The mosque is the main religious building in Islam. Built on a square or rectangular plan, it consists essentially of three parts: prayer room, courtyard and minaret.
The prayer room is divided into naves that are sometimes parallel or, more commonly, perpendicular to the qibla wall which faces Mecca, identified in turn by the mihrab niche that is often framed by a horseshoe arch and occasionally ornately decorated.
These features initially appeared in the Great Mosque of Córdoba and became fully established in Almohad mosques.