Karen Leggett (Children's Literature)
In the elegant tradition of Cathedral and Pyramid, David Macaulay has now dissected a 16th century Ottoman mosque and rebuilt it, brick by brick, page by page. We learn that mosques were often built by wealthy members of the community as part of a foundation that provided religious, education, and social services. There is a fictional story line of a highly successful admiral whose last campaign would be the creation of such a charitable foundation. The compound included the mosque itself as well as a school, public baths and various courtyards. Macaulay provides intricate details of the stonework, heating and cooling systems, tower construction and tile painting. There are detailed pen-and-ink drawings of the blueprints and plans, men at work, and the final grand construction. The process will be fascinating to older students with an interest in architecture or engineering, but the text will be too complex for many younger students. Teachers will be able to glean substantial information to share with students, however, about social mores in general as well as mosques and Islam in particular. Macaulay's preface is worthy of note, as he talks about religious architecture in the realm of humankind's proudest accomplishments: "The greatest achievement of these buildings, however...lies in their ability to impress and move even those whose personal beliefs they do not necessarily serve." 2003, Houghton Mifflin, $18.00. Ages 10 up.

CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2004)
With the detailed drawings and an informative narrative typical of his other architectural volumes, Macaulay outlines the planning and building of a mosque and related buildings. Macaulay lays the groundwork for this activity with a brief history of the Muslim Empire during the sixteenth century. Then, blending architectural, cultural and religious information in a fictional narrative set in sixteenth-century Istanbul, he details the construction. In the storyline, wealthy Admiral Suha Mehmet Pasa has chosen architect Akif Agha to design and oversee the building of the complex series of structures. Macualay's intricate drawings show everything from how individual bricks were made to the physics behind certain architectural features. He introduces and explains many architectural terms and concepts (a glossary at the end is a helpful addition). He also discusses Islamic art, and the role of both art and architecture in Islam is clearly revealed as people prepare to worship in the holy place. Students of history, art, physics, and engineering of all ages will devour this book CCBC categories: Historical People, Places, and Events. 2003, Walter Lorraine Books / Houghton Mifflin, 96 pages, $18.00. Ages 7-17.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2003 (Vol. 71, No. 19))
Taking its place proudly among such other monuments of world civilization as Cathedral, Pyramid, and Castle is the subject of Macaulay's newest architectural exploration. Hewing to the formula established in previous works, the narrative explores the building of a fictional mosque, "modeled directly on existing examples." After introducing its cast of characters and discussing the socio-cultural importance of the mosque complex, the narrative then plunges eagerly into the meat of the matter: building. Moving methodically around the complex (a progression aided by the glossary in the back), the text and its superb accompanying drawings explain both the religious and structural underpinnings of the mosque. The description of the planned prayer hall, for instance, includes both the importance of its orientation toward Mecca and the system of piers and semidomes that make possible the crowning of a vast square room with a grand dome. The meticulous pen-and-ink drawings are delicately tinted to help distinguish the different structural elements and bring the building to life, both in process and in completion. Magnificent. 2003, Walter Lorraine/Houghton Mifflin, $18.00. Category: Nonfiction. Ages 9 up. Starred Review. © 2003 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Bridget Slayden (Library Media Connection, March 2004)
As in other of Macauley's works, this unique and well-written fictional account relays the planning and building of a typical Ottoman mosque of the late 16th century. Particularly mentioned is real-life engineer and architect Sinan, the most famous architect of the Ottoman Empire, who acted as chief court architect for almost 50 years in the late 1500's, overseeing nearly 300 structures in Istanbul. The building in Mosque is modeled after the buildings that Sinan completed. Fascinating, full-color, concise illustrations complement the story enhancing the understanding of the structure of the mosque itself and the time needed to undertake such a spectacular feat. The story discusses the structure and the structure's history as well as its uses such as a place to provide education, food for students and needy individuals of the community, lodging for travelers, and public baths. A complex concept made understandable. This is a wonderful book for students studying architecture, the Ottoman period, or simply to widen an appreciation for mankind's amazing accomplishments. Recommended. 2003, Houghton Mifflin, 96pp., $18 hc. Ages 8 up.

