Guest Blog: Beyond the Divide by Tammy Gaber

This October, Dr. Tammy Gaber will be speaking at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto about her research and new book on Canadian mosques. This is a particularly meaningful venue as the Aga Khan Museum is the only one in North America dedicated to Islamic arts and architecture, and it sits across from the Ismaili Centre in Toronto which is featured on the cover of Dr. Gaber’s book. Tickets for the event can be booked here.

Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at the event.

From 2015 to 2017 I travelled across Canada to 53 cities to examine 90 mosques – more than half of mosques in the country. By spending time at each mosque, meeting with members of the communities, governance and architects I learned not only the deeper stories of meaning for each space but I learned of the complex roots for the creation of each mosque – from converting disused buildings to constructing new ones. This was also an incredible journey to see and learn about my entire country, from Victoria and Prince George in British Columbia to Charlottetown, PEI and St. John’s in Newfoundland to Inuvik and Iqaluit in the North West Territories and Nunavut respectively.

Bringing together these stories, images of the interiors and exteriors and drawings of each mosque begins to paint a portrait of how unique mosque architecture is to Canada and how it has changed in the past century. In each region there were particular patterns in the design or space creation of mosques. Importantly, this is a typology of architecture that is still changing to the needs of the communities (that use the mosque and beyond) and requires more critical attention from the architecture profession and education. Typecasting the mosque as a caricature cobbled from historical imaginations or treating the programming and design as taboo and beyond critical analysis are issues that communities struggle with as does the architecture profession.

In this study I also closely examine the space for women in each mosque and the impact architectural design (and modifications) have in shaping engagement and empowerment.

In Canada the mosque takes on such a large role for communities – importantly it serves for religious functions, celebrations and gatherings, but also mosques across the country serve as essential hubs for new coming individuals who need language support, job and life orientations. Additionally, many mosques in Canada serve as hubs for civic engagement and charitable work such as: citizenship swearing-in ceremonies, voting stations, community food and clothing drives and, of course, hockey game screenings.

By sharing the diversity, beauty, practicality and versatility of mosques across the country, from east to west to the extreme north, a more nuanced understanding of mosques spaces and impact they have can be understood.

This is the first comprehensive study of mosque history and architecture in Canada. Beyond the Divide reveals the mosque to be a dynamic building type that adapts to its context, from its climate and physical environment to the community it serves. Above all, mosque design depends on the people who gather in them, and what those people strive for their mosques to be.

Below are a selection of images that appear in the book:

Al Rashid mosque, constructed in 1938 is Canada’s oldest extant mosque and is located in Edmonton, Alberta

Prince George Islamic Centre, in Prince George, British Columbia was designed by Studio Senbel and utilized the regional materials and craftwork.

The Iqaluit mosque in Nunavut is one of the most northern mosques on the continent and serves as a hub for the larger community.

The small Fatih mosque in Toronto, Ontario is housed in a converted building with unusual detailing referring to historical mosque designs.

Dr. Gaber is Director and Associate Professor of Architecture at the McEwen School of Architecture, Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario. She teaches a range of undergraduate and graduate cultural history and design courses, including courses focused on sacred places. Dr. Gaber’s research for Beyond the Divide: A Century of Canadian Design was supported by funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grants and Laurentian University. Dr. Gaber is recipient of a number of awards including the Canadian Council of Muslim Women’s ‘Women Who Inspire’ award (2019) and Laurentian University’s ‘Teaching Excellence’ award for a full-time professor (2020). Dr. Gaber serves on a number of boards and publishes regularly on mosque design, sacred spaces, vernacular architecture and women in design.