From "Engines of our Ingenuity;" episode 1820:a word seen here before, but long enough ago to be worth repeating.

"A mosque has its own unique shape, equally well-defined. Ideally it's a large open cubical prayer space with a high domed roof. The front side faces Mecca, and on its inside wall is a niche called a mihrab -- a symbolic gateway to paradise. A mosque also has as least one minaret -- a tall tower for calling the faithful to prayer. That mosque at Edirne has four lovely minarets, twice as tall the mosque itself. A courtyard on the side away from Mecca provides fountains for worshipers to wash, before they enter. "