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. The domed architectural style evolved from Bursa and Edirne. In Edirne, the last Ottoman capital before Istanbul became the political center, the stages of Ottoman architectural development that eventually culminated in the great mosques in Istanbul are evident. Interestingly, the dome-shape itself evolved from a simple structure. The early Turks in Central Asia, appropriate to their surroundings, lived in dome-like tents.