Introduction to mosque architecture

•  the mosque in its many forms is the quintessential Islamic building. The mosque, masjid in Arabic, is the Muslim gathering place for prayer. 
• The style, layout, and decoration of a mosque can tell us a lot about Islam in general, but also about the period and region in which the mosque was constructed.
• The architecture of a mosque is shaped most strongly by the regional traditions of the time and place where it was built. As a result, style, layout, and decoration can vary greatly. 
• The most fundamental necessity of congregational mosque architecture is that it be able to hold the entire male population of a city or town; in many mosques this is adjoined to an open courtyard, called a sahn.
• Within the courtyard one often finds a fountain, its waters both a welcome respite in hot lands, and important for the ablutions (ritual cleansing) done before prayer.
• Another essential element of a mosque’s architecture is a mihrab—a niche in the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca, towards which all Muslims pray. 
• No matter where a mosque is, its mihrab indicates the direction of Mecca
• the minaret serves as a powerful visual reminder of the presence of Islam. the minaret serves as a powerful visual reminder of the presence of Islam.
• a dome does possess significance within the mosque—as a symbolic representation of the vault of heaven. The interior decoration of a dome often emphasizes this symbolism, using intricate geometric, stellate, or vegetal motifs to create breathtaking patterns meant to awe and inspire. 
•  Another important feature of mosque decoration are hanging lamps, also visible in the photograph of the Sultan Hasan mosque. Light is an essential feature for mosques, since the first and last daily prayers occur before the sun rises and after the sun sets.
• Hundreds of such lamps hung inside a mosque would create a glittering spectacle, with soft light emanating from each, highlighting the calligraphy and other decorations on the lamps’ surfaces.
• A minbar is a short flight of steps that is used as a platform by a preacher in a mosque. It is a sort of understated pulpit, or even a type of altar, from the with the imam (a person who leads prayers in a mosque) delivers the khutba, or service.