The Semantic of Pivot in Mosque and Church

Axis is the basic factor in physical organization of temples which with regard to the method of thought of each school، has had a symbolic role in worship spaces. Axis in the space of prayers rooms is the factor for giving direction and can inspire a defined quality and meaning in the prayers room. This article in an attempt to display the factors and meanings effective on axis making of Islamic and Christian worship places. The necessity of study and review of axis is in the importance of the hidden and effective role in the spiritual and physical direction of prayer room space. This has been made in comparative-reasoning method. The study of the primary foundations of axis displays the causes and the method of formation of praying spaces and leads to have an informed view towards the design of mosque and church. In the beginning، the intellectual bases and differences related to axis orientation in mosque and church have been put forth. Finally، having a comparative study of mosques and churches، the semantic analysis of axis role has been made. On this basis، the horizontal axis in the Christian prayers’ rooms has a firm position and conveys the historical، secret and performance roles. Axis in the church causes physical-driven attitudes and link of church with the factors and symbols of this world. Axis in mosques has been formed based on performance and functional obligations. What can be observed inn the mosques is a gap like space and far from a dominant tendency towards a specific direction. Axis making in the mosque leads to the silence of mind and the unit definition of the space. It is such that mosque is known as the manifestation of a united and public prayer’s place، in harmony with the individuality of individuals towards a single deity. Finally، the common feature in axis oriented attitude in the church and mosque is the vertical axis. What makes the real meaning in mosque and church is the axis of ascension which defines the route of salvation.