Mosque: Definition and parts

The mosque is a space to gather the worshipers, well as a room cubieto (haram), well in the open court as a (Sahn) with the sin galleries (riwaq). The forms and arrangements of these elements are varied:

– Mihrab: niche in the wall of the Qibla. It should be emphasized that this niche is not sacred: sacred is the direction, something ultimately immaterial. The first documented mihrab is the one sent to the Umayyad Caliph al-Walid I (705-15) in the house of the Prophet in Medina, the guise of celebration. The origins of the mihrab and the vicissitudes of its incorporation as a proper element of the mosque are uncertain.
– Almimbar: is a pulpit which stands to the right of the mihrab as the worshipers look. Used to say the Friday sermon or ju † ba. The minbar was first used by the Prophet in his house in Medina, for them to see and hear all the sermons that. The use of the pulpit was a custom symbolic of prestige and power taken by the judges of the pre-Islamic Arabia. The minbar is a ubiquitous element in the great mosques, although not small.
– Dikka: consists of a platform or raised platform and aligned with the mihrab. From above it, a second magnet postures repeated "official" (that is before the mihrab), so that everyone can see and follow. It is more common in the East than in the West.
– Lectern for reading and recitation of the Qur'an.
– Maqsura: is a venue located at the mihrab and reserves for the magnet. It originated in preventing assassinations. I do not usually have small mosques. It usually consists of a wooden lattice doors. Other enclosed spaces in different places of the mosque, as reserved for women, can also receive the name.
– Source for ablutions rituals, mandatory before prayer;. It is situated in the courtyard.
– Minaret: is a tower that serves for the call to prayer. Its origins are unclear, but in any case is an element introduced after the death of the Prophet, as the muezzin of it called from the deck of his house. Maybe the reason surg dure was triple minarets: be heard over the background noise of the city, decoying or visual guide to the faithful and act as a 'brand' or emblem territorial presence of Islam. The minarets took the characteristic forms of local towers conquered lands: square in Syria and the Islamic West, circular in Iran, spiral in the oldest preserved examples Iraqi…
– Portal: despite the facade tener function properly DICHA, the portal symbolizes the threshold, the place of passage between two worlds, the "external noise" to peace inside the mosque.
– Alquibla: wall oriented toward Mecca and to which the faithful have to lead prayers. In Spain is facing south (as in the Mosque of Cordoba) o al sureste.
– Treasuries: where should treasure of Muslims, namely, their donations and charities that serve to cover any need in the community, from helping the poor to repair the mosque when necessary. In Cordoba is a room that opens to the left of the mihrab and liturgical objects also kept the copies of the Koran, candlesticks and candles.
– Seat: stand where you place the Quran reading and recitation.
– What: ablutions room next to the Mosque of Cordoba, but outside of it as a place unclean. It is a place with latrines and water batteries for all kinds of ablutions before prayer.
– Patio or Sahn: open space surrounded by galleries or porches, located in the north or northwest half of the mosque. It can be a source for minor ablutions, a cistern with a well and trees, Córdoba that are orange and palm trees. The facade of the prayer hall is open to it by large arches.
– Sabat: passageway that connects the quarterdeck with the Great Mosque of Cordoba, used by the caliph to directly enter maqsura unseen without going outside. Today disappeared.
– Haram: is the prayer hall, a space divided into naves, Cordoba oriented in North-South, by arches and columns. Has doors discreet street facade and a large open onto the patio. Alongside these entries usually have a shoes storage drawers. Its floor is covered with mats or carpets where the faithful prostrate.
– Saqifas: side of the courtyard galleries also serve to shelter the faithful, especially women who have in them a quiet place for prayer.
– Yamur: auction of the minarets which consists of a mast with three metal balls of decreasing size crimped. Sometimes it is placed in the top half moon; Cordoba was a fleur de lis.