Mihrab (Arabic:محراب,miḥrāb, pl.محاريبmaḥārīb) is aniche in the wall of amosque that indicates theqibla, the direction of theKaaba inMecca towards whichMuslims should face whenpraying. The wall in which amihrab appears is thus the "qibla wall".
Theminbar, which is the raised platform from which animam (leader of prayer) addresses the congregation, is located to the right of themihrab.
The origin of the wordmiḥrāb is complicated, and multiple explanations have been proposed by different sources and scholars.[1][2] It may come fromOld South Arabian (possiblySabaic)𐩣𐩢𐩧𐩨mḥrb meaning a certain part of apalace,[3] as well as "part of a temple where𐩩𐩢𐩧𐩨tḥrb (a certain type of visions) is obtained,"[4][5] from the root word𐩢𐩧𐩨ḥrb "to perform a certain religious ritual (which is compared to combat or fighting and described as an overnight retreat) in the𐩣𐩢𐩧𐩨mḥrb of the temple."[4][5] It may also possibly be related toEthiopicምኵራብməkʷrab "temple, sanctuary,"[6][7] whose equivalent in Sabaic is𐩣𐩫𐩧𐩨mkrb of the same meaning,[4] from the root word𐩫𐩧𐩨krb "to dedicate" (cognate withAkkadian𒅗𒊒𒁍karābu "to bless" and related toHebrewכְּרוּבkerūḇ "cherub (either of the heavenly creatures that bound theArk in theinner sanctuary)").
Arab lexicographers traditionally derive the word from the Arabic rootح ر ب (Ḥ-R-B) relating to "war, fighting or anger," (which, though cognate with the South Arabian root,[8] does not however carry any relation to religious rituals) thus leading some to interpret it to mean a "fortress", or "place of battle (withSatan),"[9] the latter due to mihrabs being private prayer chambers. The latter interpretation though bears similarity to the nature of the𐩢𐩧𐩨ḥrb ritual.
The wordmihrab originally had a non-religious meaning and simply denoted a special room in a house; a throne room in a palace, for example. TheFath al-Bari (p. 458), on the authority of others, suggests themihrab is "the most honorable location of kings" and "the master of locations, the front and the most honorable."[full citation needed] TheMosques in Islam (p. 13),[full citation needed] in addition to Arabic sources, citesTheodor Nöldeke and others as having considered amihrab to have originally signified a throne room.
The term was subsequently used by the Islamic prophetMuhammad to denote his own private prayer room.[citation needed] The room additionally provided access to the adjacent mosque, and Muhammad entered the mosque through this room. This original meaning ofmihrab –i.e. as a special room in the house – continues to be preserved in some forms ofJudaism wheremihrabs are rooms used for private worship.[citation needed] In theQur'an, the word (when in conjunction with the definite article) is mostly used to indicate theHoly of Holies. The term is used, for example, in the verse "then he [i.e.Zechariah] came forth to his people from themihrab"[19:11].[10]: 4
8th-century marble mihrab found in the al-Khassaki Mosque inBaghdad, now housed at theIraq Museum
The earliestmihrabs generally consisted of a simple stripe of paint or a flat stone panel in theqibla wall.[a] They may have originally had functions similar to amaqsura, denoting not only the place where the imam led prayers but also where some official functions, such as the dispensation of justice, were carried out.[2] In theMosque of the Prophet (Al-Masjid al-Nabawi) inMedina, a large block of stone initially marked the north wall which was oriented towardsJerusalem (the first qibla), but this was moved to the south wall in the second year of thehijra period (2AH or 624CE), when the orientation of the qibla was changed towards Mecca.[11] Thismihrab also marked the spot where Muhammad would plant his lance ('anaza orḥarba) prior to leading prayers.[2]
During the reign of theUmayyad caliphAl-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik (Al-Walid I,r. 705–715), the Mosque of the Prophet was renovated and the governor (wāli) of Medina,Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, ordered that a niche be made to designate theqibla wall (which identifies the direction of Mecca), which became the first concavemihrab niche.[12]: 24 [11] This type ofmihrab was calledmiḥrāb mujawwaf in historical Arabic texts.[2][1] The origin of this architectural feature has been debated by scholars.[2] Some trace it to theapse of Christianchurches, others to thealcove shrines or niches ofBuddhist architecture.[11][2] Niches were already a common feature ofLate Antique architecture prior to the rise of Islam, either as hollow spaces or to housestatues. Themihrab niche could have also been related to the recessed area or alcove that sheltered thethrone in some royal audience halls.[2]
The next earliest concavemihrab to be documented is the one that was added to theUmayyad Mosque ofDamascus when it was built by Al-Walid between 706 and 715.[12]: 24 This was then followed by amihrab added to theMosque of 'Amr ibn al-'As in Fustat in 710–711.[11] Subsequently, concavemihrabs became widespread across the Muslim world and were adopted as a standard feature of mosques.[11][12]: 24 The oldest surviving concave mihrab today is a marblemihrab housed at theIraq Museum. It is believed to date from the 8th century, possibly made in northern Syria before being moved by theAbbasids to theGreat Mosque of al-Mansur in Baghdad. It was then moved again to the al-Khassaki Mosque built in the 17th century, where it was later found and transferred to the museum.[11][2][13]: 29 Thismihrab features a combination ofClassical or Late Antique motifs, with the niche flanked by two spiral columns and crowned by a scalloped shell-like hood.[11][13]: 29 [10]: 5
