The architectural heritage of the Malay World

Abstract

The book presents an introductory survey of traditional mosques in the Malay World with particular reference to those found in Peninsular Malaysia. The work presented here is founded on Measured Drawing efforts of the academic staff and students of the Department of Architecture, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. The drawings are part of a vast collection of architectural knowledge housed in Pusat Kajian Alam Bina Melayu (KALAM) or Center for the Study of Built Environment in the Malay World. It is hoped that this work would spark interests in further investigation of mosques and Islamic Architecture of the traditional past in this part of the world. In an era where globalization has accepted the Middle Eastern typology of mosques, it is high time that the premise of Islamic Architecture be reexamined and the true vernacular work of the past of specific regions be given its proper place in academic scholarship because Middle Eastern architecture is not a pre–requisite of the Islamic socio–political and environmental agenda.