e to differentiate them from the sacred places of other religions and cultures.

The most significant characteristic of a mosque is that it should be directed toward Mecca. One or more niches on one of the walls of the mosque usually serve as signs of this direction, called qibla. When the imam directs the prayers, he often faces one of these niches. Next to the niche, a pulpit is usually provided

In the Qur’an, the sacred book of Islam, the word Masjid (mosque), although applied many times, is only used in naming three particular buildings: the Masjid as Haram (ka’ba), the Masjid al Aqsa (Jerusalem) and the Masjid built at the oasis place called Quba, south-east of Medina. This was the first mosque of Islam after the advent of Prophet Mohammed. The word “mosque” denotes “place of prostration”, a site to humble oneself before God. A mosque has no religious significance other than a niche, which shows the direction of Mecca and thus the direction the faithful should face during the prayer. It has no other furnishings than prayer rugs (Mosque in Islam religion.

Of all Muslim institutions, the mosque is the most significant place for the communal expression of Islamic religiosity. The first model of a mosque was an enclosure marked as a particular place of worship. A small space of the mosque was separated from the entire house to place a family, and the remaining part was left open as a site for Muslims to pray.

Although later mosques became complex architectural buildings constructed in various styles, the one requirement of all mosques is based on the earliest pattern: a designation of space for the objective of prayer.

As Islam spread outside Arabia, Islamic architecture was affected by the different architectural styles of the conquered cultures, and both plain and monumental mosques of striking beauty were built in towns of the Islamic world. Despite the borrowings from various civilizations, certain general features became characteristic of most mosques and thus serve to differentiate them from the sacred places of other religions and cultures.

The most significant characteristic of a mosque is that it should be directed toward Mecca. One or more niches on one of the walls of the mosque usually serve as signs of this direction, called qibla. When the imam directs the prayers, he often faces one of these niches. Next to the niche, a pulpit is usually provided

a site to humble oneself before God. A mosque has no religious significance other than a niche, which shows the direction of Mecca and thus the direction the faithful should face during the prayer. It has no other furnishings than prayer rugs (Mosque in Islam religion.

Of all Muslim institutions, the mosque is the most significant place for the communal expression of Islamic religiosity. The first model of a mosque was an enclosure marked as a particular place of worship. A small space of the mosque was separated from the entire house to place a family, and the remaining part was left open as a site for Muslims to pray.

Although later mosques became complex architectural buildings constructed in various styles, the one requirement of all mosques is based on the earliest pattern: a designation of space for the objective of prayer.

As Islam spread outside Arabia, Islamic architecture was affected by the different architectural styles of the conquered cultures, and both plain and monumental mosques of striking beauty were built in towns of the Islamic world. Despite the borrowings from various civilizations, certain general features became characteristic of most mosques and thus serve to differentiate them from the sacred places of other religions and cultures.

The most significant characteristic of a mosque is that it should be directed toward Mecca. One or more niches on one of the walls of the mosque usually serve as signs of this direction, called qibla. When the imam directs the prayers, he often faces one of these niches. Next to the niche, a pulpit is usually provided

t model of a mosque was an enclosure marked as a particular place of worship. A small space of the mosque was separated from the entire house to place a family, and the remaining part was left open as a site for Muslims to pray.

Although later mosques became complex architectural buildings constructed in various styles, the one requirement of all mosques is based on the earliest pattern: a designation of space for the objective of prayer.

As Islam spread outside Arabia, Islamic architecture was affected by the different architectural styles of the conquered cultures, and both plain and monumental mosques of striking beauty were built in towns of the Islamic world. Despite the borrowings from various civilizations, certain general features became characteristic of most mosques and thus serve to differentiate them from the sacred places of other religions and cultures.

The most significant characteristic of a mosque is that it should be directed toward Mecca. One or more niches on one of the walls of the mosque usually serve as signs of this direction, called qibla. When the imam directs the prayers, he often faces one of these niches. Next to the niche, a pulpit is usually provided

tion of space for the objective of prayer.

As Islam spread outside Arabia, Islamic architecture was affected by the different architectural styles of the conquered cultures, and both plain and monumental mosques of striking beauty were built in towns of the Islamic world. Despite the borrowings from various civilizations, certain general features became characteristic of most mosques and thus serve to differentiate them from the sacred places of other religions and cultures.

The most significant characteristic of a mosque is that it should be directed toward Mecca. One or more niches on one of the walls of the mosque usually serve as signs of this direction, called qibla. When the imam directs the prayers, he often faces one of these niches. Next to the niche, a pulpit is usually provided

e to differentiate them from the sacred places of other religions and cultures.

The most significant characteristic of a mosque is that it should be directed toward Mecca. One or more niches on one of the walls of the mosque usually serve as signs of this direction, called qibla. When the imam directs the prayers, he often faces one of these niches. Next to the niche, a pulpit is usually provided for the delivery of homilies. Many mosques also have separate spaces for carrying out ritual ablution, and separate spaces for women. In many mosques, some rows of columns are used to identify the way for worshipers to line up behind the imam during grace. Mosques usually have several minarets, from which the muezzin calls Muslims to grace five times a day. Additionally to their functional application, these minarets characterize elements of mosque architecture. Especially in large mosques, minarets have the effect of tempering the size and magnificence of the domed structure by showing to the viewer the elevation of holiness above the pretensions of human splendour.

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Many mosques also have a dome, and the line linking the center of the dome to the niche must point toward Mecca.

The mosque is not a separate unit, as are some sites of worship in religious of other cultures. It is always built as a connection with Mecca, the final home of Muslim worship that metaphorically creates the center of all mosques.