Sound Quality inside Mosques: A Case Study on the Impact of Mihrab Geometry

Abstract

This chapter presents a detailed analysis to identify the best Mihrab (prayer niche of Imam) geometry with respect to acoustic performance of mosques. Mihrab geometry has an impact on daily prayer recitation and orders, as the Imam (prayer leader) faces this semicircular shape. Sound pressure level (SPL) has been simulated to compare different well-known designs and geometries of Mihrab by ODEON. A typical mosque in an educational campus was considered for the study, and it is found that Safavid Mihrab geometry has the best performance followed by Chinese, Mughal, and Tulunid Mihrab geometries, while the worst performance is found in Almoravid Mihrab geometry. This study obviously guides the mosque designers to choose the appropriate Mihrab geometry with regard to the acoustic performance.