mihrab, Arabic prayer niche in the qiblah wall (that

facing Mecca) of a mosque; vary in size but are

usually ornately decorated. The mihrab originated
in the reign of the Umayyad prince al-Walīd I
(705–715), during which time the famous mosques
atThe
Medina, Jerusalem,
structure and Damascus
was adapted were built.
from the prayer niches
common to the oratories of Coptic Christian
monks. Most prayer rugs also have a mihrab, a
segment of the design shaped like a niche. Before
kneeling, the user places the rug so that the mihrab
is facing Mecca.
The most important element in any mosque is the mihrab, the niche that
indicates the direction of Mecca, the Muslim holy pilgrimage site in Arabia,
which Muslims face when praying. This example from the Madrasa Imami in
Isfahan is composed of a mosaic of small glazed tiles fitted together to form
various patterns and inscriptions. Qur'anic verses run from the bottom right to
the bottom left of the outer frame; a second inscription with sayings of the
Prophet, in Kufic script, borders the pointed arch of the niche; and a third
inscription, in cursive, is set in a frame at the center of the niche. The result is
one of the earliest and finest surviving examples of mosaic tile work.

Along the frame, a reference to the five pillars of Islam is written in kufic: "He
[the Prophet], blessings and peace be upon him, said: “Islam is built on five
attestations: there is no god but God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God,
he established prayer and the giving of alms and the pilgrimage and fasting of
[the month of] Ramadan."
QUWWAT-UL-ISLAM MOSQUE
Built by Qutb-ud-Din Aibak in Qila Rai Pithora, the ancient Hindu citadel.
Built on the plinth of a Hindu temple which was dismantled.
The plinth was expanded to cover a rectangle of 150' X 212'.
This stylobate was then enclosed by a wall with cloisters on all sides.

Cloisters
Cloisters were three aisles deep.
Composed of pillars from Hindu temples, placed one above the other to achieve the desired
height

Sanctuary
The western part of the cloister was the sanctuary.
The arrangement of the pillars was made more spacious and resolved into a series of bays with
shallow domed roofs.

Courtyard
The courtyard is 105' X 141', surrounded by cloisters.
In the front of the centre of the sanctuary stands the iron pillar with the Garuda motif removed
from its pinnacle.
Screen (Maqsura)
In 1199, a screen of an arched facade was added across the front of the
sanctuary.
The screen is a wall of masonry 50' high at the centre, 108' wide and
81/2' thick.
The screen is pierced by 5 arches, the central arch 45' high and 22' in
span and two smaller ones on each side, each 25' high.
Each smaller arch had a clerestory above it, mainly for decorative
purposes as it did not serve in any way the sanctuary behind it.
The facade is embroidered with carvings of floral devices and Quranic
verses.
The arches are not true arches but built by corbelling, hence we know
they were built by local workmen acting on verbal instructions from a
Muslim clerk of works.
The ogee shape of the arch may be derived from the Buddhist caves of
the Barahar hills of Bihar and the Stupas of Sarnath.