Using Geographic Information System Technique In Identifying The Suitability Of Mosque Sites And Its Locations In Erbil City

Abstract

The distribution of the mosques needs to be organized to help to choose the appropriate location according to the regulations for the new mosques proposals.  The distribution and the area of mosques is a big problem in the Islamic cities. This paper aimed to find the mosque location and evaluate the distribution of the mosques to find a selection criterion for mosques locations and capacity. A district number three in Erbil city covered as a study area . Geographic information systems (GIS) used to identify existing mosques locations . Two types of buffers applied to the mosques according to general Islamic roles and local ministry roles then the intersection of the mosques identified . The finding was the total worshiping area is more than the needed area for the total worshiper and even if all the mosques used only one floor area for worshiping and neglect the second floors  it will be also more than enough for this sector inhabitants but Mosque distribution need to be rearranged . Although the built mosques cannot removed but many of this mosques do not do its function as well as it was built for due to its wrong location . huge areas and a high amount of population need mosques in their areas because the existing mosques are too far from their houses and concentrated in other places  .