Minaret, Importance in Islamic civilization

Abstract

Islamic minaret is considered one of the most important and prominent architectural structures in mosques, and it did not exist at the beginning of Islamic civilization during the era of the Prophet (peace be upon him) because of the preoccupation with spreading the Islamic call/Da’wa and the simplicity of Islamic architecture in the early first century H., after the extensive Islamic conquests in the reign of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab. When the Muslims met the Christian and Zoroastrian and other societies, they were getting acquainted with the great civilizations of this period, including the Christian Romans, the Zoroastrian Persians, the Buddhists, and the Hindus in India and the Far East. Each of these civilizations had an impact on Muslims, especially in the field of architecture. When the Muslims saw the churches of the Levant with high towers, where bells were hung, they used it as a means to call and gather their followers to pray and perform their worship or announce the death of a member of their community. Also, the Muslims built minarets inside or beside the mosques to call the Muslims and remind them of the time of prayers.