THE ARCHI THE R EPRESEN tat T EC THE ARCHITECTURAL REPRESentatION OF ISlam T ION OF OF ION This book is a study of Dutch mosque designs, objects of heated public UR debate. Until now, studies of diaspora mosque designs have largely A consisted of normative architectural critiques that reject the ubiquitous L ‘domes and minarets’ as hampering further Islamic-architectural evolution. I The Architectural Representation of Islam: Muslim-Commissioned Mosque SL Design in The Netherlands represents a clear break with the architectural A critical narrative, and meticulously analyzes twelve design processes M for Dutch mosques. It shows that patrons, by consciously selecting, steering and replacing their architects, have much more influence on their mosques than has been generally assumed. Through the careful transformation of specific building elements from Islamic architectural history to a new context, they literally aim to ‘construct’ the ultimate Islam. Their designs thus evolve not in opposition to Dutch society, but to those versions of Islam that they hold to be false. ERIC ROOSE THE ARCHITECTURAL Eric Roose (1967) graduated with M.A. degrees in Public International Law, Cultural Anthropology, and Architectural History (the latter cum laude) from REPRESENtatION OF ISLAM Leiden University. Between 2004 and 2008 he conducted PhD research at Leiden University, and between 2005 and 2008 was also an Affiliated PhD Fellow at the International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern MUSLIM-COMMISSIONED World (ISIM) in Leiden. He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Amsterdam School for Social Science Research (ASSR) of the University of Amsterdam. MOSQUe DeSIGN ISBN 978 90 8964 133 5 ERIC ERIC IN THe NetHERLANDS R OOS E Eric Roose ISIM ISIM DISSERTATIONS ISIM EBSCO Publishing : eBook Collection (EBSCOhost) - printed on 10/15/2020 10:54 AM via MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY AN: 324550 ; Roose, Eric.; The Architectural Representation of Islam : Muslim-commissioned Mosque Design in the Netherlands Copyright 2009. Amsterdam University Press. All rights reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except fair uses permitted under U.S. or applicable copyright law. Account: s1101997 AUP-ISIM-PS-Roose-OM-DEF.indd 1 01-04-2009 12:06:55 THE ARCHITECTURAL REPRESENtatION OF ISLAM MUSLIM-COMMISSIONED MOSQUE DESIGN IN THE NETHERLANDS Eric Roose EBSCOhost - printed on 10/15/2020 10:54 AM via MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY. All use subject to https://www.ebsco.com/terms-of-use Cover illustration: The first two sketches for the first purpose-built mosque in The Netherlands. Bashir/Wiebenga, 7-10/16-10-1951, Archive NAi Cover design and lay-out: De Kreeft, Amsterdam ISBN 978 90 8964 133 5 E-ISBN 978 90 4850 879 2 NUR 761 © ISIM / Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam 2009 Alle rechten voorbehouden. Niets uit deze uitgave mag worden verveelvoudigd, opgeslagen in een geautomatiseerd gegevensbestand, of openbaar gemaakt, in enige vorm of op enige wijze, hetzij elektronisch, mechanisch, door fotokopieën, opnamen of enige andere manier, zonder voorafgaande schriftelijke toestemming van de uitgever. Voor zover het maken van kopieën uit deze uitgave is toegestaan op grond van artikel 16B Auteurswet 1912 jº het Besluit van 20 juni 1974, Stb. 351, zoals gewijzigd bij het Besluit van 23 augustus 1985, Stb. 471 en artikel 17 Auteurswet 1912, dient men de daarvoor wettelijk verschuldigde vergoedingen te voldoen aan de Stichting Reprorecht (Postbus 3051, 2130 KB Hoofddorp). Voor het overnemen van gedeelte(n) uit deze uitgave in bloemlezingen, readers en andere compilatiewerken (artikel 16 Auteurswet 1912) dient men zich tot de uitgever te wenden. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the written permission of both the copyright owner and the author of the book. EBSCOhost - printed on 10/15/2020 10:54 AM via MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY. All use subject to https://www.ebsco.com/terms-of-use The Architectural Representation of Islam Muslim-Commissioned Mosque Design in The Netherlands PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad van Doctor aan de Universiteit Leiden, op gezag van Rector Magnificus prof. mr. P.F. van der Heijden, volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties te verdedigen op woensdag 6 mei 2009 klokke 16.15 uur door Eric Reinier Roose geboren te Middelburg in 1967 EBSCOhost - printed on 10/15/2020 10:54 AM via MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY. All use subject to https://www.ebsco.com/terms-of-use Promotores Prof. dr. A.J.J. Mekking Prof. dr. M.M. van Bruinessen (Universiteit Utrecht) Overige leden Prof. dr. M.S. Berger Prof. dr. D. Douwes (Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam) Prof. dr. A.C.A.E. Moors (Universiteit van Amsterdam) Prof. dr. P.J.M. Nas Dr. H.P.A. Theunissen Prof. dr. D.J. de Vries EBSCOhost - printed on 10/15/2020 10:54 AM via MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY. All use subject to https://www.ebsco.com/terms-of-use Contents Acknowledgements 7 Introduction: The Representation of Islamic Architecture in The Netherlands 9 On the Origin of Styles by means of Cultural Selection 9 Religious Construction, Mutual Contrasting and Reality Representation 26 Towards the Representational Analysis of Mosque Design 32 1. Hindustani-Commissioned Mosque Design in The Netherlands 39 Varieties of Islam among Hindustani Communities 40 The Mobarak Mosque, The Hague 50 The First Taibah Mosque, Amsterdam 66 The Second Taibah Mosque, Amsterdam 83 2. Moluccan-Commissioned Mosque Design in The Netherlands 93 Varieties of Islam among Moluccan Communities 94 The Wyldemerck Mosque, Balk 96 The Bait Ar-Rahman Mosque, Ridderkerk 107 The An-Nur Mosque, Waalwijk 120 3. Turkish-Commissioned Mosque Design in The Netherlands 131 Varieties of Islam among Turkish Communities 132 The Yunus Emre Mosque, Almelo 134 The Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Zaanstad 156 The Wester Mosque, Amsterdam 163 4. Moroccan-Commissioned Mosque Design in The Netherlands 181 Varieties of Islam among Moroccan Communities 182 The Al Fourkaan Mosque, Eindhoven 186 The El Islam Mosque, The Hague 198 The Essalaam Mosque, Rotterdam 210 EBSCOhost - printed on 10/15/2020 10:54 AM via MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY. All use subject to https://www.ebsco.com/terms-of-use Conclusion: The Architectural Representation of Islam in The Netherlands 237 Design Interpretation and Diverging Realities 237 Overcoming the Clash of Classifications 245 Towards a Dutch Mosque Design? 248 Notes 257 Selected Bibliography 295 Samenvatting in het Nederlands 309 Curriculum Vitae 316 Figures 319 EBSCOhost - printed on 10/15/2020 10:54 AM via MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY. All use subject to https://www.ebsco.com/terms-of-use Acknowledgements First: the International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM), with its unique diversity of academic disciplines, methodologi- cal interests and regional specializations, formed a stimulating environment without which some of the ideas in this study would definitely not have developed. Next: I am hugely indebted to all the designing and commission- ing parties, or their representatives, who patiently answered my meticulous questions about the materials and information they so graciously provided. Without their cooperation, this dissertation would have been completely impossible. I would like to mention, in no particular order: Ergün Erkoçu, AbdelUahab Hammiche, Cihan Bugdaci, Hibatunnoer Verhagen, Abdul Hamid van der Velden, Abdul Rashid, Naeem Ahmad Warraich, Karim Mah- mood, H. Hendriks, Paul Haffmans, Roy Kasiem, Mohammed Yunus Gaffar, Peter Scipio, Frank Domburg, Ghani van den Berg, Sufyan Ollong, D. Gaaster- land, Hamid Oppier, Ismael Ririn, Hamid Samaniri, Boy Barajanan, Astorias Ohorella, Ibrahim Lessy, Türker Atabek, Nejat Sucu, Henk Slettenhaar, Ine Mentink, Ingrid Pelgrum, Ahmet Altikulaç, Bedri Sevinçsoy, Wim Vugs, Hans Florie, Kees Rijnboutt, Üzeyir Kabaktepe, Marc Breitman, Nada Breitman, Mohamed El Bouk, Piet Vernooy, Dolf Dazert, Haci Karacaer, David Boon, Jacqueline Slagter, Amar Nejjar, Ali Belhaj, Ahmed Arabi, Ahmed Ajdid, Joris Molenaar, and Wilfried van Winden. I also thank Marcel Decraene, Antje van der Hoek, Marcus Klomp, Henk van de Schoor, Jeroen Westerman, Marcel Maussen, Martijn de Koning, Nico Landman, Hans Theunissen, and Diana Wright for pointing me in the direction of crucial archives, articles, literature, websites, contacts, and organizations. Finally: a word of gratitude goes out to Berber den Otter, for enduring the four years of monomaniacal and near- obsessive behaviour that came along with this project. As meagre compen- sation, I dedicate this dissertation to her. 7 EBSCOhost - printed on 10/15/2020 10:54 AM via MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY. All use subject to https://www.ebsco.com/terms-of-use EBSCOhost - printed on 10/15/2020 10:54 AM via MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY. All use subject to https://www.ebsco.com/terms-of-use Introduction: The Representation of Islamic Architecture in The Netherlands On the Origin of Styles by means of Cultural Selection In 1950, the first plan for a Dutch mosque to be built as such was developed by a Pakistani Muslim missionary group to The Netherlands. At the time when this first mosque plan entered the scene, knowledge on the subject within architectural design schools was mainly produced by a small number of standard Dutch works on the history of world architecture, writ- ten by influential