The main purpose of the mosque is to be the place where Muslims can gather to pray. However, they are now known around the world only for their importance to the Muslim community, but also as exhibits of Islamic architecture. From an architectural point of view, mosques have evolved significantly from outdoor spaces, as they were at the time of Quba and the Prophet's Mosque in the 7th century. Culturally, mosques are not only places to pray, but also places to learn about Islam and meet other believers.
Little by little, Muslims expanded to other parts of the world and mosques were built outside the Arabian peninsula. Egypt was conquered by Muslim Arabs in 640, and since then so many have appeared throughout the country that its capital, Cairo, has acquired the nickname "the city of a thousand minarets."
Egyptian mosques vary in their services: some have Islamic schools, some have hospitals or tombs. North African mosques, such as the Great Mosque of Kairouan, illustrate the symbiotic relationship between Byzantine Roman architectural heritage and the influence of the East.
The mosques of Sicily and Spain are not closely linked to the Visigoth styles that preceded them, but rather to the style that was introduced by the Moorish Muslims.
In China the first mosque was built in the eighth century in Xian. The Grand Mosque of Xian, whose current building dates from the 18th century, does not use many of the elements generally associated with traditional mosques. Rather, it is built on traditional Chinese architecture. West China mosques have more characteristic features of mosques in other parts of the world, such as minarets and domes, while eastern ones adopt the pagoda model.
The mosques spread in India during the Mughal Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Mughals brought with them their own architectural style, which included pointed and bulbous domes.
Mosques first appeared in the Ottoman Empire (which partly forms the territory of present-day Turkey) during the eleventh century, when many Turks in the region began to convert to Islam. Many of the first, such as Saint Sophia in present-day Istanbul , had originally been churches or cathedrals during the Byzantine Empire. The Ottomans kept their own styles of Roman architectural tradition for the mosques, characterized by huge central domes, several minarets and open elevations. The Ottoman style of mosques generally included elaborate columns, naves and high ceilings inside, while incorporating traditional elements such as the mirabe. Today, Turkey continues to host many mosques that have this peculiar Ottoman architectural style.
Mosques were gradually spread throughout various parts of Europe, where they increased especially during the twentieth century, when many Muslims emigrated to the continent. Major European cities, such as Rome, London and Munich, host mosques that have traditional domes and minarets. These, being in urban centers, serve as a community and social center for the large number of Muslims living in the area. However, several small mosques can be found in many rural and suburban areas everywhere in Europe where there is a Muslim population. In America the phenomenon had more influence in the United States, where they began to appear in the early twentieth century. However, as a result of the influx of immigrants, the number of mosques has increased enormously.
