Islamic Cultural Center of New York

Last updated
Islamic Cultural Center of New York
Islamic Cultural Center E96 jeh.JPG
Exterior view (2008)
Religion
Affiliation Islam
Location
Location1711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10029
United States
Geographic coordinates 40°47′7″N73°56′55″W / 40.78528°N 73.94861°W / 40.78528; -73.94861
Architecture
Architect(s) Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
Type Mosque
Style post-modernism
Groundbreaking1987
Completed1991
Construction cost$14 million
Specifications
Direction of façade Mecca
CapacityMain prayer hall: 1,000
Dome height (outer)90 feet (27 m)
Minaret height130 feet (40 m)
Materials Steel, concrete, marble, glass
Website
icc-ny.us

The Islamic Cultural Center of New York is a mosque and an Islamic cultural center in East Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, United States. It is located at 1711 Third Avenue, between East 96th and 97th Streets. The Islamic Cultural Center was the first purpose-built mosque in New York and continues to be one of the city's largest. The mosque's older dwelling in a townhouse at 1 Riverside Drive is still in continual prayer use as a satellite location.

Contents

The Islamic Cultural Center of New York is a standing building that is 61 meters wide and 73 meters long. The mosque is located at the northeast corner of East 96th Street and 3rd Avenue, on the boundary of Manhattan's East Harlem and Upper East Side neighborhoods. When looking at it, the mosque is rotated 29 degrees towards the streets. The architects did this to portray the Turkish mosque and complete two goals. Those two goals were to stand out from its surroundings, and the mihrab can face Mecca, where it is the direction to pray towards the Kaaba.

Design and history

Plans for a large Islamic center in New York were originally drawn up in the late 1960s. The first cultural center occupied a house at 1 Riverside Drive, at the intersection of Riverside Drive and 72nd Street. [1] The first Islamic Center started functioning on a small scale from a modest townhouse at that address. However, the board of trustees later aspired to build a new larger center in a way suiting its prestigious position in the community, and to be one of the landmarks of New York City. [1] Later, an overall project comprising a mosque, a school, a library, a museum, and a lecture hall, were planned out. After years of delays which included raising funds from Muslim countries, a prolonged process of relocating tenants, and the eventual demolition of the buildings on the site; construction of the Islamic Cultural Center began in October 1984. [2] Construction of the associated mosque began on May 28, 1987, the day which corresponded to the end of Ramadan. [3] The cornerstone of the minaret was laid on September 26, 1988. [4]

Construction was delayed during the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait and the First Gulf War. [5] The mosque opened on April 15, 1991, for the feast of Eid ul-Fitr. [6] In the end, more than 46 Muslim countries made contributions toward the $17 million construction cost of the mosque. [7]

One Riverside Drive, the site of New York's first Islamic cultural center 1 Riverside Drive 2008 jeh.jpg
One Riverside Drive, the site of New York's first Islamic cultural center

Today, like most mosques, the mosque at the Islamic Cultural Center of New York is oriented toward Mecca at a heading of 58°. [8] Consequently, the building is rotated 29° from Manhattan's north-south street grid, [9] which in turn is rotated 29° from due north-south. The precise calculation of the direction from New York to Mecca was based on the great circle that produces the shortest distance between the two cities. [8] As with many mosques, the direction of Mecca is marked inside by a niche on the wall, known as the mihrab. [10] [ failed verification ] Placed in the center of the large room, the mihrab is ornamented with a large design. Additionally, next to the mihrab is the minbar, which is a staircase from which the imam leads prayer.[ citation needed ]

Building design

Exterior of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York, at the boundary of East Harlem and Upper East Side, in Manhattan. Building of Islamic Cultural Center of New York.jpg
Exterior of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York, at the boundary of East Harlem and Upper East Side, in Manhattan.

