The Minaret

This is a lavishly illustrated history of this iconic element of Islamic architecture. “The Minaret”: the most striking and visible element of Islamic architecture. Tracing its origins and development, Bloom reveals that the Minaret, long understood to have been invented in the early years of Islam as the place from which the muezzin gives the call to prayer, was actually invented some two centuries later to be a visible symbol of Islam. New for this edition: broader focus: expanded to cover the Minaret in West and East Africa, the Yemen and Southeast Asia in addition to Iran, Egypt, Turkey and India; how do minarets stay up – even in earthquakes? New section on the engineering of minarets for scholars with a specialist interest in architecture; brings the discussion up-to-date: how are modern architects using the tower form?; now generously illustrated with colour photographs as well as black and white photographs and line drawings; easier to read: uses simplified transcriptions of Arabic terms and names; Bibliography updated to include the latest publications; text updated and corrected throughout; and, selling Points.

Reviews of The Minaret

Praise for the first edition: 'His survey of the surviving towers and his formulation of the problems they raise will surely remain standard for many years to come.'