- Arabic:
- masjid or jāmiʿ
- Key People:
- Sinan
- Mehmed Ağa
mosque
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What is a mosque?
A mosque is a place of worship for Muslims. The Arabic word masjid means "a place of prostration" to God.
There are two main types of mosques:
* Masjid jāmiʿ: A large, state-controlled mosque that serves as the center for community worship and Friday prayer services.
* Smaller mosques: These are operated privately by groups within the community.Mosques are typically open spaces, generally roofed over, and contain a mihrab (a niche pointing towards Mecca) and a minbar (a pulpit). A minaret, a tower used by the muezzin to call Muslims to prayer, is sometimes attached.
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What religion uses mosques for worship?
In Islam, a mosque, derived from the Arabic word masjid meaning "a place of prostration" to God, serves as a place of prayer. Mosques are central to community worship, especially the large, state-controlled masjid jāmiʿ, where Friday prayer services occur.
The architecture of mosques varies across cultures but generally includes an open space, often roofed, featuring a mihrab indicating the direction of Mecca and a minbar for the preacher. A minaret is typically attached, from which a muezzin calls Muslims to prayer five times daily.
Though the mosque's social, educational, and political roles have diminished, it remains an influential center, sometimes including a maktab for Qurʾān teaching. Unlike churches, mosques do not host ceremonies like marriages, and they lack rites such as confession. Instead, prayer involves rows of people bowing and prostrating without chairs, symbolizing unity. Learn more about Islamic architecture.
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What activities typically happen inside a mosque?
A mosque is a place of prayer in Islam, and general religious life for Muslims revolves around it.
Activities:
* Daily Ritual Prayer (salat) Muslims perform salat, the daily ritual prayer, in congregation, lining up in parallel rows behind the imam, or prayer leader.
* Sermons (khutbah) On Fridays, a congregational prayer (salat al-jumʿah) is offered, which includes two sermons (khutbah) delivered from the pulpit.
* Education Many large mosques function as religious schools and colleges. Some mosques have an elementary school (maktab) attached, mainly for teaching the Qurʾān, along with informal classes in law and doctrine.6 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some common features of a mosque's design?
Mosques, central to Islamic worship, share common design features that reflect their function and religious significance. The mihrab, a niche in the wall, indicates the qiblah, the direction of Mecca. Adjacent to the mihrab is the minbar, a pulpit for the preacher. A minaret, a tower, stands outside the mosque, from which the muezzin calls Muslims to prayer.
Inside, the mosque is typically an open space, often roofed, with mats or carpets on the floor for prayer. While lacking statues or ritual objects, inscriptions of Qurʾānic verses and names of religious figures may adorn the space. This design embodies both the diversity of Islamic cultures and the unifying force of Islamic monotheism.
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Why do mosques often have minarets?
Mosques often have minarets, which are slender towers with balconies, because they serve as the place from which a muezzin (crier) calls the faithful to prayer five times a day. During the time of the Prophet Muhammad, the call to prayer (adhān) was made from the highest roof near the mosque. Minarets are constructed in various forms, from thick, squat ramps to soaring, delicate spires and are built to be visible from afar, stamping a site with Islamic character. The call to prayer is typically delivered live by the muezzin from the mosque’s door or minaret.
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How have mosques influenced Islamic culture and architecture around the world?
Mosques, central to Islamic culture, have significantly influenced both religious practice and architectural design worldwide. As spaces for prayer and community gathering, mosques reflect the unifying force of Islamic monotheism while also showcasing the diversity of cultures within the Islamic civilization.
Early mosques, modeled after the Prophet Muhammad's house, were simple, open spaces. Over time, they evolved to include distinctive features such as the mihrab indicating the direction of Mecca, the minbar for sermons, and the minaret for the call to prayer. Islamic architecture is characterized by features such as spacious expanses, arabesque designs, and the incorporation of local architectural elements. From the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties to Persian, Turkish, and Indo-Pakistan styles, mosques demonstrate a rich interplay of cultural and artistic traditions.
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mosque, any house or open area of prayer in Islam. The Arabic word masjid means “a place of prostration” to God, and the same word is used in Persian, Urdu, and Turkish. Two main types of mosques can be distinguished: the masjid jāmiʿ, or “collective mosque,” a large state-controlled mosque that is the centre of community worship and the site of Friday prayer services; and smaller mosques operated privately by various groups within society.
The first mosques were modeled on the place of worship of the Prophet Muhammad—the courtyard of his house at Medina—and were simply plots of ground marked out as sacred. Though the mosque as such has undergone many architectural changes, the building remains essentially an open space, generally roofed over, containing a miḥrāb and a minbar, with a minaret sometimes attached to it. The miḥrāb, a semicircular niche reserved for the imām to lead the prayer, points to the qiblah—i.e., the direction of Mecca. The minbar, a seat at the top of steps placed at the right of the miḥrāb, is used by the preacher (khaṭīb) as a pulpit. In the early days of Islam the rulers delivered their speeches from the minbar. Occasionally there is also a maqsūrah, a box or wooden screen near the miḥrāb, which was originally designed to shield a worshipping ruler from assassins. Mats or carpets cover the floor of the mosque, where the ritual prayer (ṣalāt) is performed by rows of men who bow and prostrate themselves under the imām’s guidance.
Outside the mosque stands the minaret (maʾdhanah), which was originally any elevated place but now usually a tower. It is used by the muezzin (muʾadhdhin, “crier”) to proclaim the call to worship (adhān) five times each day. A place for ablution, containing running water, is usually attached to the mosque but may be separated from it.
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Beginning with Muhammad’s own house, mosques came to be used for many public functions—military, political, social, and educational. Schools and libraries were often attached to medieval mosques (e.g., al-Azhar mosque in Cairo). The mosque also functioned as a court of justice until the introduction of secular law into many Islamic countries in modern times. Whereas many of the social, educational, and political functions of the mosque have been taken over by other institutions in modern times, it remains a centre of considerable influence. In some cases a maktab (elementary school) is attached to a mosque, mainly for the teaching of the Qurʾān, and informal classes in law and doctrine are given for people of the surrounding neighbourhood.
The mosque differs from a church in many respects. Ceremonies and services connected with marriages and births are not usually performed in mosques, and the rites that are an important and integral function of many churches, such as confession, penitence, and confirmation, do not exist there. Prayer is performed by bows and prostrations, with no chairs or seats of any kind. Men stand in rows, barefooted, behind the imām and follow his movements. Rich and poor, prominent and ordinary people, all stand and bow together in the same rows. Women may participate in the prayers, but they must occupy a separate space or chamber in the mosque. No statues, ritual objects, or pictures are used in the mosque; the only decorations permitted are inscriptions of Qurʾānic verses and the names of Muhammad and his Companions. Professional chanters (qurrāʾ) may chant the Qurʾān according to rigidly prescribed systems taught in special schools, but no music or singing is allowed.