Pulpits

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|The pulpit of the Notre-Dame de Revel in Revel, Haute-Garonne|Revel, [[Haute-Garonne, France]] thumb|upright|Pulpit at Blenduk Church in [[Semarang, Indonesia, with large sounding board and cloth antependium ]] thumb|"Two-decker" pulpit in an abandoned Welsh chapel, with reading desk below thumb|upright|1870 Gothic Revival oak pulpit, [[Church of St Thomas, Thurstonland]] upright|thumb|Ambo, in the modern Catholic sense, in Austria thumb|upright|19th-century wooden pulpit in Canterbury Cathedral A pulpit is an elevated stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is

church in Pisa, Italy

liturgical furniture

canopy over pulpit

A bema is an elevated platform used as an orator's podium. The term can refer to the raised area in a sanctuary. In Jewish synagogues, where it is used for Torah reading during services, the term used is bima or bimah.

pulpit with sculpture by Giovanni Pisano

lectern in an eagle shape

pulpit with sculpture by Nicola Pisano

11th-century ambon/pulpit in Aachen Cathedral