The Mosque

A mosque is a kind of  building where people who follow the Islamic faith worship God. The first mosques were built around 700 AD when the Arabs first conquered Jerusalem and other parts of West Asia. One of the earliest mosques is the 'Dome of the Rock' in Jerusalem. 


The architecture of Mosques really depends on where the mosque was built and there are many different styles. Most mosques have a minaret (a tall tower) where the muezzin climbs up the steps inside the tower everyday 5 times a day to sing out the call to prayer. 


The most known Mosque is probably the one in Mecca, where the Hajj starts. 

Prayer can be done privately, indoors or outdoors. Although almost every community provides a space/building for prayer. When you look through photographs of mosques around the world, you notice a lot of variation. As I've mentioned above building materials and design depend on the culture, heritage, and resources of each local Muslim community. 

In a mosque there is of course a prayer room and women and men are separated to avoid any kind of distraction. Before prayer Muslims are required to take their shoes off before entering the prayer room. To keep the Mosque clean but also to provide a 'pure' atmosphere. Most Mosques have a 'dome' shape to them and that is to remain the Mosque cool and insulated.