Mihrab - wikipedia Mihrab `` Mehrab '' redirects here. For the villages in Iran, see Mehrab, Iran. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( October 2011 ) A mihrab in Sultan Ibrahim Mosque in Rethymno Part of a series on Islamic culture Architecture Azerbaijani Indo - Islamic Moorish Moroccan Mughal Ottoman Pakistani Tatar Persian Somali Sudano - Sahelian Art Calligraphy Miniature Oriental rug Persian carpet Turkish carpet Dress Abaya Agal Boubou Burqa Chador Jellabiya Niqāb Salwar kameez Songkok ( Peci ) Taqiya Keffiyeh ( Kufiya ) Thawb Jilbab Hijab Holidays Ashura Arba'een al - Ghadeer Chaand Raat al - Fitr al - Adha Imamat Day New Year Isra and Mi'raj al - Qadr Mawlid Ramadan Mid-Sha'ban Literature Arabic Azerbaijani Bengali Indonesian Javanese Kashmiri Kurdish Malay Pashto Persian Punjabi Sindhi Somali South Asian Turkish Urdu Music Dastgah Ghazal Madih nabawi Maqam Mugam Nasheed Qawwali Theatre Bangsawan Jem Karagöz and Hacivat Sama Ta'zieh Islam portal Mihrab ( Arabic : محراب ‎ ‎ miḥrāb, pl. محاريب maḥārīb ) is a semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla ; that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a mihrab appears is thus the `` qibla wall ''. Mihrab should not be confused with the minbar, which is the raised platform from which an Imam ( leader of prayer ) addresses the congregation. Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Present - day use 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References Etymology The word is possibly derived from the verb ḥariba ( `` to fight '', from the root Ḥ - R-B ), so miḥrāb would mean `` battlefield '' or `` place of fight ( with Satan ) ''. Some scholars have suggested that the word is from the Ethiopian mekwerab, or from the Hebrew ḥorḇôt. History The word mihrab originally had a non-religious meaning and simply denoted a special room in a house ; a throne room in a palace, for example. The Fath al - Bari ( p. 458 ), on the authority of others, suggests the mihrab is `` the most honorable location of kings '' and `` the master of locations, the front and the most honorable. '' The Mosques in Islam ( p. 13 ), in addition to Arabic sources, cites Theodor Nöldeke and others as having considered a mihrab to have originally signified a throne room. The term was subsequently used by the Islamic prophet Muhammad to denote his own private prayer room. The room additionally provided access to the adjacent mosque, and the Prophet would enter the mosque through this room. This original meaning of mihrab -- i.e. as a special room in the house -- continues to be preserved in some forms of Judaism where mihrabs are rooms used for private worship. In the Qur'an ( xix. 11 ), the word mihrab refers to a sanctuary / place of worship. During the reign of the Uthman ibn Affan ( r. 644 -- 656 ), the Caliph ordered a sign to be posted on the wall of the mosque at Medina so that pilgrims could easily identify the direction in which to address their prayers ( i.e. that of Mecca ). The sign was however just a sign on the wall, and the wall itself remained flat. Subsequently, during the reign of Al - Walid ibn Abd al - Malik ( Al - Walid I, r. 705 -- 715 ), the Al - Masjid al - Nabawi ( Mosque of the Prophet ) was renovated and the governor ( wāli ) of Medina, Umar ibn AbdulAziz, ordered that a niche be made to designate the qibla wall ( which identifies the direction of Mecca ), and it was in this niche that Uthman 's sign was placed. Eventually, the niche came to be universally understood to identify the qibla wall, and so came to be adopted as a feature in other mosques. A sign was no longer necessary. The Qur'anic passage ( xix. 11 ) that refers to a mihrab -- `` then he ( i.e. Zakariya ) came forth to his people from the sanctuary / place of worship '' -- is inscribed on or over some mihrabs. Present - day Use Today, Mihrabs vary in size, are usually ornately decorated and often designed to give the impression of an arched doorway or a passage to Mecca. In exceptional cases, the mihrab does not follow the qibla direction. One example is the Mezquita of Córdoba, Spain that points south instead of southeast. Among the proposed explanations, there is the localization of the ancient Roman cardo street besides the old temple the Mezquita was built upon. Another is the Masjid al - Qiblatayn, or the Mosque of the Two Qiblas. This is where the Prophet Muhammad received the command to change the direction of prayer ( qibla ) from Jerusalem to Mecca, thus has two prayer niches. In the 21st Century the mosque was renovated, and the old prayer niche facing Jerusalem was removed, and the one facing Mecca was left. Gallery Mihrabs Mihrab in the Mosque of Uqba also known as the Great Mosque of Kairouan ; this mihrab dates in its present state from the 9th century, Kairouan, Tunisia Mihrab at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria Mihrab in the Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey Mihrab in the Bou Inania Madrasa, Fes, Morocco Mihrab in the Jameh Mosque in Yazd, Iran Mihrab in the Dome of the Chain, Temple Mount, Jerusalem. Mihrab in the Mezquita of Córdoba, Spain Mihrab in the Qila - i - Kuhna Mosque, in Delhi Mihrab in the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, in Roxbury, Boston. Mihrab of 13th century Eşrefoğlu Mosque in Beyşehir, Turkey See also Exedra Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mihrabs. References Jump up ^ Fehérvári 1993, p. 7 ^ Jump up to : Kuban, Doğan ( 1974 ), The Mosque and Its Early Development, Muslim Religious Architecture, Leiden : Brill, p. 3, ISBN 90 - 04 - 03813 - 2. Diez, Ernst ( 1936 ), `` Mihrāb '', Encyclopaedia of Islam, 3, Leiden : Brill, pp. 559 -- 565. Fehérvári, Geza ( 1993 ), `` Mihrāb '', Encyclopaedia of Islam, New edition, 7, Leiden : Brill, pp. 7 -- 15. People and things in the Quran Characters God in Islam ( Allah ) Names of God found in the Quran Angels Israfil Izra'il / Azrael ( Malak al - Mawt ) Jibra'il / Gabriel ( Al - Ruh al - Amin ) and Holy Spirit ( Al - Ruh al - Qudus ) and Al - Ruh ( The Spirit ) Maalik Mika'il Harut and Marut Jinns Iblīs / Devil Shaitan / Satan Ifrit ( and Marid ) Qareen In Heaven ( Jannah ) Ghilman and Wildan Houri In Hell ( Jahannam ) Zabaniyya Zaqqum Prophets and apostles ( messengers ) of God Mentioned Ādam / Adam Alyasa ' / Elisha Ayyub / Job Dawud / David Dhul - Kifl / Ezekiel ? Harun / Aaron Hud / Eber ? Ibrahim / Abraham ( Khalilullah ) Idris / Enoch ? Ilyas / Elijah Imran / Joachim ( father of Maryam ) Isa / Jesus Isḥaq / Isaac Isma'il / Ishmael Dhabih Ullah Lut / Lot Muhammad or Ahmad / Paraclete Musa / Moses ( Kalimullah ) Nuh / Noah Saleh / Shelah ? Shuaib / Jethro Sulayman / Solomon Uzair / Ezra ? Yahya / John the Baptist Yaqub / Jacob ( Israel ) Yunus / Jonah ( Dhul - Nun, Sahib al - Hut ) Yūsuf / Joseph Zakariya / Zechariah Implied Ermia / Jeremiah Samuel Yusha ' ibn Nūn / Joshua Good people ( before Islam ) Mentioned Dhul - Qarnayn Luqman Maryam / Mary ( mother of Isa ) Talut / Saul Implicitly mentioned Asiyah bint Muzahim / Bithiah ? ( wife of Fir'aun ) Asif ibn Barkhiya Bilquis ( Queen of Saba / Sheba ) Believer of Fir'aun Family ( Hizbil / Hizqil ibn Sabura ) Beniamin / Benjamin Habib the Carpenter ( believer of Ya - Sin ) Kaleb / Caleb Khidr Magicians of Fir'aun Simon Cephas / Simon Peter Other people ( before Islam ) Mentioned Āzar ( uncle of Ibrahim ) Fir'aun / Pharaoh Haman Jalut / Goliath Qarun / Korah Sāmiri Implicitly mentioned Abraha Bal'am / Balaam Barṣīṣā Nebuchadnezzar II Nimrod Potiphar ( Al - Aziz ) Shaddad Simeon ( son of Ya'qub ) Slayers of Saleh 's she - camel ( Qaddar ibn Salif and Musda ' ibn Dahr ) Valid ibn Rayyan ( king of Egypt in the account of Yūsuf ) Zuleika ( wife of al - Aziz ) Mentioned people ( after inception of Islam ) Abū Lahab Zayd ibn Harithah Relatives of prophets Specified good relatives Daughters of Lut / Lot ( Ritha, Za'ura, et al. ) Elizabeth or ' Ishā ' ( wife of Zakariya ) Habil / Abel ( son of Adam ) Hawwa ' / Eve ( wife of Adam ) Kulthum / Miriam ( sister of Musa ) Saffurah / Zipporah ( wife of Musa ) and Layya ( Saffura 's sister ) Sarah ( wife of Ibrahim, mother of Isḥaq ) Yukabed / Jochebed ( mother of Musa ) Non-specified good relatives Abiona / Amtelai daughter of Karnebo ( mother of Ibrahim ) Bathsheba ( wife of Dawud ) Muhammad 's wives Daughters of Muhammad Hājar / Hagar ( wife of Ibrahim, mother of Isma'il ) Hannah / Anne daughter of Faquz ( mother of Maryam ) Imran / Amram ( father of Musa ) Lamech ( father of Nuh ) Rāhil / Rachel ( wife of Ya'qub ) Rahma / Dinah ( wife of Ayyub ) Shamkha bint Anush / Betenos ( mother of Nuh ) Son of Luqman Other relatives Brothers of Yūsuf Children of Ayyub Dead son of Sulaiman Qabil / Cain ? Tārah / Terah ( father of Ibrahim ) Umm Jamil ( wife of Abu Lahab ) Wali'ah or Wa'ilah / Waala ? ( wife of Nuh ) Walihah or Wahilah ( wife of Lut ) Yam or Kan'an ( son of Nuh ) Groups and tribes Tribes and ethnicities Mentioned ' Ād ( people of Hud ) Arabs and Ajam Children of Israel / Israelites Companions of the Rass People of Saba ' / Sheba People of Shu'aib ( people of Madyan and people of Aykah / Wood ) People of Tubba ' Quraysh Romans Thamud ( people of Saleh, companions of Hijr ) Ya'juj and Ma'juj / Gog and Magog Implicitly mentioned Ahl al - Bayt Amalek Banu Hashim Banu Nadir Banu Qaynuqa Banu Qurayza Iranian people Umayyad Dynasty Groups Mentioned Christian apostles Disciples of Jesus Companions of Noah 's Ark Companions of Sabbath ( Aşḥāb al - Sabt ) Companions of the Cave / Seven Sleepers and Companions of al - Raqaim Companions of the Elephant People of al - Ukhdūd People of the City ( People of Ya - Sin ) People of the Burned Garden ( Aşḥāb al - Jannah ) Ulu'l azm prophets Implicitly mentioned Ahl al - Suffa ( People of the Verandah ) Aus and Khazraj Copts Hezbollah Muhajirun ( The emigrants ) and Ansar ( The helpers ) Ummah of Islam ( Ummah of Muhammad ) Religious groups Ahl al - dhimmah ( Dhimmi ) Christians ( People of Injil ) Jews Kafir ( Infidels ) Majus Zoroastrians Munafiq Hypocrites Mushrik Polytheists Muslims People of the Book ( ‎ ′ Ahl al - Kitāb ) Sabians Ahbār ( Jewish scholars ) Qissis ( Christian priest ) Rabbani / Rabbi Ruhban ( Christian monks ) Locations, entities and events Locations Mentioned Ahqāf Al - Aqsa Mosque Arafat and Mash'ar al - Harām Bābil / Babylon Badr Door of Hittah Hijr / Hegra Holy Land ( Palestine and Levant ) Hunayn Iram Ka'bah / Kaaba ( Bayt al - Harām / Sacred House, Bayt al - ' Atīq / Ancient House ) Madyan / Midian Madinah / Medina ( formerly Yathrib ) Majma ' al - Bahrain Makkah / Mecca ( Umm al - Qura, Balad al - Amin, Bakkah ) Maqām Ibrahim Masjid al - Dirar Masjid al - Haram Mount Judi Mu'tafikat ( Sodom ) Rass Saba ' / Sheba Al - Safa and Al - Marwah Tur Sinā ' / Mount Sinai and Jabal al - Tur Egypt Valley of Tuwa Implicitly mentioned Antioch Antakya Ayla Barrier of Dhul - Qarnayn Bayt al - Muqaddas and ' Ariha Black Stone ( Al - Ḥajar al - Aswad ) and Al - Hijr of Isma'il Canaan Cave of Hira and Cave of Thawr Cave of Seven Sleepers Dār al - Nadwa Hudaybiyyah Jordan River Ma'rib Dam Masjid al - Nabawi ( Prophet 's Mosque ) Mesopotamia Nile River Nineveh Palestine River Paradise of Shaddad Quba Mosque Sinai Desert and Tīh Desert Ta'if Religious locations Bay'a ( Church ) Mihrab Monastery Mosque Salat ( Synagogue ) Non-human physical entities Religious texts Injil / Gospel Quran Suhuf - i Ibrahim ( Scrolls of Abraham ) Tawrat / Torah, Suhuf - i - Musa ( Scrolls of Moses ) and Tablets