Ottoman Mosques in Albania: Building Acoustic Exploration inside Five Case Studies

The Ottoman mosques of the 15th and 16th centuries represent an architectural typology that has been replicated in territories out of the Middle East for as long as Islam spread its influence on other countries. This paper deals with the determination of the acoustic properties inside a few Ottoman mosques located in different cities of Albania, specifically in Elbasan, Berat, Kavaja, Tirana and Shkodra. A comparison between the prayer rooms of these five mosques has been undertaken in terms of the main acoustic parameters by following the standard requirements outlined in ISO 3382-1. The architectural characteristics of the single-unit mosques chosen for this research study are determined by the domed-square musalla, which has a comparable volume size among all five mosques. Results gathered by the acoustic measurements undertaken in unoccupied conditions highlight an overall lack of speech understanding given the values of some acoustic parameters fairly acceptable. This outcome is justified by the geometrical configuration, worsened by the presence of a dome that creates a focusing effect of the sound rays, and by the reflecting finish materials applied to walls and roof that facilitate the build-up defect of echoes.

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