The Mihrab: The Arch That Points to Makkah — Epoche A1
FAQ: The Mihrab Q: What is the arch in the wall of a mosque? A: It is the mihrab. It is empty. It shows one thing only: the direction of Makkah. Q: Does every mihrab point the same way? A: No. Every mosque points at the same city, so every mosque points a different way. In Morocco people face east. In Indonesia people face west. In Istanbul the mihrab points south-east. Q: Why is a mihrab often beautiful? A: Everybody in the room looks at that wall. In the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan, about 400 years old, the mihrab has blue tiles, flowers and Arabic writing.