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'Anaza oranaza (Arabic:عنزة; sometimes also transliterated as'anza oranza) is a short spear or staff that held ritual importance in the early period ofIslam. The term gained significance after the Islamic prophetMuhammad planted his spear in the ground to indicate the direction of prayer (qibla). Over time, 'anaza evolved into an architectural term denoting an outdoormihrab inmosques, particularly in theMaghreb region.
The'anaza was the spear (also known as aḥarba) of Muhammad[1] and first appears as part of Muslim ritual in the year 624 CE (2 AH), when Muhammad celebrated the firstEid al-Fitr.[2] When Muhammad and the other Muslims reached themusalla (outdoor prayer space), he planted the spear in the ground and used it to indicate the direction of prayers (theqibla), much like amihrab would in later mosques. The spear was used in this way again onEid al-Adha the same year. The earlycaliphs expanded on this practice, making it customary to carry a staff, sword, orbow on ceremonial occasions when ascending the pulpit (minbar), symbolizing authority.[1] The image of theanaza planted in front of a mihrab arch also appears on some earlyUmayyadcoinage.[1]
Possibly related to its symbolic use as an early qibla indicator, the term "anaza" later came to refer to an architectural feature found in many mosques in the westernMaghreb andMorocco. This architectural element designated an "outdoor" or "summer" mihrab, often taking the form of an ornate wooden screen positioned at the boundary between the sahn (courtyard) and the interior prayer hall of a mosque. It was typically aligned with the central mihrab axis of the mosque. This anaza had the function of serving as a mihrab for prayers conducted in the courtyard.[3]: 296 The wooden screen was frequently adorned with intricate carvings and paintings depicting a stylized mihrab motif and other inscriptions. Alternatively, the anaza could be a simple marking on the ground or floor of the courtyard just before the central entrance of the prayer hall, such as a semi-circular groove or recess in the middle of the step leading to the entrance.[3][4]
Woodenanazas were constructed in mosques across Morocco and the Maghreb. In Morocco they became a standard feature of "grand mosques" orFriday mosques in particular.[4]: 54 The oldest surviving example is theanaza of theal-Andalusiyyin Mosque inFez, which dates from 1209 (from theAlmohad period).[4]: 133 Historical sources also mention an even olderanaza, dating from 1129 (during theAlmoravid period), at theQarawiyyin Mosque in Fez, but it no longer exists today and has been replaced by the currentMarinid-eraanaza which was fabricated between 1288 and 1290.[5] Theanaza in theGrand Mosque of Fes el-Jdid, which likely dates from the mosque's construction in 1276, is very similar and might be the oldest Marinidanaza.[6][4]: 133 A similar example is also found in theGrand Mosque of Meknes but was built much later in 1715 (during the reign of theAlaouite sultanMoulay Ismail).[7] Some other post-Marinid examples also include theanaza of the 16th-centuryMouassine Mosque inMarrakesh (from theSaadian period).[8][3] Theanaza of the near-contemporaryBab Doukkala Mosque in Marrakesh, on the other hand, is a modern replacement of the original one.[3]
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