Why do mosques feel so trippy?

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨hour⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨SubArcticTundra@lemmy.ml⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

https://lemmy.ml/api/v3/image_proxy?url=https%3A%2F%2Fislamicinfocenter.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FThe-Importance-of-Muharram-Month-in-Islam.jpg

I’m not trying to be disrespectful to mosques in any way, and yes, I know they’re not allowed to use pictures so they resort to geometrical patterns. But still, when I look at images like this, something just feels ‘off’

source

Comments

Sort:hotnew top

angelmountain@lemy.nl ⁨54⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago
Isn’t “otherworldly” specifically the vibe they are going for? They are basically trying to make this portal to this other, heavenly world I always thought.

You can say a lot of negative things about these religious institutions, but they definitely have a good marketing department.

source
CallMeAl@piefed.zip ⁨40⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago

something just feels ’off’

Sounds like very personal subjective experiences. I think your question makes more sense asking why do Mosques make you have such feelings. Personally, I don’t experience the same feelings when I look at the pictures you posted. I’ve never been inside a mosque so I don’t know what that would be like in person.

I’ve read that most religious buildings are designed inside to give you feelings like grandeur and solemnity and use cultural cues to do that. Culture cues certainly will differ across cultures. So maybe it’s just that.

source
HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club ⁨49⁩ ⁨minutes⁩ ago
A lot of mosques aren’t that glittery. There are different styles to building mosques; I found the Blue Mosque in Istanbul to feel somewhat like a cathedral, but lighter and with patterns instead of iconography. The only mosque I’ve been in that felt off was the Hagia Sophia, and that is because it was converted from an Orthodox cathedral so it feels different.

I’ve also been to an Art Deco cathedral in Brussels that felt off too. It is the only Art Deco cathedral I’ve been to, which makes sense given what was generally built with Art Deco.

I think that, for you, maybe a lot of it is that you’re seeing some places of worship in a vastly different architectural style that you’re used to. The combination of grandeur and out of context architectural presentation makes the place feel alien.

source