The Assessment of Acoustical Characteristics for Recent Mosque Buildings in Erbil City of Iraq

  • Dawa A. A. Masih Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Daniel Mitterrand Boulevard, Koya KOY45 AB64, Kurdistan Region – F.R. Iraq https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5769-3659
  • Nawzad K. Jalal Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Daniel Mitterrand Boulevard, Koya KOY45 AB64, Kurdistan Region – F.R. Iraq https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2989-0380
  • Manar N. A. Mohammed Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Daniel Mitterrand Boulevard, Koya KOY45 AB64, Kurdistan Region – F.R. Iraq https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2611-8544
  • Sulaiman A. Mustafa Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Daniel Mitterrand Boulevard, Koya KOY45 AB64, Kurdistan Region – F.R. Iraq https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8831-544X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14500/aro.10784
Keywords: Acoustic parameters, Mosque acoustics, ODEON, Reverberation time, Speech Transmission Index

Abstract

The study of mosque acoustics, concerning acoustical features, sound quality for speech intelligibility, and additional practical acoustic criteria, is commonly overlooked. Acoustic quality is vital to the fundamental use of mosques, in terms of contributing toward prayers and worshippers’ appreciation. This paper undertakes a comparative analysis of the acoustic quality level and the acoustical characteristics for two modern mosque buildings constructed in Erbil city. This work investigates and examines the acoustical quality and performance of these two mosques and their prayer halls through room simulation using ODEON Room Acoustics Software, to assess the degree of speech intelligibility according to acoustic criteria relative to the spatial requirements and design guidelines. The sound pressure level and other room-acoustic indicators, such as reverberation time (T30), early decay time, and speech transmission index, are tested. The outcomes demonstrate the quality of acoustics in the investigated mosques during semi-occupied and fully-occupied circumstances. The results specify that the sound quality within the both mosques is displeasing as the loudspeakers were off.

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Author Biographies

Dawa A. A. Masih, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Daniel Mitterrand Boulevard, Koya KOY45 AB64, Kurdistan Region – F.R. Iraq

Dawa A.A. Masih is an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Architecture Engineering, where he started to work at Koya University since 2015. He gained a B.Sc. degree in Architectural Engineering from Koya University in 2011, and M.Sc. in Architecture degree from the University of Nottingham in 2014. Mr. Dawa received Chair's Award Certificate for the SEEDS Conference 2015 in Leeds, United Kingdom. He participated in SET 2015 conference (14th International Conference on Sustainable Energy Technologies) and got certificate in Nottingham, United Kingdom.

Nawzad K. Jalal, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Daniel Mitterrand Boulevard, Koya KOY45 AB64, Kurdistan Region – F.R. Iraq
Nawzad K. Jalal is an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Architecture Engineering, where he started to work at Koya University since 2016. He gained a B.Sc. degree in Architectural Engineering from Koya University in 2012, and M.Sc. degree in Sustainable Building Technology  from the University of Nottingham in 2015. Mr. Nawzad has been awarded with a HCED (The Higher Committee of Education Development in Iraq).
Manar N. A. Mohammed, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Daniel Mitterrand Boulevard, Koya KOY45 AB64, Kurdistan Region – F.R. Iraq

Manar Nazar is a lecturer at the Department of Architectural Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University. She got a B.Sc.degree in Architectural Engineering. The M.Sc.degree in Architectural Engineering -Environmental Design and Energy Efficiency. Her research interest is in the Assessment of Acoustical Characteristics for Recent Mosque Building in the Erbil City of Iraq. Manar is a member of the Iraqi Engineering Syndicate, a member of the Engineering Syndicate in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, and a member of Heritage Conservation Research Program -HCRP of the Research center, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Koya.Iraq.

Sulaiman A. Mustafa, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Koya University, Daniel Mitterrand Boulevard, Koya KOY45 AB64, Kurdistan Region – F.R. Iraq
Sulaiman A. Mustafa is an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Architecture Engineering, where he started to work at Erbil polyTechnical University since 2016. He gained a B.Sc. degree in Architectural Engineering from Koya University in 2009, and M.Sc. degree in Architecture from the South Dakota State University, United states of america in 2016. Mr. Sulaiman has been awarded with a HCDP (Human Capacity Development Program) Scholarship by the KRG-MHE (Kurdistan Regional Government - Ministry of Higher education).

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ARO Journal: Volume 9, No. 1 (2021)
Published
2021-03-01
How to Cite
Masih, D. A. A., Jalal, N. K., Mohammed, M. N. A. and Mustafa, S. A. (2021) “The Assessment of Acoustical Characteristics for Recent Mosque Buildings in Erbil City of Iraq”, ARO-THE SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL OF KOYA UNIVERSITY, 9(1), pp. 51-66. doi: 10.14500/aro.10784.
Issue
Vol. 9 No. 1 (2021): Issue Sixteen
Section
Articles

Copyright (c) 2021 Dawa A. A. Masih, Nawzad K. Jalal, Manar N. A. Mohammed, Sulaiman A. Mustafa

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