108 square openings, each opening is divided into two triangles, one of which is transparent and covered with glass, and the other traces the sun’s rays. To protect the mosque from direct sunlight, and to allow soft light to enter, and through groups of vertical openings, fresh air can enter to provide natural ventilation.

The mosque consists of 3 floors, and care has been taken to make optimal use of the spaces. Therefore, its courtyard was designed to be multi-use to accommodate seasonal increases in the numbers of worshipers, of both sexes, during Fridays and the holy month of Ramadan, in addition to serving a group of purposes throughout the year such as temporary medical clinics, literacy lessons, and others, which brings to mind The original comprehensive function of the mosque, not only as a place of ritual worship but as a service center for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Creativity and beauty of design

There are external aesthetic formations in the design of the mosque, which appear in the interlocking columns, which start from one of its corners, separating its external courtyard from the adjacent cemetery. As for the opposite corner, we find a square minaret with twisted corners, thus forming one of the innovative architectural elements, which was designed in the style of the letter Alif in the script attributed to Ibn Muqla, the famous Abbasid minister.

Through a front courtyard whose area is estimated at one hundred square metres, worshipers flock to its main entrance, which is surmounted by the entrance dome. It is a dome inspired by the historical dome of the Great Mosque of Cordoba, but with some minor modifications. Then the worshipers head right to The main prayer plate has an area of 170 square meters, where they will find the innovative façade of the mihrab, on which 99 squares containing the names of God are placed, while the ground floor contains a multi-purpose area of 150 square meters.

There is no doubt that Basouna contains many traditional elements of architecture in the design of mosque architecture, such as the dome, the minaret, and the mihrab, but he was able to formulate all of these elements in a modern, sustainable and innovative way, paving the way for mosque architecture. Sustainable not only in Basouna, but also in all parts of the country.

Certainly, the mosque attracted the attention of architects around the world, and it also participated in a number of competitions for architecture and sustainable construction. Perhaps the most prominent of these competitions is the award sponsored by the Emir of Medina, Prince Faisal bin Salman, which is called the Abdul Latif Al-Fawzan Award for Mosque Architecture, where he won the tournament. The third of the competition last December was among 7 other mosques chosen from among 201 participating mosques around the world representing 43 countries. He was also nominated for a number of other international awards, the most important of which is the World Architecture Festival Award.