Pair of candlesticks from an Ottoman Turkish mosque, late 16th century
Eventually, the niche came to be universally understood to identify theqibla wall, and so came to be adopted as a feature in other mosques. A sign was no longer necessary. Today,mihrabs vary in size, but are usually ornately decorated.[citation needed] It was common formihrabs to be flanked with pairs of candlesticks, though they would not have lit candles.[14] In Ottoman mosques, these were made of brass, bronze or beaten copper and their bases had a distinctive bell shape.[15]
In exceptional cases, themihrab does not follow theqibla direction, such as is theMasjid al-Qiblatayn, or the Mosque of the Two Qiblas, where Muhammad received the command to change the direction of prayer from Jerusalem to Mecca, so it had two prayer niches. When the mosque was renovated in 1987, the old prayer niche facing Jerusalem was removed, and the one facing Mecca was kept.[16]
Mihrabs are a relevant part of Islamic culture and mosques. Since they are used to indicate the direction for prayer, they serve as an important focal point in the mosque. They are usually decorated with ornamental detail that can be geometric designs, linear patterns, or calligraphy. This ornamentation also serves a religious purpose. Thecalligraphy decoration on themihrabs are usually from theQur'an and are devotions to God so that God's word reaches the people.[17] Common designs amongstmihrabs are geometric foliage that are close together so that there is no empty space in-between the art.[17]
Themihrab in theGreat Mosque of Cordoba is a highly decorated piece of art that draws one's attention. It is a contribution made byAl-Hakam II that is not just used for prayer.[18] It is used as a place of convergence in the mosque, where visitors could be amazed by its beauty and gilded designs. The entrance is covered in mosaics "which links to the Byzantium tradition, produced by the craftsmen sent by Emperor Nicephorus II. These mosaics extend along thevoussoirs with a geometric and plant-based design, but also in the inscriptions which record verses from the Koran".[18] Thismihrab is also a bit different from a normalmihrab due to its scale. It takes up a whole room instead of just a niche.[19] This style ofmihrab set a standard for othermihrab construction in the region.[20] The use of the horseshoe arch,carved stucco, and glass mosaics made an impression for the aesthetic ofmihrabs, "although no other extantmihrab in Spain or western North Africa is as elaborate."[20]
TheGreat Mosque of Damascus was started by al-Walid in 706.[21] It was built as ahypostyle mosque, built with a prayer hall leading to the mihrab, "on the back wall of the sanctuary are fourmihrabs, two of which are themihrab of the Companions of the Prophet in the eastern half and the greatmihrab at the end of the transept".[21] Themihrab is decorated similarly to the rest of the mosque in golden vines and vegetal imagery. The lamp that once hung in themihrab has been theorized as the motif of a pearl, due to the indications that dome of themihrab has scalloped edges.[22] There have been other mosques that havemihrabs similar to this that follow the same theme, with scalloped domes that are "concave like a conch or mother of pearl shell.[22] The original mainmihrab of the mosque has not been preserved, having been renovated many times, and the current one is a replacement dating from renovations after a destructive 1893 fire.[22][23][11]
Mihrab (prayer niche); 1354–1355; mosaic of polychrome-glazed cut tiles on stonepaste body, set into mortar; 343.1 x 288.7 cm, weight: 2041.2 kg; from Isfahan (Iran); Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City)
^K. A. C. Creswell and some later scholars argued that the oldest surviving mihrab is a flat marble panel, known as the Mihrab of Sulayman, found in therock-cut chamber under theDome of the Rock in Jerusalem, which he attributed to the construction ofAbd al-Malik in the late 7th century.[11] However, more recent scholarship has dated this mihrab to the 9th or 10th centuries based on stylistic,paleographic, and other historical grounds.[2] Flat mihrabs were occasionally popular in these periods under theTulunid andFatimid dynasties.[11][2]
^abcdefghijM. Bloom, Jonathan; S. Blair, Sheila, eds. (2009). "Mihrab".The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture. Oxford University Press.ISBN9780195309911.
^abcdefghijFehérvári, G. (1960–2007). "Miḥrāb". In Bearman, P.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C.E.; van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W.P. (eds.).Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition. Brill.ISBN9789004161214.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
^Rogers, J. M. (2008).The arts of Islam : treasures from the Nasser D. Khalili collection (Revised and expanded ed.). Abu Dhabi: Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC). p. 295.OCLC455121277.
^abGrafman, Rafi; Rosen-Ayalon, Myriam (1999). "The Two Great Syrian Umayyad Mosques: Jerusalem and Damascus".Muqarnas.16: 8.doi:10.2307/1523262.JSTOR1523262.
^Flood, Finbarr Barry (1997). "Umayyad Survivals and Mamluk Revivals: Qalawunid Architecture and the Great Mosque of Damascus".Muqarnas.14. Boston: Brill:57–79.doi:10.2307/1523236.JSTOR1523236.
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