Dikka

Summary

A dikka or dakka (Arabic: دكة),[1][2] also known in Turkish as a müezzin mahfili,[3] is a raised platform or tribune in a mosque from which the Quran is recited and where the muezzin chants or repeats in response to the imam's prayers.[4][5][3][6] It is also used by the muezzin to chant the second call to prayer (iqama), which indicates to worshippers that the prayer is about to begin.[2] On special occasions or evenings, such as during the month of Ramadan, expert or professional Qur'an reciters also use the platform to chant parts of the Qur'an.[2] It is also known as the mukabbariyah (Arabic: مكبرية) in the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.[7]

The dikka in the Mosque of Sultan Hasan in Cairo
The müezzin mahfili in the Selimiye Mosque of Edirne, Turkey

This feature is not found in all mosques, but is most often found in large mosques where it is difficult for worshippers far from the mihrab to hear the imam.[6] Raised on columns, it can be a freestanding structure near the middle of the prayer hall or a balcony set against a pillar or a wall opposite the minbar.[2]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Hillenbrand, Robert (1994). Islamic Architecture: Form, function, and meaning. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 598. ISBN 9780231101332.
  2. ^ a b c d Hinnells, John R. (2010). The Penguin Handbook of the World's Living Religions. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-0-14-195504-9.
  3. ^ a b Freely, John (2011). A History of Ottoman Architecture. WIT Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-84564-506-9.
  4. ^ M. Bloom, Jonathan; S. Blair, Sheila, eds. (2009). "Mosque". The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture. Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. p. 549. ISBN 9780195309911.
  5. ^ Blair, Sheila S.; Bloom, Jonathan M. (1995). The Art and Architecture of Islam 1250-1800. Yale University Press. p. 340. ISBN 9780300064650.
  6. ^ a b Akin, Gunkut (1995). "The Muezzin Mahfili and Pool of the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne". Muqarnas. 12: 63–83. doi:10.2307/1523224. JSTOR 1523224.
  7. ^ "'Mukabbariyah' at Prophet's Mosque retains its glitter". Saudigazette. 2013-07-10. Retrieved 2022-07-28.