ABSTRACT
The foregrounding of the debate and the subject of space and gender makes three legitimate claims: first, to clarify the genesis of an architectural space and the suitability of such a space for congregational devotion; second, to describe the legal and liturgical requirements that are linked to a congregational space; finally, to give a few details about the mannerisms of collective worship. Because there is no agreed upon American and European mosque prototype, architects and their clients depend simply upon what can be called ‘cultural or regional models'; these models have thus far shaped the awareness of custom, culture, and habit among American and European Muslims.