The site has an edge length of 274 meters. Furthermore, it also includes eight columns and four trusses, where they all intersect, forming a solid framework to contain the building and balance it out. The building also consists of six infill panels containing slabs of pink granite with glass beading placed in front of welded steel tubes. The Islamic Culture Center of New York has two floors that separate the men and women. These two floors consist of each gender's washroom, meeting and administration rooms, and a prayer hall for everyone to use. [11]

The design of the Islamic Culture Center of New York is designed based on a pure cube. Three identical windows are set at a certain angle on the left and right the corner of the buildings, where light can come through it and shine the masjid. The mosque walls are cladding with stone from a quarry located in Stony Creek, Bradford, Connecticut. The central aspect of the building is the dome, where it is three stacked layers of frames and takes the shape of a hemisphere. Another essential part about the crown is that even though the masjid interior and exterior are designed very differently, the mosque's dome is made of copper, such as the Statue of Liberty located in New York. [12]

Representation

Throughout the 1900s, about 200 mosques existed in New York. None were like The Islamic Culture Center of New York. When this mosque was built, it created a huge turning point for the residing Muslim people living in New York. This turning point was when they represented a considerable aspect of the Muslim population consisting of Turkish, Lebanese, Yemeni, Pakistani, and American origin. Such an event with a sizable dome and a high minaret has crowned the mosque, where none other mosques were even comparable in the urban presence.[ citation needed ]

Outreach

Imam Abu-Namous engaged in a series of interfaith dialogues with prominent Muslim leaders and rabbis. [13] Abu-Namous's successor as imam, Mohammed Shamsi Ali, continued the meetings. [14] Due to political differences, Ali was fired from his post in 2011. [15] Ali was replaced with Abdul Razzaq E. Al Amiri.


See also

Related Research Articles

A mosque, also called a masjid, is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Islamic prayers are performed, such as an outdoor courtyard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic architecture</span> Architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam

Islamic architecture comprises the architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day. The Islamic world encompasses a wide geographic area historically ranging from western Africa and Europe to eastern Asia. Certain commonalities are shared by Islamic architectural styles across all these regions, but over time different regions developed their own styles according to local materials and techniques, local dynasties and patrons, different regional centers of artistic production, and sometimes different religious affiliations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imam Ali Shrine</span> Mosque and mausoleum of Ali

The Sanctuary of Imām 'Alī, also known as the Mosque of 'Alī, located in Najaf, Iraq, is a mausoleum which Shia and Sunni Muslims believe contains the tomb of 'Alī ibn Abī Tālib, a cousin, son-in-law and companion of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. The Shī'as consider 'Alī as their first Imām and the first of the twelve caliphs of Muhammad, and the Sunnis regard him as the fourth Sunni Rashid Caliph. According to Shī'ite belief, buried next to 'Alī within this mosque are the remains of Adam and Nuh (Noah). Each year, millions of pilgrims visit the Shrine and pay tribute to Imām 'Alī.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mihrab</span> Niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the direction of prayer

Mihrab is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a mihrab appears is thus the "qibla wall".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prophet's Mosque</span> Historic mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia

The Prophet's Mosque is the second mosque built by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in Medina, after that of Quba, as well as the second largest mosque and holiest site in Islam, after the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, in the Saudi region of the Hejaz. The mosque is located at the heart of Medina, and is a major site of pilgrimage that falls under the purview of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bajrakli Mosque, Belgrade</span> Mosque in Belgrade, Serbia

The Bajrakli Mosque is a mosque in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Gospodar Jevremova Street in the neighbourhood of Dorćol. It was built around 1575, and is the only mosque in the city out of the 273 that had existed during the time of the Ottoman Empire's rule of Serbia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shah Mosque (Isfahan)</span> Mosque in Isfahan, Iran

The Shah Mosque is a mosque located in Isfahan, Iran. It is located on the south side of Naghsh-e Jahan Square. It was built during the Safavid Empire under the order of Abbas the Great.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al-Askari Shrine</span> 10th-century Shia mosque and mausoleum in Iraq

