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qiblah
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mihrab
mihrab Mihrab in the qiblah wall (that facing Mecca) of the prayer hall at the Bou Inania (Bū ʿInānīyyah) Madrasah, Fès, Morocco.

qiblah

Islam
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Also known as: kiblah, qibla
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Last Updated: • Article History
Also spelled:
qibla or kiblah

qiblah, the direction of the sacred shrine of the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, toward which Muslims turn five times each day when performing the salat (daily ritual prayer). Soon after Muhammad’s migration (Hijrah, or Hegira) to Medina in 622, he indicated Jerusalem as the qiblah, probably influenced by Jewish tradition. He later changed the qiblah to Mecca.

The qiblah is used not only for prayer but also for burial; the dead, including slaughtered animals, are interred facing Mecca. In a mosque the qiblah is indicated by the mihrab, a niche in the building’s interior wall facing Mecca.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Brian Duignan.