Minaret, << `mihn` uh REHT or MIHN uh reht, >> is a tall, usually slender, tower attached to the Muslim house of worship, called a mosque. Most mosques have from two to six minarets. From the top of the minaret, a muezzin (crier) calls the faithful to prayer five times each day. Minarets have one or more balconies where the muezzin can stand. The minaret may be round, square, or many-sided. Most are built of brick or stone, and contain an internal staircase. The minaret is one of the most common features of Islamic architecture.
Many scholars believe the form of the minaret is derived from the ancient Lighthouse at Alexandria, Egypt, which was completed in the 200’s B.C. Among the earliest minarets are those at a mosque in Damascus, Syria, built in A.D. 707. Minarets are common in India, northern Africa, and the Middle East.