Al-Askari Shrine, the 'Askariyya Shrine, or Al-Askari Mosque is a Shia Muslim mosque and mausoleum in the Iraqi city of Samarra 125 km (78 mi) from Baghdad. It is one of the most important Shia shrines in the world. It was built in 944. The dome was destroyed in a bombing by Sunni extremists in February 2006 and its two remaining minarets were destroyed in another bombing in June 2007, causing widespread anger among Shias and instigation of the Iraqi Civil War between the country's Shia and Sunni factions. The remaining clock tower was also destroyed in July 2007. The dome and minarets were repaired and the mosque reopened in April 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holiest sites in Islam</span>

The holiest sites in Islam are located in the Arabian Peninsula. While the significance of most places typically varies depending on the Islamic sect, there is a consensus across all mainstream branches of the religion that affirms two cities as having the highest degree of holiness, in descending order: Mecca, and Medina. Mecca's Al-Masjid al-Haram, Al-Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina are all revered by Muslims as sites of great importance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masjid al-Qiblatayn</span> Mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia

The Masjid al-Qiblatayn, also spelt Masjid al-Qiblatain, is a mosque in Medina believed by Muslims to be the place where the final Islamic prophet, Muhammad, received the command to change the Qibla from Jerusalem to Mecca. The mosque was built by Sawad ibn Ghanam ibn Ka'ab during the year 2 AH and is one of the few mosques in the world to have contained two mihrabs in different directions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feisal Abdul Rauf</span> American imam

Feisal Abdul Rauf is a Kuwaiti-born Egyptian-American Sufi imam, author, and activist whose stated goal is to improve relations between the Muslim world and the West. From 1983 to 2009, he served as Imam of Masjid al-Farah, a mosque in New York City. He has written three books on Islam and its place in contemporary Western society, including What's Right with Islam Is What's Right with America, and founded two non-profit organizations whose stated missions are to enhance the discourse on Islam in society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Destruction of early Islamic heritage sites in Saudi Arabia</span>

The destruction of heritage sites associated with early Islam is an ongoing phenomenon that has occurred mainly in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, particularly around the two holiest cities of Islam, Mecca and Medina. The demolition has focused on mosques, burial sites, homes and historical locations associated with the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his companions, and many of the founding personalities of early Islamic history by the Saudi government. In Saudi Arabia, many of the demolitions have officially been part of the continued expansion of the Masjid al-Haram at Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina and their auxiliary service facilities in order to accommodate the ever-increasing number of Muslims performing the pilgrimage (hajj).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malé Friday Mosque</span> Mosque in Malé, Kaafu, Maldives

The Malé Friday Mosque or the Malé Hukuru Miskiy also known as the Old Friday Mosque is one of the oldest and most ornate mosques in the city of Malé, Kaafu Atoll, Maldives. Coral boulders of the genus Porites, found throughout the archipelago, are the basic materials used for construction of this and other mosques in the country because of its suitability. Although the coral is soft and easily cut to size when wet, it makes sturdy building blocks when dry. The mosque was added to the tentative UNESCO World Heritage cultural list in 2008 as unique examples of sea-culture architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holiest sites in Sunni Islam</span>

Both Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims agree on the three Holiest sites in Islam being, respectively, the Masjid al-Haram, in Mecca; the Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, in Medina; and Al-Masjid al-Aqsa, in Jerusalem.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aqmar Mosque</span> Mosque in Cairo, Egypt

The Aqmar Mosque, was built in Cairo, Egypt, as a neighborhood mosque by the Fatimid vizier al-Ma'mun al-Bata'ihi in 1125-6 CE. The mosque is situated on what was once the main avenue and ceremonial heart of Cairo, known today as al-Mu'izz Street, in the immediate neighborhood of the former Fatimid caliphal palaces. The mosque is an important monument of Fatimid architecture and of historic Cairo due to the exceptional decoration of its exterior façade and the innovative design of its floor plan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masjid al-Haram</span> Islams holiest mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Masjid al-Haram, also known as the Sacred Mosque or the Great Mosque of Mecca, is considered to be the most significant mosque in Islam. It encloses the vicinity of the Kaaba in Mecca, in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia. It is among the pilgrimage sites associated with the Hajj, which every Muslim must perform at least once in their lives if able. It is also the main site for the performance of ʿUmrah, the lesser pilgrimage that can be undertaken any time of the year. The rites of both pilgrimages include circumambulating the Kaaba within the mosque. The Great Mosque includes other important significant sites, such as the Black Stone, the Zamzam Well, Maqam Ibrahim, and the hills of Safa and Marwa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shamsi Ali</span> Moderate Indonesian Muslim Scholar (born 1967)

