Historical Development on Women in Mosques and Islamic Places And its Effect on Architecture of Mosques

In the present article, “the historical evolutions of presence of women in mosques and Islamic places and its effect on architecture of mosques” has been studied.First, we have investigated the presence of women in mosques in early Islam and the Prophet’s encouraging them to be present in mosques as well as some cases of forbidding them to do so. The caliphs after the Prophet behaved in a different way; they would set limits on women’s presence in mosques. The Imams after the Prophet followed his behavior and set no limitation for women; there were some cases of forbidding women as well. The Sunnite scholars followed their caliphs and would forbid women to enter the mosques; this has gradually affected the architecture of the mosques, and there is no place specific to women in Sunnite mosques. Shiite scholars, however, followed the Prophet’s Household and prepared the ground for women’s presence in mosques.Appropriating special places to Shiite women in mosques and Husseyniyas has resulted in women’s progress in religious, social, political and cultural affairs and affected them as far as civilization is concerned. This has resulted in positive changes both in architecture of Shiite mosques and Sunnite mosques.