Our Year 7 & 8 boys and girls attended Sunshine Mosque to see Ottoman art and architecture as part of Humanities and Visual Arts classes. Although the excursion was related to these two subjects, the trip to Sunshine Mosque proved to be a truly interdisciplinary experience for the students. Not only did we learn about the various styles of art that the Ottomans practiced, or the design and architecture of Ottoman mosques, but also about local history, Islamic history, and important Islamic concepts and principles.
We learned that the main central dome of the mosque represents the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the four outer domes representing the four rightly guided caliphs, and the outermost domes representing the four madhaahib or Islamic schools of thought. From the centre of the main dome, the exquisite chandelier bares a portion of the Quranic verse from Surah Al Imran, verse 103:
賵賻丕毓賿鬲賻氐賽賲購賵丕 亘賽丨賻亘賿賱賽 丕賱賱賾賻賴賽 噩賻賲賽賷毓賸丕 賵賻賱賻丕 鬲賻賮賻乇賾賻賯購賵丕 蹥 賵賻丕匕賿賰購乇購賵丕 賳賽毓賿賲賻鬲賻 丕賱賱賾賻賴賽 毓賻賱賻賷賿賰購賲賿 廿賽匕賿 賰購賳鬲購賲賿 兀賻毓賿丿賻丕亍賸 賮賻兀賻賱賾賻賮賻 亘賻賷賿賳賻 賯購賱購賵亘賽賰購賲賿 賮賻兀賻氐賿亘賻丨賿鬲購賲 亘賽賳賽毓賿賲賻鬲賽賴賽 廿賽禺賿賵賻丕賳賸丕 賵賻賰購賳鬲購賲賿 毓賻賱賻賶侔 卮賻賮賻丕 丨購賮賿乇賻丞賺 賲賾賽賳賻 丕賱賳賾賻丕乇賽 賮賻兀賻賳賯賻匕賻賰購賲 賲賾賽賳賿賴賻丕 蹢 賰賻匕賻侔賱賽賰賻 賷購亘賻賷賾賽賳購 丕賱賱賾賻賴購 賱賻賰購賲賿 丌賷賻丕鬲賽賴賽 賱賻毓賻賱賾賻賰購賲賿 鬲賻賴賿鬲賻丿購賵賳賻 鈥 3:103
"And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favour of Allah upon you 鈥 when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favour, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided."
As we pondered over this mighty verse commanding us to be united, we remembered the Ottoman emphasis on unity.
Following the visit to the mosque and as part of exploring daily life in the Ottoman Empire, the year 8 students and staff enjoyed genuine Turkish cuisine at Sehzade Kebab and Bakehouse.
We would like to thank the committee of Sunshine Mosque for their time and hospitality, for they have truly honoured us as guests visiting the house of Allah (subhaanahu wa ta鈥檃laa). We would also like to thank staff and management of Sehzade Kebab and Bakehouse for their amazing food and splendid service.