The mihrab is a semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and thus the direction that Muslims should face when praying. The minbar is a raised platform from which an imam addresses the congregation.

The Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque can accommodate up to 40,000 worshippers, has four minarets, more than 80 domes and 1,000 pillars holding it all up. The interior has elements from Turkey, Morocco and the Taj Mahal exhibited in marble, gold, semi-precious stones, crystals and ceramics. It hosts the world’s largest Persian carpet, which took 2.000 artisans two years to complete and seven gold-plated crystal chandeliers. (Summary from Lonely Planet’s “Oman, UAE & Arabian Peninsula”)