Mosques Mosques Generally the most important structure in a Muslim city or town is the Islamic religious building known as a mosque, or prayer hall. A typical mosque includes a few essential features. First, there is a courtyard where worshipers can gather. Then there is the mihrab, a small central niche that marks the wall nearest to Mecca which the worshipers must face during prayer. The entrance, or gate, is a large, highly decorated structure set into a usually simple facade facing the street.
Every mosque has a sadirvan, a fountain for ritual washing before prayers.
Inside the mosque is a mimbar, or pulpit, made of wood or stone. Five times a day the faithful are called to prayer from a balcony at the top of a minaret. The style of mosques varies from one country to another. Large domes are the chief features of many mosques in Persia, India, and Turkey. Typically, the Turkish mosque has an enormous enclosed central space covered by a dome and half domes resembling Byzantine churches.