The beacon in Islamic religious architecture is the tower from which the devout are summoned to prayer five times a day by a muezzin, or crier. A tower of this type is always linked to a mosque and contains one or more balconies or open galleries. The word "minaret" comes from the Arabic for "a call to prayer."
Minarets first appeared in the 11th century in what is now Turkey. They were introduced into India through Persian culture in the early 14th century. Although many mosques built with minarets remain today, they are not required by Islam.
There are two types of minarets: those that rise above the main roof of the mosque and those that stick out below it. The latter look like tall thin chimneys. Minarets can be made of stone or wood, but most often they are made of brick or concrete. They usually have four stages: the base, the shaft, and the tip-hatted person calling for prayer.
In some cases there may be more than one minaret at a mosque. Often a new mosque will have minarets of different sizes to reflect the wealth of its builder. These may be identical to each other except for their size. Or they might have one larger and one smaller minaret.
Kairouan, Tunisia, has the oldest minaret in North Africa. It was built in 708 by the Berber ruler Muhammad ibn Sulayman al-Khawlani to encourage trade with Europe.
The word "minaret" comes from the Arabic for "a window on top." According to one tradition, the structure was invented by Prince Khusrau Shah of Persia (r. 582–628). He made his subjects pray using the sunset as an alarm clock and ordered that towers be erected around his kingdom to signal the start of daily prayers. The first known example of such a tower was built in 628 near the royal palace at Pasargadae. Other examples followed throughout the Persian Empire, especially during the reign of King Farizadah (r. 767–779), who had many structures of this kind built at her various palaces across the country.
In India, there are several small towns where these towers are still in use today. They are mostly found in the Muslim-majority states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. However, the most famous one is the Kaaba, which is the holiest place in the world for Muslims. It is located in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Minarets are towers that are frequently constructed as part of a mosque. They are typically used to summon Muslims to prayer. A guy known as a "muezzin" shouts the call to prayer from the minaret five times a day. The sound of the muezzin's voice can be heard for miles around.
Why do people build minarets? Minarets are built to reach high into the sky so that Muslim priests can shout out the call to prayer over large distances. This way, everyone will know when it is time to pray and be able to find the right mosque. Some people also build minarets as a place where they can put things they love or memories they want to keep. These items are called "tokens" and help remind them of their faith.
Who builds minarets? Minarets are built by individuals or groups known as "minarites". There are some famous minarites in history including Al-Jazirah and Umar II. Today, many mosques have at least one minaret because they are important places for calling people to prayer.
How do you know if a building is a mosque? If a building has a tower that reaches up to the sky then it could be a minaret.
A minaret is a tall tower that is linked to or next to a mosque. It is intended to make the call to prayer, which is given from mosques five times a day, audible throughout a town or city. Minarets have been used in Islam since the 7th century. Although not commonly seen today, during the Middle Ages they were common in Europe where they were used as watchtowers, windmills, and even gunsights.
The word "minaret" comes from the Arabic word meaning "to remind," or "to call back." These towers are often used as a landmark to guide travelers to mosques. They can also be used as a defensive structure by allowing soldiers to shoot down at invaders approaching the gate of the town or village. Today, some modern minarets are used as clocks or telephones.
According to one estimate, about 70 percent of all known living Muslim clerics can be found in India. This makes India the center of global Islamic learning. The other major centers are Indonesia, Pakistan, and Iran.
Minarets have been used in many parts of the world where Muslims live. But only in India do people refer to them as such. In Egypt, they are called "madrassas" (schools) or "baqaris" (stambulers).
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