Experiencing Spirituality Through Design
by: BTM - Wed, 10 Dec 2025
Zakiya Mohammed is a Master of Architecture student at the University of Bahrain, guided by Professor Islam Elghonaimy. With a keen interest in mosque architecture, in this piece she explores the spiritual journey at Siyadi mosque.
Named after the famous pearl merchant family, the Siyadi Mosque built in the mid-19th century reflects the identity of Bahraini traditional architecture. Until today it has served as a place of worship.
Most contemporary mosques focus on scale, technology or ornamentation, while the traditional Siyadi mosque makes you relive the old days of Bahrain and provides a unique and intimate experience. Visiting the mosque and passing through its thresholds creates a journey from the bustle of daily life to a space of humility, submission and spirituality.
The Beginning of the Spiritual Journey
The journey starts with sighting the minaret towering above the narrow alleys in the old city of Muharraq.The mosques design blending with the surrounding urban fabric, creating a comfortable experience for the visitors.
Even before entering the mosque, the design and materials begin to tell a story of the culture, heritage and architecture of the kingdom. The walls made of coral stone, plastered with traditional lime, create a rough texture that depicts the traditional architectural design techniques. This visual stimulation creates an atmosphere of authenticity and comfort for the worshippers and links them to their roots.
From the Bustling Neighbourhood to the Spiritual Interior
The mosque is entered through an intricately-carved wooden door, a reminder of Bahrain’s skilled carpentry. The worshippers remove their shoes and step on the cool stone of the courtyard, and the open sky above physically connects the body to the sacredness of space. The ablution space is accessed from the courtyard and is where worshippers cleanse their hands, face and feet, a ritual which prepares the body for worship before entering the prayer hall. The spatial organisation adjusts the worshipper’s mind from a busy chaotic day to a state of spiritual stillness. 
Passing the Sensory Thresholds
After the ablution, the worshippers enter the outer carpeted prayer hall, which is semi-open to the exterior, minimising the level of light and preparing the senses for the inner prayer hall. This transitional prayer hall enriches the worshipper’s journey by allowing them to adjust from the skylit courtyard to the dim serenity of the interior hall.
Completion of the Journey
Finally, the worshippers enter the inner prayer hall completing the journey towards worship. Hypostyle hall with flat and low ceiling creates an atmosphere of intimacy and enclosure. Its main focal point, the mihrab, is a simple plastered niche in the Qibla wall facing Mecca. The niche is curved inwards enhancing the acoustics by projecting the imam’s sound across the room. While diffused light enters this hall from openings which creates an interplay of light and shadow, creating a spiritual and calm atmosphere.
Siyadi Mosque is much more than a prayer space, it is a multi-layered journey of thresholds, light, texture and sound. From the narrow streets to the entrance, the lit courtyard, the transitional carpeted zone and finally the warm prayer room, every step leads the believer to spiritual immersion.
The mosque teaches us that spirituality does not require grandiosity but sensitivity to human scale, climate and the act of worship. It offers a living experience of how space, materials and design can foster spirituality.
