Mihrab
Topic: Bhakti and Sufi Traditions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Bhakti-Sufi Traditions"
Meaning
The mihrab is a niche (a hollow arch) in one wall of a mosque. It shows the direction of Mecca, called the qibla. Worshippers face that way when they pray. Every mosque in the world has one, along with the minbar (pulpit). These shared features give mosques the same sense of direction everywhere, even when the building styles differ.
Example
The Shah Hamadan mosque in Srinagar (1395) is built of wood in the Kashmiri style. The Atiya mosque in Mymensingh (1609) is built of brick in the Bengal style. Both still have a mihrab pointing towards Mecca.
Don't confuse with
- Minbar: the raised pulpit, with steps, from which the sermon is given. The mihrab is the niche in the wall that marks the direction of prayer.
Related concepts
- Ulama
- Sharia
- Hadis
- Zimmi
- Five pillars of Islam
- Khojahs
- Ginan
- Regional mosque architecture
- Turushka
- Yavana