Mosques

Mosques are the main religious buildings of Islam and tend to be the most important structures in a Muslim city or town. Some important features of a mosque include a courtyard where worshipers gather, a gate and a minaret, which is a small arched unit that marks the wall closest to Mecca, which the worshipers face while praying. The gate is elaborately decorated facing the street. The faithful pray five times a day from a balcony at the top of a minaret (tall towers varying in shape).

source: World Book Encyclopedia

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