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Showing colorful slides of several mosques, Art History Department Chairperson Renata Holod outlined the issues involved in designing state mosques in Islamic countries in a speech yesterday afternoon in College Hall. In the 90 minute speech, Holod detailed the origin of state mosques and how they differ from older mosques. Holod said the end of colonialism in the Third World brought about the movement to create government-controlled state mosques, the first of which did not appear until the late 1960s. By traditional definition, a mosque consists of an oriented wall, a shaded area and enough space for a small community to pray. But Holod said Islamic nation-states now construct enormous state mosques to assert their national Muslim identity. "Modern mosques all share one feature," she said, "They are enormous." The large, unencumbered spaces the new state mosques provide have changed the nature of prayer, according to Holod. "It is quite clear that in order to pray as an individual you need a place to turn in on yourself," she said. "Group prayer is entirely different." Holod said that despite contemporary goals of mosque construction, traditional design elements such as domes and minarets remain popular. "Whether overtly stated or not, there are some very clear references to traditional construction," she said. Most of the 30 students and faculty at the speech said they found it very enjoyable. "It was interesting and informative," said Folklore graduate student Ali Dinar. "She showed how the desires of the state are reflected in the mosques." Holod's speech was the first in a seven-lecture series sponsored by the Philomathean Society entitled "Cultural Intercourse Between Asia and the West."

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