Rapa Rapa: Difference between revisions

Rapan music has become influential in the wider world of [[Occidental]] recorded music, with several prominent artists traveling to Rapa Rapa or sponsoring Rapan musicians to travel and record on their songs.

===Architecture===

Archaeology suggest Rapan architecture prior to the arrival of [[Truk]] consisted of buildings using varying styles of construction but primarily based around wood from the various tropical trees present on the atoll. The arrival of Islam necessitated a change in architectural development, as the need for {{wp|minaret}}s created the need for rudimentary mining and stoneworking on the island, and the central mountain of Rapa Rapa provided small amounts of usable stone. Between around 1300 and 1600, several dozen stone minarets were constructed on the atoll, with the historical and archaeological record suggesting that the five villages were competing to build the largest, best adorned minaret as a competition for prestige and piety. These minarets, most of which are still around, in turn created a new style of architecture for the island, fusing some of the basic elements of Audonian Islamic and Truk architecture with local techniques and styles. The best examples of this are the Mosques throughout the island, as stone minarets were only later accompanied by stone Mosques. The Rapan style of Mosque uses a traditional Polynesian style - the appearance of an "upside down boat", with very large interior spaces made by curved wooden roofs - but employing stone masonry for the outer walls. Gradually, this style was expounded upon with various architectural flourishes. The arrival of Urceans and availability of new techniques and materials via international trade revolutionized the "Rapan Mosque style" which became the "Neo-Mosque style". Rapan designers began to build new buildings using these international techniques and materials but using the same shape and form factor of the traditional Mosque and public gathering buildings. As a result, a building boom occurred on Rapa Rapa between around 1880 and 1930, as traditional wooden houses and buildings gave way to more elaborate structures. Neo-Mosque remains the most prominent architectural style on the island, existing alongside a handful of buildings from styles popular abroad. The Neo-Mosque style is used in all sorts of structures, including not only Muslim worship sites but also Christian Churches, government buildings, and homes.