Elizabeth Bush (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, January 2004 (Vol. 57, No. 5))
Architecture and engineering enthusiasts who’ve reveled in Macaulay’s meticulous renderings in Castle (BCCB 9/77), Cathedral (1/74), and their like will applaud their guru’s return to his widely respected oeuvre. Again, a slender line of fiction lends narrative cohesion to the fascinating business of monumental construction. Suha Mehmet Pasa, a devout Muslim in the late sixteenth-century Ottoman Empire, establishes a charitable foundation and commissions a mosque and related buildings (religious school, bathhouse, soup kitchen, private tomb). As his architect, a student of the real-life Islamic master Sinan, directs operations, readers pore over ingenious solutions to such problems as retaining a dome’s shape while under construction, or making the deceptively delicate minaret astonishingly sturdy. Although extensive knowledge of Western building techniques is certainly not required, readers with some familiarity will enjoy comparing such details as stained-glass technique (no lead required), bathhouse heating (strikingly similar to Roman baths), and labor recruitment (the donor, a retired admiral, can round up some galley slaves as easily as Castle’s Master James could enlist a small army of laborers). Text and illustrations are strongly focused on the buildings themselves, but Macaulay slips in just enough background on the fictional Suha Mehmet Pasa to demonstrate how both the structures and the charitable impetus behind them are integrally related to Islamic faith. Review Code: R* -- Denotes books of special distinction. (c) Copyright 2004, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2003, Lorraine/Houghton, 96p, $18.00. Grades 5-10.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2004)
Bringing his usual precise observation and clarity of description, Macaulay focuses on the architecture and engineering of a fictional 1595 "charitable foundation": a large mosque plus a religious college, a soup kitchen, public baths, and a tomb. The mosque itself, with its elaborate buttressing system of arches and half domes, its variety of materials, and its richly ornamented interior, will fascinate budding engineers and art historians. Category: Nonfiction-The Arts. 2003, Houghton/Lorraine, 96pp, $18.00. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.

Becky Young (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 16, No. 4))
This lavishly illustrated and detailed book follows the construction of a fictional mosque in the Istanbul area from conception to completion. While the reader follows the construction of the mosque, he will also learn a little more about Islamic culture and customs. A mosque is much more than a place of worship. It includes a school, housing for teachers and scholars, bathhouses, toilet facilities, kitchens, and dining rooms for students in the school and the poor of the community, and tombs. The author explains the use of each building in the complex and the reasoning behind its construction. The story of the construction includes information on the history and culture of Turkey in 1595. The details of the intricate construction are carefully explained and illustrated. Teachers will find this book useful for a unit on comparative religions if it is pared with the author’s book Cathedral. History and geography teachers can use it with units on the history and culture of the Ottoman Empire. Math teachers can use the book to show real-life geometry concepts. Art teachers can use the descriptions of Arabic art and architecture in many different ways. Building trades teachers will find this book useful for teaching basic building concepts and designs. Since many students will want to read this visually exciting, factual book just for fun, it is a good choice for librarians to set invitingly in a display of books for browsing. Nonfiction (726). Grades 4-12. 2003, Walter Lorraine Books, 96p., $18.00. Ages 9 to 18.

Rollie Welch (VOYA, February 2004 (Vol. 26, No. 6))
Macaulay adds to his series of books describing buildings through visual dissections of structures with this examination of Middle Eastern mosques. Macaulay's talent enables a hefty amount of information to be presented in a minimal number of pages and illustrations. Through a wonderful blend of architectural detail, historical information, and a fictionalized story, the labor put into designing, constructing, and completing a mosque is brought to life. An informative text and appealing simple but artistic drawings bridge the gap between juvenile picture book and young adult nonfiction, making this book quite suitable for report topics. Although Islam is emphasized, featuring the five pillars of faith, prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage, this book does not pretend to be a primer on the religion. Rather the importance of Islamic daily prayer plus giving back one's wealth to the community become reasons for building the mosque. Readers not familiar with the social structure of an Islamic society might be surprised to learn how a mosque is also somewhat of a social center including baths with hot and cold rooms. A minor complaint about the work is that a student with no architectural background might find descriptions of shoring up walls to support the unique dome of the building mind-boggling. That aside, because of United States involvement in the Middle East and the general population having sparse knowledge about Islamic history and culture, this title is a must-have for both school and public libraries. VOYA CODES: 5Q 4P M J S (Hard to imagine it being any better written; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003, Walter Lorraine Books/Houghton Mifflin, 96p.; Glossary. Illus., $18. Ages 11 to 18.