What is a pulpit?
One of the complementary elements of the mosque is the pulpit. The pulpit is the rostrum with stairs where the orator or imam comes out and delivers sermons on holidays and Fridays in the mosque. The minbars on the right side of the mihrab and the congregation are made of wood, stone and marble and decorated in various ways. The sides and doors of some pulpits are decorated with carvings and inlays, which have high artistic touches. There are some that are magnificent works of art according to their architecture.
The word minbar also means thrones to be established in heaven in hadiths. It has been stated that those who love each other for the sake of Allah, who are just and generous, will sit on pulpits of light. In Arabic, it is said to be derived from the root “nebr”, which means the place where one ascends gradually. Although the pulpit is related to the sermon, it has become an indispensable structure even in the smallest and humble mosques in a short time. We can often come across minbars in structures such as caravanserais, madrasahs and tombs. During the sermon, the names of sultans and rulers were read from the pulpit, making the pulpit a symbol of political power. Due to the need of the orator to make his voice heard to the whole congregation, the pulpit has evolved to the present day.
