Specific Issues of Conservation and Restoration of Libya Mosques (7th Century – 1815)

The article traces the genesis of the simple Arabic hypostyle mosque to the centrally-planned mosque of the Ottoman type. It is argued that the architectural development of plan types and volume-compositional characteristics did not depend on political processes and several rulers, but rather on those changes that took place in the traditions of the Islamic school of architecture. Three main periods of mosque architecture with sub-periods are defined: the early period of the introduction of Islam (641–749), the middle period (750–1550), and the late period (1551–1911). Each of the periods was characterized by noticeable changes in planning, design, structural schemes, and decoration.