Mosque architecture

thumb|The Prophet's Mosque in [[Medina, one of the holiest mosques in Islam]]

A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a matter of controversy and there are a wide variety of forms and specialized terms to describe them.

thumb|Minaret at the Umayyad Mosque in [[Damascus]]

thumb|Muslims surrounding and facing the [[Kaaba for prayer]] The qibla () is the direction towards the Kaaba in the Sacred Mosque in Mecca, which is used by Muslims in various religious contexts, particularly the direction of prayer for the salah. According to Islamic tradition, the Kaaba is believed to be a sacred site built by prophets Abraham and Ishmael, and that its use as the qibla was ordained by God in several verses of the Quran revealed to Muhammad in the second Hijri year. Prior to this revelation, Muhammad and his followers in Medina faced Jerusalem for prayers. Most mosques conta

thumb|Mihrab in the Prophet's Mosque, Medina Mihrab (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a mihrab appears is thus the "qibla wall".

thumb|Ottoman Empire|Ottoman-era minbar of the [[Molla Çelebi Mosque in Istanbul.]]A minbar (; sometimes romanized as mimber) is a pulpit in a mosque where the imam (leader of prayers) stands to deliver sermons (, khutbah). It is also used in other similar contexts, such as in a Husayniyya, where the speaker sits and lectures the congregation.

thumb|330px|Multiple iwans and tiled domes of the 16th-century Persian-style Po-i-Kalyan#Mir-i Arab Madrassah|Mir-i-Arab madrasa, [[Bukhara, Uzbekistan]] An iwan (, also ivan or ivān/īvān; ) is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called '''''', a Persian term for a portal projecting from the facade of a building, usually decorated with calligraphy bands, glazed tilework, and geometric designs. Since the definition allows for some interpretation, the overall forms and characteristics can vary greatly

thumb|A Romanesque architecture|Romanesque triforium gallery, Cathedral of Saint Mary Major, Lisbon thumb|Interior elevation view of a Gothic cathedral, with triforium highlighted

thumb|The wooden maqsura in the Great Mosque of Kairouan ([[Tunisia) |alt=]] Maqsurah (, literally "closed-off space") is an enclosure, box, or wooden screen near the mihrab or the center of the qibla wall in a mosque. It was typically reserved for a Muslim ruler and his entourage, and was originally designed to shield him from potential assassins during prayer. The imam officiating inside the maqsurah typically belonged to the same school of law to which the ruler belonged.

thumb|right|260px|Large sahn of the Great Mosque of Kairouan, surrounded by riwaq (arcades), in [[Tunisia.]]

In traditional Persian architecture, a howz () is a centrally positioned symmetrical axis pool. If in a traditional house or private courtyard, it is used for bathing, aesthetics or both. If in a sahn of a mosque, it is used for performing ablutions. A howz is usually around deep. It may be used as a "theatre" for people to sit on all sides of the pool while others entertain.

range of similar indigenous architectural styles in West Africa

two minaret towers in Ghazni, Afghanistan

thumb|The dikka in the Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan|Mosque of Sultan Hasan in [[Cairo]] thumb|The müezzin mahfili in the Selimiye Mosque, Edirne|Selimiye Mosque of [[Edirne, Turkey]] A dikka or dakka (), also known in Turkish as a müezzin mahfili, is a raised platform or tribune in a mosque from which the Quran is recited and where the muezzin chants or repeats in response to the imam's prayers. It is also used by the muezzin to chant the second call to prayer (iqama), which indicates to worshippers that the prayer is about to begin. On special occasions or evenings, such as during the mont

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mosque with a minaret on the roof

type of structure attached to a mosque

thumb|The zarih in the Al-Askari Shrine which surrounds the graves of Hasan al-Askari, [[Ali al-Hadi, and Narjis Khatun]] thumb|The large wooden zarih built over the grave of Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i before the renovation. A zarih (, , ) or ḍarīḥ () is a lattice structure which usually encloses a grave in a mosque or an Islamic shrine. In some cases, it can also surround a religious relic on display.

glass vessels of vase shape with a wide flaring neck