A mosque is the place where Muslims, people who practice the religion of Islam, go to worship. Like the Christian church or the Jewish synagogue, the Islamic mosque is the building that serves as the public gathering place where worshipers can come together and pray. It is estimated that there are about 2 billion Muslims in the world, so there are many mosques around the world as well.
Mosques generally share these four features: the minaret, the qubba, the sahn, and the mihrab. The minaret is a tower structure from which a person cries out the call to prayer. A call to prayer occurs five times a day, and it is essentially an invitation for Muslims to pray. Because the minarets are so tall, these structures also provide a visual reminder of where the mosque is located and, on a symbolic level, show the presence of Islam in the area.
The qubba, which is the Arabic word for dome, is often decorated with many different patterns. While it is not necessary to include the qubba during mosque construction, it is often included as a visual representation of heaven and as a source of inspiration for the worshipers. Depending on the mosque, the number of domes can vary.
The sahn is the courtyard, where fountains can be found. These fountains are important because they allow worshipers to cleanse their bodies before prayer.
Finally, the mihrab is a section of the mosque’s wall that points to the direction of Mecca. Mecca is the city where the founder of Islam, the Prophet Muhammad, was born. It is the most important city in the Islamic religion, and all Muslims must pray in the direction of Mecca. The wall where the mihrab is located is called the qibla wall, and this wall is typically the most decorated area in the mosque.
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