المملكة: The norms of the Prophet’s Mosque .. Islamic architectural touches with exquisite inscriptions and decorations

The mihrab in the Prophet’s Mosque is considered a prominent symbol that determines the direction of the qiblah, and a place for the imam during the prayer. The mihrabs have evolved throughout history, starting from the era of the Prophet Muhammad, and through the following ages, where the Muslim rulers added elaborate Islamic architectural touches, distinguished by the inscriptions and exquisite decorations.

The niches of the Prophet’s Mosque

The word “mihrab” was mentioned in the Holy Quran in four places, carrying different connotations in every place such as the house, the chapel and the chest of the house.
The Prophet’s Mosque is not just architectural landmarks; Rather, they are live evidence of the development of Islamic architecture, and immortal connotations of the spirituality and sanctity of the place, as these niches reflect the association of Muslims with their holy heritage and their keenness to preserve the fragrant Muhammadiyah message for future generations.

History of the niches

And on the history of the mihrabs in the Prophet’s Mosque, the official website of the General Authority for Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque mentioned that the Prophet’s Mosque had no hollow mihrab during the era of the Prophet or during the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and after the conversion of the qiblah from Jerusalem to the Kaaba, the prayer site was transferred to the southern wall of the mosque and the Prophet prayed starting with the cylinder of Aisha, then at the created cylinder.
During the era of the Umayyads, the Caliph Al-Walid bin Abdul Malik was the first to create a mihrab at the Prophet’s Mosque during its expansion between the years 88-91 AH, by Omar bin Abdul Aziz, and this mihrab was a distinctive sign of the direction of the qiblah in the wall of the mosque.
In the Prophet’s Mosque, more than a mihrab, the first of which is the noble Prophet’s mihrab and is located in the honorable kindergarten to the left of the pulpit, and is used today to lead the prayer, the Ottoman mihrab is located in the tribal wall of the mosque, and the Sulaymani mihrab (Al -Hanafi) is located in the west of the pulpit, and Fatima’s mihrab is located south of the mihrab of tahajjud inside the honorable cabin.