Minbar

Minbar
Minbar of the Molla Çelebi Mosque in Istanbul.
Picture showing the minbar of the Great Mosque of Kairouan (Mosque of Uqba); this pulpit, the oldest in existence, is still in its place of origin (in the prayer hall of the mosque) and it is protected by a glass panel in order to preserve this precious preaching chair, in Kairouan, Tunisia.
Muslim scholar Ammar Nakshawani delivering a lecture from a mimbar in Dar es Salaam's Hussainia as part of the Ramadan ceremonies.


A minbar (Arabic: منبر‎, also spelt mimbar or mimber) is a pulpit in the mosque where the imam (leader of prayer) stands to deliver sermons (khutbah خطبة ) or in the Hussainia where the speaker sits and lectures the congregation. The word is a derivative of the Arabic root n-b-r 'to raise, elevate'; the Arabic plural is manābir (Arabic: منابر‎).

While minbars are usually more akin to pulpits in elevation and structures they have a function and position more similar to that of a lectern, emphasizing contact with the audience.[original research?] The minbar is usually shaped like a small tower with a pointed roof and stairs leading up to it. Some believe decorating it is part of the sunnah, oppositely the prophet Muhammed only had a platform with 3 steps. The minbar is located to the right of the mihrab, the niche that indicates the direction of prayer (i.e. towards Mecca). The minbar is also a symbol of authority.[1]

In some mosques there is a platform (müezzin mahfili in Turkish) opposite the minbar. That is the place where the assistant of the Imam, the muezzin, stands during prayer. The muezzin recites the answer to the prayer of the Imam. This feature is the Islamic equivalent of the pulpit found in Christian churches.[original research?]

Nowadays the oldest Islamic pulpit in the world to be preserved intact is the minbar of the Great Mosque of Kairouan (in the city of Kairouan in Tunisia).[2] Dating from the 9th century (at about 862 AD), it is an eleven-step staircase made of carved and sculptured teak wood. Composed of an assembly of over three hundred finely sculpted parts, the minbar of the Great Mosque of Kairouan is considered as a jewel of Islamic wooden art.[3]

References

  1. ^ Andrew Petersen, Dictionary of Islamic architecture, Routledge, 1996, page 191
  2. ^ Muḥammad ʻAdnān Bakhīt, History of humanity, UNESCO, 2000, page 345
  3. ^ Minbar of the Great Mosque of Kairouan (Qantara Mediterranean Heritage)

Bibliography

  • Lynette Singer (ed.): The Minbar of Saladin. Reconstructing a Jewel of Islamic Art (London: Thames & Hudson 2008).



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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Minbar — in der Sultan Hasan Moschee, Kairo Minbar (arabisch ‏منبر‎) Plural manabir / ‏منابر ‎ / …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • minbar — [ minbar ] n. m. • 1931; mot ar. ♦ Didact. (Arts, etc.) Chaire d une mosquée. Minbar sculpté. ● minbar nom masculin (mot arabe) Chaire à prêcher de la mosquée, en bois ou en pierres, mobile ou fixe. minbar n. m. Chaire à prêcher d une mosquée.… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Minbar — de la Sehzade camii, Estambul. Un minbar (árabe: منبر) es un púlpito en las mezquitas donde el imán se para a dar sermones (jutba خطبه ). El minbar usualmente es una plataforma elevada con unas escaleras de acceso, dando la impre …   Wikipedia Español

  • minbar — MINBÁR s. n. amvon într o moschee, sprijinit de peretele din fund. (< fr. minbar) Trimis de raduborza, 15.09.2007. Sursa: MDN …   Dicționar Român

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  • Minbar — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Minbar (planète). Mihrab et Minbar de la mosquée du sultan mamelouk An Nâsir Muhammad ben Qalâ ûn dans l …   Wikipédia en Français

  • minbar — ▪ Islam       in Islām, the pulpit from which the sermon (khuṭbah) is delivered. In its simplest form the minbar is a platform with three steps; often it is constructed as a domed box at the top of a staircase and is reached through a doorway… …   Universalium

  • Minbar — Mịnbar   [arabisch] der, (s)/ s, Mịmbar, Kanzel in der Moschee, auf der die Freitagspredigt gehalten wird. Sie diente ursprünglich als Herrscher und Richtersitz der Kalifen und ihrer Statthalter, seit dem 8. Jahrhundert als Predigtkanzel. Der… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Minbar (software) — Minbar Developer(s) Djihed Afifi Operating system GNU/Linux License GPLv2 …   Wikipedia

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