New Bay Area Construction: Santa Clara Gets a New Minaret
Posted by Jessie Woodyard on Tue, Aug 31, 2010 @ 07:55 PM
A minaret is an important religious symbol in the Musli
m world. In countries like Egypt, Saudi Arabia or Oman
where the Muslim religion is the majority religion, cities are covered with towering minarets as they are an element of Islamic religious architecture.
Literally translated, "minaret" means "beacon" in Arabic. They are important because traditionally Muslims are called to prayer from a minaret. They range in size (some minarets can be more than 600 feet tall) and can be beautifully designed and decorated.
While these photos depict some of the largest minarets in the world, smaller ones are also prevalent. Santa Clara could be home to one of these.
Santa Clara Planning Commission recently confirmed approval for construction of a new minaret for the Muslim Community Association. The commission denied an appeal made by a local businessman. The minaret is the final touch for a religious and educational campus owned by the Muslim Community Association. While there were 7 days to re-appeal the decision, much anticipation is gathering to commence construction.
Here are some renderings of what the new minaret will look like:
There has been much dialog about the Minaret in the local papers. Many editorials have outlined the project as a positive or negative, but most of these arguments have been centered around more political issues. Little has been written about the architectural details involved with a minaret or even the technical construction that will inevitably be needed for such a unique structure.
If you have any details about unique structures such as a minaret, please share your incite and experiences with us.