Tower, pillar, or other vertical element in or near a mosque which serves as the place from which the call to prayer is made Not necessarily included in every mosque
Tower used to call the faithful to prayer While its origin, development and function remain unclear, it is thought to have evolved from the pre-Islamic signal tower (The Arabic word manara means a place with a light, i e a lighthouse )
Identifying marker for the mosque’s location Became universal symbol of Islam (12th Century) Demonstration of piety of the founder and power and prestige to on-lookers Cheaper to construct than a whole new mosque but serves same function Place from which the call to prayer for worshippers is enacted five times a day Located opposite the southern wall of the inner courtyard
A minaret is a tall thin tower which is part of a mosque. a tall thin tower on a mosque, from which Muslims are called to prayer (minare, from manarah )
A slender, lofty tower attached to a mosque and surrounded by one or more projecting balconies, from which the summon to prayer is cried by the muezzin