Elvis Hajdarević and Velid Hodžić, two Bosnian master calligraphers

CONTEMPORARY TRADITION: A NEW APPROACH TO MOSQUE DECORATION

How does one decorate new religious architecture in a manner that at the same time remains true to Islamic spiritual and artistic traditions and reflects a contemporary approach to technique and design?

Decorating the interior of mosques has a long tradition in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The first Muslim master craftsmen emerged in the 16th century. Their styles and designs not only relate to local and regional artistic traditions but to the decorative artistry of numerous mosques found in other parts of what was once the vast Ottoman Empire. All domed mosques in Bosnia and Herzegovina were richly decorated since a mosque was not considered finished until it was appropriately and beautifully decorated. Many historical sources describe early Bosnian mosques, like the works of the famous educated traveler, Evliya Çelebi, who visited Bosnia in the 17th century. Little of this early decoration has survived, partly because of destruction caused by war, and partly because of inadequate preservation and restoration policies and practices.

A completely new and very important issue inherent to the preservation of traditional decoration of mosque interiors appeared in the post-war period, when projects were devised for the renewal of the architectural heritage destroyed by both Serbian and Croatian aggression in the 1992-1995 period.

The rest of the article you can read in the magazine.