The Kaaba and 'Squaring the Circle'
As the geometer his mind applies
To square the circle, nor for all his wit
Finds the right formula, howe’er he tries
Qual è ’l geométra che tutto s’affige
per misurar lo cerchio, e non ritrova,
pensando, quel principio ond’elli indige,
— Dante’s Paradise, canto XXXIII, lines 133–135
I’ve long been fascinated by the ancient idea of “squaring the circle”, and this is something which I intend to write more on in the future. But it occurred to me that just as the “squaring the circle” concept is made manifest in early Christian church architecture — the church building itself being square (representing the earth) and topped with a circular dome (representing heaven)— so is the Kaaba in a deeply mystical way a manifestation of this same concept.
Along these lines, I’d like to share two quotes which I’ve found.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr states in his book Islamic Art & Architecture:
“Architecture is of course the par excellence of ordering space, and all sacred architecture achieves its basic goal of placing man in the presence of the Divine through the sacralization of the space which it forms, orders, and orients by means of various architectural techniques. The most primordial sacred architecture of Islam is the Kabah, the point where the Heavenly axis pierces the earth. This primordial temple built according to the Islamic tradition by Adam himself and then rebuilt by Abraham is the earthly reflection of that celestial temple which is also reflected in the heart of man. The harmony of dimensions, stability and symmetry of the Kabah, the centre of the Islamic cosmos, are to be found in the sacred architecture of the whole of the Islamic world.”
As for the concept of ‘Squaring the Circle’ in Sacred Architecture, I quote Robert Lawler in his book Sacred Geometry. He explains:
“The circumambulation of the Kabah at Mecca is a symbolic ritual related to the concept of the Squaring of the Circle. In Sacred Geometry, this is a practice which seeks to construct a square which is virtually equal in perimeter to the circumference of a given circle, or which is virtually equal in area to the area of a given circle. Nevertheless the Squaring of the Circle is of great importance to the geometer-cosmologist because for him the circle represents pure, unmanifest spirit-space, while the square represents the manifest and comprehensible world. When a near equality is drawn between the circle and square, the infinite is able to express its dimensions or qualities through the finite.”
In a way that is as real as it is symbolic, the Kaaba represents a meeting of heaven and earth. It is the axis mundi, as well as the ‘spiritual center’ of creation.
It is a symbolic representation of the transmutation of the human person.
Lawler continues:
“Squaring the circle therefore represents the achieved equilibrium between heaven and earth. It is a perennial philosophical symbol: it is the establishing of heaven on earth and an act which informs as well as enforms that aspect of the cosmos which is furthest or most obscured from its archetypal source.”
There is much more that can be said here, but I just wanted to share a few quotes. Again, I plan to write more on this in the future. Inshallah.
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