Imam Shamsi Ali is a prominent Indonesian Muslim Scholar known for promoting interfaith dialogues among Abrahamic Religions in United States and the Chairman of the Al-Hikmah Mosque and the Director of Jamaica Muslim Center in Jamaica, Queens, New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dundee Central Mosque</span> Mosque in Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom

Dundee Central Mosque is located on the junction of Brown and Miln streets, to the west of the city centre. The original mosque was located on South Erskine Street in 1969, and was moved to 112-114 Hilltown the following year. In 1995, due to the Islamic community growing in the city, there was a need for larger premises, which resulted in this mosque being built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mausoleum of Yahya Abu al-Qasim</span> Historic shrine in Mosul, Iraq

Mausoleum of Yahya Abu al-Qasim was a historic shrine and mosque located in Mosul, Iraq. In 2014 the mosque and shrine were destroyed by an explosive device claimed by soldiers of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi'i</span> Mausoleum in Cairo, Egypt

The Mausoleum of Imam al-Shafi’i(Arabic: قبة الإمام الشافعي ) is a mausoleum dedicated to Imam Al-Shafi’i, one of the four Sunni Imams who founded the Shafi’i Sunni Islamic school of jurisprudence. Located at the Imam Shafi’i Street in the City of the Dead, Cairo, the mausoleum is a hallmark of Ayyubid style architecture and historical significance.

References

  1. 1 2 "Islamic Cultural Center NY Background". Islamic Cultural Center of New York. Archived from the original on November 18, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  2. ↑ Goodman, George W. (October 28, 1984). "Ground Broken for Islamic Center". The New York Times . Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  3. ↑ Williams, Winston (May 29, 1987). "Amid Rejoicing, Work Begins on Mosque". The New York Times . Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  4. ↑ Lewis, Paul (September 26, 1988). "Mosque Rising Is a First in New York". The New York Times . Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  5. ↑ Goldman, Ari L. (December 9, 1990). "Persian Gulf Crisis Slows New York Mosque Project". The New York Times . Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  6. ↑ Steinfels, Peter (April 16, 1991). "For New York Muslims, a Soaring Dome Is Ready". The New York Times . Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  7. ↑ Dunlap, David W. (April 26, 1992). "A New Mosque for Manhattan, for the 21st Century". The New York Times . Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  8. 1 2 Tyson, Neil deGrasse. "Islamic Cultural Center of New York". Natural History. American Museum of Natural History. Archived from the original on July 25, 2008. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  9. ↑ Schneider, Daniel B. (October 5, 1997). "F.Y.I. | The Islamic Angle". The New York Times . Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  10. ↑ Denny, Frederick Mathewson; Eire, Carlos M. N.; Corrigan, John; Jaffee, Martin S. (2012). Jews, Christians, Muslims: A Comparative Introduction to Monotheistic Religions (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. ISBN   9780205018253. OCLC   695390082.
  11. ↑ "Islamic Cultural Center of New York". Archnet. Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  12. ↑ "Islamic Cultural Center of New York", Sacred Buildings, DE GRUYTER, pp. 216–217, 2008-12-31, doi:10.1007/978-3-7643-8276-6_66, ISBN   978-3-7643-6683-4 , retrieved 2021-12-07
  13. ↑ Perelman, Marc (November 16, 2007). "With Certain Topics Kept off Table, Rabbis and Imams Find Common Ground". The Forward . Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  14. ↑ Ruby, Walter (April 2, 2008). "Imam Seeks 'Real Connections'". The Jewish Week . Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
  15. ↑ "Shamsi Ali: The rise and fall of a New York imam". BBC News . November 2, 2013. Retrieved November 3, 2013.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.