Reimagining Sacred Space: The Repurposing of Beer Bottles in Mosque Architecture and Symbolism in Ghana

Abstract

This study investigates the innovative incorporation of beer bottles into the architectural elements of the Nyoule-Paani Mosque in the Upper West Region of Ghana, highlighting a form of material and symbolic adaptation that challenges conventional Islamic iconography. While Islamic doctrine generally prohibits alcohol, the placement of repurposed beer bottles on the mosque’s mihrab and minarets exemplifies a unique cultural negotiation and local expression within Islamic practice. These bottles serve as powerful symbols of hybrid identity, reflecting a blending of indigenous cultural elements and Islamic architectural forms influenced by historical trans-Saharan trade exchanges. The research employs ethnographic methods, including interviews with community members and architectural analysis, complemented by comparative field observations of regional mosques. Findings suggest that the repurposed beer bottles symbolise a form of cultural resilience and adaptation, embodying social memory, local craftsmanship, and intercultural dialogue. This material transformation illustrates how religious architecture can serve as a site of cultural negotiation, demonstrating the fluidity of religious and social identities in Ghana. The study underscores the importance of viewing religious spaces and their artefacts as dynamic symbols of cultural resilience, adaptation, and intercultural exchange.