mihrab

Mihrab is a niche set into the qibla wall of a mosque that indicates the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, toward which Muslims pray. The term derives from the Arabic miḥrāb, meaning “place of prayer” or “prayer niche.” Although its exact form varies, the mihrab is typically a recessed or projecting niche, often semicircular, horseshoe, or pointed, bounded by an arch or frame and sometimes crowned by a decorative hood or dome. The surrounding wall is frequently elaborately decorated with inscriptions, tilework, stucco, or marble inlays, and may be enhanced by a muqarnas vault or a shallow dome.

In practice, the mihrab marks the direction of prayer and serves as the focal point for the imam, who stands beside the niche to lead the congregation. The adjacent platform is the minbar, used for sermons. Architectural styles shape the mihrab’s appearance: in Iberian and North African mosques it commonly employs a horseshoe arch with rich stucco; in Persian and Central Asian buildings it is set in polychrome tilework; in Ottoman and other Islamic-era mosques it is often framed by calligraphy and slender arches.

Historically, the mihrab became a standard feature as mosques evolved from the early prayer spaces into purpose-built congregational prayer houses. Notable examples include the gilded mihrab of the Great Mosque of Córdoba and the richly tiled mihrabs in mosques from Isfahan to Istanbul.