_Impact of Mosque Geometry on Its Acoustical Performance

The mosque as an important building type of Muslim architecture has evolved to meet religious needs. A variety of different worship activities happen within this multifunctional public space; these different activities have different acoustical requirements. This paper aims to emphasize the impact of the mosque geometry on its acoustical design to maintain good acoustic quality. In this study, the acoustical characteristics of typically constructed contemporary mosques without domes and with four various geometric configurations in Saudi Arabia had been investigated by means of acoustic measurements. Speech Transmission Index (STI), Clarity (C80), and Definition or Deutlichkeit (D50) have been tested. We found that the best acoustical performance could be obtained by using the 1: 2 rectangle and square geometries.