mihrab

noun

mih·​rab ˈmē-rəb How to pronounce mihrab (audio)
: a niche or chamber in a mosque indicating the direction of Mecca

Examples of mihrab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In 1453, the Ottomans converted it into a mosque, constructing the four minarets and a mihrab embellished with ornate tiles. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2025 An off-center mihrab marks the direction of Mecca and enormous round discs are inscribed with Arabic characters. Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2021 The canvas features a backdrop painted by Orkin of religious architecture modeled after Solomon's temple, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and a prayer niche, or mihrab. Kelly Smith, Star Tribune, 23 Apr. 2021 Workers squeezed a bland wooden minbar into a corner of the nave and a mihrab into a nearby portico, drew panels and screens to obscure the dazzling 13th-century Christian frescoes looking down from the vaults and the dome, and unfurled a red carpet over the marble floor. The Economist, 11 July 2020 The prayer room contains copies of the Quran in different languages and a mihrab, or a wall facing Mecca that Muslims face to pray. Chevall Pryce, Houston Chronicle, 14 June 2019 The mosque years also show themselves in the bold flowing lines of Arabic calligraphy on hanging roundels near the second level and in the beautiful marble mihrab, indicating the direction of Mecca. National Geographic, 22 Mar. 2019 The exhibition also features an ornate wooden mihrab, or prayer niche, from the Cairo mausoleum of a Muslim holy woman. Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, 21 Mar. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Arabic miḥrāb

First Known Use

1669, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mihrab was in 1669

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mihrab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mihrab. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.

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