A Comparative Study of the Quality of Construction and Decoration of Wooden Mihrabs in the Islamic World

Introduction: From the early Islamic centuries, the mihrab gradually became an essential and indispensable element of mosques. The mihrab is a recess on the qibla side, constructed with various materials, and has been a focus of poets in describing the highest levels of mysticism. Wood is one of the rarest materials Islamic architects used to construct mihrabs. Studies show that 12 wooden mihrabs have been identified across the Islamic world. Through comparison and technical analysis of the quality of wooden mihrab construction, this paper seeks to answer this question: “How have the distinctions and similarities of wooden mihrabs in terms of decoration, overall form, and construction and decoration techniques been”?Research Method: The research takes a fundamental and qualitative approach, with the data examined through a descriptive-comparative method. The purposeful selection of samples was based on wooden materials. The time frame of the research spans from the 4th to the 10th century A.H.Findings: A noteworthy point regarding wooden mihrabs is their construction date or period, which spans continuously from the 5th to the 8th centuries A.H. Technically, two main construction approaches can be identified. In the first type, decorations and motifs are carved directly on the frames, in addition to the spaces between the frames, and the frame is not hidden from the viewer's eye. In the second type, the main frame is hidden behind separate decorative pieces and panels that form the decorative and visual structure of the mihrab. In their decoration, calligraphic and geometric motifs are also dominant over plant motifs.Conclusion: As mihrabs move further away from the geographical core of Islamic lands, larger portions of their surfaces are occupied by Quranic inscriptions, which serve as the most tangible element of the representation of Islam. In regions like Egypt or Syria, which were among the first lands conquered by Muslims, in addition to the increasing abstraction of motifs, Quranic verses play a lesser role in the overall decoration of the mihrab compared to plant and geometric patterns. Another evidence for this claim is the walls covered with Quranic verses in the Great Mosque of Xi'an, China, and the exclusive use of Surah Al-Fath for the mihrabs of mosques in China.