Mihrab
MIHRAB
The semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that faces Mecca is known as the mihrab. Introduced in the Prophet's mosque in Medina when it was rebuilt by the Umayyad caliph al-Walid I (r. 705–715), the mihrab may have been originally intended to commemorate the place of the Prophet, but it soon became ubiquitous and is generally understood to indicate the direction of prayer (qibla). The earliest complete example to survive is believed to be a monolithic marble mihrab dated to the mid-eighth century and reused in the Khassaki Mosque in Baghdad. Later examples were often made of other precious materials, including stone or glass mosaic, carved or joined wood, and glazed tile.
See alsoArchitecture ; Art ; Devotional Life ; Masjid .
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Fehervar, G. "Mihrab." In Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2d ed. Edited by H. A. R. Gibbs, et al. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 2002.
Sheila S. Blair Jonathan M. Bloom