what is a minaret used for

Linda Kay Davidson and David Martin Gitlitz, "Minaret of the Great Mosque of Kairouan (Qantara Mediterranean Heritage)", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minaret&oldid=963948225, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Articles containing Persian-language text, Articles containing Azerbaijani-language text, Articles containing Turkish-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2019, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the New International Encyclopedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 22 June 2020, at 18:29. Minaret (/ ˌ m ɪ n ə ˈ r ɛ t, ˈ m ɪ n ə ˌ r ɛ t /; Persian: گل‌دسته ‎ goldasteh, Azerbaijani: minarə, Turkish: minare, from Arabic: منارة ‎ manarah) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques.Minarets serve multiple purposes. [citation needed] Stairs circle the shaft in a counter-clockwise fashion, providing necessary structural support to the highly elongated shaft. The minaret of the Mosque of Aḥmad ibn Ṭūlūn, Cairo. [5], The basic form of minarets consists of four parts: a base, a shaft, a cap and a head. Other references suggest that the towers in Syria originated from ziggurats of Babylonian and Assyrian shrines of Mesopotamia. The steps may be internal or external. It has been speculated that the use of the same word in Arabic for a lighthouse and a mosque’s tower is due to the resemblance of one to the other. Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization. Often the minaret is square at the base, where it is attached to the mosque. Send us feedback. Web. Distant View of a Minaret and Other Stories, Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets: A Muslim Book of Shapes. The number of minarets per mosque varies, from one to as many as six. At the top is a bulbous dome, an open pavilion, or a metal-covered cone. The steps may be internal or external. They are also known as a manār or manāra in Arabic, meaning place of fire or light (nar or nur). Accessed 25 Nov. 2020. We have also been recommended for educational use by the following publications: Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. More Information - Photo Gallery of Mecca. All three mosques are also provided with an axial nave, a wider aisle unit on the axis of the…. Minaret definition, a lofty, often slender, tower or turret attached to a mosque, surrounded by or furnished with one or more balconies, from which the muezzin calls the people to prayer. The tallest minaret in the world is that of the new Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco, which stands 210 meters tall. …was the extraordinary development of minarets. It is the tower traditionally used by a muezzin, or crier to call the faithful to prayer five times each day. [3] These early minaret forms were originally placed in the middle of the wall opposite the qibla wall. [4], In addition to providing a visual cue to a Muslim community, the other function is to provide a vantage point from which the call to prayer, or adhan, is made. At the time of the prophet Muhammad, the call to prayer was made from the highest roof in the vicinity of the mosque. The upper parts of the minaret are usually richly decorated with carving. Ancient History Encyclopedia. [3] These towers were built across the empire in a height to width ratio of 3:1. These structures were greatly influenced by the region’s society, culture and context which determined their shape, size and form. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Minaret/. The oldest minaret in North Africa is at Kairouan, Tunisia. The oldest minaret in the world is in Kairouan, Tunisia. Minarets are constructed in a wide variety of forms ranging from thick, squat, spiral ramps, as at Samarra, Iraq (built 848–852), to soaring, delicate, pencil-thin spires. At the top is a bulbous dome, an open pavilion, or a metal-covered cone. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, a cap and head. "Minaret." See the full definition for minaret in the English Language Learners Dictionary, Nglish: Translation of minaret for Spanish Speakers, Britannica English: Translation of minaret for Arabic Speakers, Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about minaret. In the early 9th century, the first minarets were placed opposite the qibla wall. The tallest minaret in the world is that of the new Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco, which stands 210 meters tall. [3][14], Minarets have had various forms (in general round, squared, spiral or octagonal) in light of their architectural function. Such a tower is always connected with a mosque and has one or more balconies or open galleries. Despite the fact that minarets were not a familiar facet of the earliest mosques, these towers very soon adorned the skylines of Muslim cities and became synonymous with Muslim shrines, and every region developed their own signature styles. [15], Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, "Traditional Turkish minarets on the basis of architectural and engineering concepts". [citation needed] They are generally a tall spire with a conical or onion-shaped crown. The oldest minaret in the world is in Kairouan, Tunisia. A minaret is a tower on a Mosque. The first minarets were derived architecturally from the Syrian church tower. Cite This Work It is the tower traditionally used by a muezzin, or crier to call the faithful to prayer five times each day. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Corrections? At the time of the Prophet Muhammad, the call to prayer (adhān) was made from the highest roof in the vicinity of the mosque. [11][12], The first known minarets appear in the early 9th century under Abbasid rule, and were not widely used until the 11th century. Related Content They are constructed in a wide variety of forms ranging from thick, squat spiral ramps to soaring, delicate, pencil-thin spires. The minaret then, is a tall, slender tower that is a significant feature of every mosque, and is one of the earliest characteristics of Islamic architecture. Above this square base it may rise in a series of circular, hexagonal, or octagonal stages, each marked by a projecting balcony. https://www.ancient.eu/Minaret/. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Our latest podcast episode features popular TED speaker Mara Mintzer. The minaret has been used for centuries by muezzins (Arabic mu'adhdhinun, Muslim criers) for the call to daily prayers, but its original use is unclear. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'. Thank you! The word ‘minaret’ is derived from the Arabic manarah, which means ‘beacon’, and refers to a lighthouse or signaling tower at sea. The earliest minarets as such were former Greek watchtowers or the towers of Christian churches. According to the Hadith (a collection of the Prophet Muh… [7], The earliest mosques lacked minarets, and the call to prayer was often performed from smaller tower structures. [3][9][10] Hadiths relay that the early Muslim community of Medina gave the call to prayer from the roof of the house of Muhammad, which doubled as a place for prayer. It is surrounded by one or more projecting galleries from where the muezzin, the person who chants the call for prayer, announces the prayer to  worshippers. License. Minaret, (Arabic: “beacon”) in Islamic religious architecture, the tower from which the faithful are called to prayer five times each day by a muezzin, or crier. Please support Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation. The earliest minarets were former Greek watchtowers and the towers of Christian churches. © 2004-2020 ReligionFacts. John L. Esposito, The Oxford Dictionary of Islam (2003). Minaret definition is - a tall slender tower of a mosque having one or more balconies from which the summons to prayer is cried by the muezzin. Ancient History Encyclopedia. They are constructed in a wide variety of forms ranging from thick, squat spiral ramps to soaring, delicate, pencil-thin spires. More Information - Photo Gallery of Mecca. Scholarly findings trace the origin of minarets to the Umayyad epoch and offer the explanation that these minarets were a copy of church steeples found in Syria in those times. All rights reserved. “Minaret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/minaret. A minaret is a feature of Islamic architecture and is the place from where the call to prayer is sent out. Define minaret. AlSulaiti, F. (2013, February 06). A minaret is a feature of Islamic architecture and is the place from where the call to prayer is sent out. Minaret. Such a tower is always connected with a mosque and has one or more balconies or open galleries. [3] They served as a reminder that the region was Islamic and helped to distinguish mosques from the surrounding architecture. It is the tower traditionally used by a muezzin, or crier to call the faithful to prayer five times each day.

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