Arabic:
“beacon”
Related Topics:
mosque

minaret, in Islamic religious architecture, the tower from which the faithful are called to prayer five times each day by a muezzin, or crier. Such a tower is always connected with a mosque and has one or more balconies or open galleries. At the time of the Prophet Muhammad, the call to prayer (adhān) was made from the highest roof in the vicinity of the mosque. The earliest minarets were former Greek watchtowers and the towers of Christian churches. The oldest minaret in North Africa is at Kairouan, Tunisia. It was built between 724 and 727 and has a massive square form.

Minarets are constructed in a wide variety of forms ranging from thick, squat, spiral ramps, as at Samarra, Iraq (built 848–852), to soaring, delicate, pencil-thin spires. Often the minaret is square at the base, where it is attached to the mosque. Above this square base it may rise in a series of circular, hexagonal, or octagonal stages, each marked by a projecting balcony. At the top is a bulbous dome, an open pavilion, or a metal-covered cone. The upper parts of the minaret are usually richly decorated with carving. The steps may be internal or external. The number of minarets per mosque also varies, from one to as many as six. These towers were built to be “landmarks of Islam”—to be visible from afar and to stamp a site with Islamic character.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Zeidan.
Related Topics:
mosque
türbe
Turkish triangle
eyvān
jawab
On the Web:
Academia - Islamic architecture (Apr. 04, 2025)

Islamic architecture, building traditions of Muslim populations of the Middle East and elsewhere from the 7th century on. Islamic architecture finds its highest expression in religious buildings such as the mosque and madrasah. Early Islamic religious architecture, exemplified by Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock (ad 691) and the Great Mosque (705) in Damascus, drew on Christian architectural features such as domes, columnar arches, and mosaics but also included large courts for congregational prayer and a mihrab. From early times, the characteristic semicircular horseshoe arch and rich, nonrepresentational decoration of surfaces were employed. Religious architecture came into its own with the creation of the hypostyle mosque (see hypostyle hall) in Iraq and Egypt. In Iran a mosque plan consisting of four eyvans (vaulted halls) opening onto a central court was used. These brick-built mosques also incorporated domes and decorated squinches (see Byzantine architecture) across the corners of the rooms. Persian architectural features spread to India, where they are found in the Taj Mahal and Mughal palaces. Ottoman architecture, derived from Islamic and Byzantine traditions, is exemplified by the Selimiye Mosque (1575) at Edirne, Tur., with its great central dome and slender minarets. One of the greatest examples of secular Islamic architecture is the Alhambra. For full treatment of the subject, see Islamic arts.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.