of Stone Zabur Related animals Cow of Israelites and Golden calf Dog of Seven Sleepers Fish of Yunis Hoopoe of Sulayman She - Camel of Saleh Related objects Forbidden fruit of Adam Heavenly Food of Christian Apostles Noah 's Ark Staff of Musa Tabut al - Sakina ( Casket of Shekhinah ) Throne of Bilqis Trumpet of Israfil Mentioned idols ( cult images ) Baal Lāt, ' Uzza and Manāt Wadd, Suwa ', Yaghuth, Ya'uq and Nasr ( Jibt and Taghut Ansāb ) Events Battle of Badr Battle of Hunayn Battle of Khaybar Battle of Tabouk Battle of the Trench ( Battle of the Confederates ) Battle of Uhud Conquest of Mecca Hadith of the pond of Khumm Incident of Ifk Layla al - Mabit Mubahala The Farewell Pilgrimage ( Hujja al - Wada ' ) Treaty of Hudaybiyyah Umrah al - Qaza Yawm al - Dār Note : The names are sorted alphabetically. Standard form : Islamic name / Biblical name ( title or relationship ) Islamic architecture Arabic architecture Berber architecture Iranian architecture Islamic architecture Mughal architecture Ottoman architecture Styles Abbasid Anatolia Beyliks Ayyubid Azeri Bengali Chinese Fatimid Indo - Islamic Indonesian - Malaysian Isfahani Khorasani Mamluk Modern Moorish Moroccan Mudéjar Mughal Ottoman Razi Seljuk Somali Sudano - Sahelian Tatar Timurid Umayyad Vernacular Persian Yemenite Elements Roof styles Dome ( Arabic dome / Onion dome / Persian dome / South Asian dome ) Guldasta Tajug Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem Structural Ablaq Chahartaq Chhajja Discharging arch Four - centred arch Hasht - Bihisht Horseshoe arch Hypostyle Iwan Jharokha Kucheh Liwan Mashrabiya Moroccan riad Multifoil arch Ogee arch Pointed arch Qadad Riwaq Sahn Semi-dome Shabestan Squinch Tadelakt Vaulting Voussoir Windcatcher Religious objects Bedug Dikka Gonbad Hussainiya Imamzadeh Kiswah Loudspeakers Maqsurah Mihrab Minaret Minbar Müezzin mahfili Qibla Zarih Decorations Arabesque Banna'i Girih Girih tiles Islamic calligraphy Islamic geometric patterns Islamic interlace patterns Jali Mocárabe Mosque lamp Muqarnas Nagash painting Qashani Shabaka Socarrat Yeseria Zellige Rooms Andaruni Harem Mudhif Zenana Garden Bagh Charbagh Islamic garden Mughal gardens Ottoman gardens Paradise garden Persian gardens Reflecting pool Outdoor objects Chhatri Eidgah Howz Al - Masjid an - Nabawi Umbrellas Mechouar Sebil Shadirvan Types Alcázar Amsar Bab Baradari Bazaar Caravanserai Dar al - Shifa Dargah Gongbei Jama Masjid Jama'at Khana Kasbah Khanqah Ksar Külliye Madrasa Mahal Maqam Maqbara Mazar Medina quarter Mosque Musalla Qalat Qasr Qubba Rauza Ribat Souq Surau Tekyeh Türbe Turkish bath Well house Zawiya Resources Aga Khan Award for Architecture ArchNet Influences Indo - Saracenic Revival Influences on Western architecture Moorish Revival Part of Islamic arts GND : 4205818 - 1 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mihrab&oldid=802619074 '' Categories : Mosque architecture Islamic architectural elements Architectural elements Islamic architecture Islamic terminology Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from October 2011 All articles needing additional references Articles containing Arabic - language text Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Acèh Afrikaans Azərbaycanca বাংলা Башҡортса Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Bosanski Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Ирон Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ქართული Қазақша Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar Македонски Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча Polski Português Română Русский Scots Sicilianu Simple English Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 27 September 2017, at 10 : 20. 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Question: what is the wall in a mosque called that is toward mecca
Answer: Mihrab