Answer to Question 1
The Congregational Mosque of Kairouan incorporated the elements of the Prophet Muhammad's residence into a monumental form. A mosque is a place for congregational prayer and consists of a large rectangular prayer hall, with an open courtyard that rises to a large square tower called a minaret, modeled on a Roman lighthouse. From the height of the minaret a crier calls the faithful to prayer five times a day.
Answer to Question 2
In Western museums, masks are commonly exhibited and admired as sculpture. In Africa, masks are never displayed as an art form; they appear only in motion as the heads or faces of spirits that have appeared in a human community. The nowo is the guiding spirit of a Temne women's organization called Bondo, which regulates female affairs and prepares young girls for initiation into adult status and into the community. During this time they need protection, guidance, and sponsorship of spirits to make the transition. In a masquerade ceremony the nowo appears as a lustrous black mask, representing the Temne ideal of feminine beauty and modesty. The rings around the base symbolize transformation and the emergence. A white scarf tied to the nowo' selaborate hairstyle indicates empathy for the initiates under her care.
Religious Groups: From Hostility to Acceptance
Contemporary Religious Landscapes
Cradle the head briefly in both hands to end this section.
Figure of a Woman with a Drawing Showing Evidence of Original Painting and Outlining Design Scheme
Modern door design
Example of the oligonucleotide probe design