Sound Quality Inside Mosques

This Book presents a detailed analysis to identify the best Mihrab (prayer niche of Imam) geometry with respect to acoustical performance of Mosques. Mihrab geometry has an impact on daily prayer recitation and orders, as the Imam (prayer leader) faces this semicircular shape. Applicable room acoustics parameters have been simulated to compare different well-known designs and geometries of Mihrab by room acoustics simulation program. A typical mosque in Dammam city was considered for the study, and it is found that Safavids 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 acoustical performance.