Dikka

For the nut-bearing tree, see Irvingia gabonensis.

The dikka in the Mosque of Sultan Hasan in Cairo

The müezzin mahfili in the Selimiye Mosque of Edirne, Turkey

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]

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

• Dakkah

References

1. Hillenbrand, Robert (1994). Islamic Architecture: Form, function, and meaning. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 598. ISBN 9780231101332.
2. Hinnells, John R. (2010). The Penguin Handbook of the World's Living Religions. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-0-14-195504-9.
3. 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. 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.