A mosque is a building where Muslims gather to pray and worship. Mosques often have distinctive features that make them recognizable: a dome-shaped roof, tall towers called minarets where someone calls out to announce prayer times, and open spaces for gathering. Inside, you won't find chairs or pews. Instead, people pray on carpeted floors, often kneeling on small prayer rugs.

Many mosques have beautiful decorative patterns and Arabic calligraphy on their walls, but no paintings or statues of people or animals. This reflects Islamic tradition, which focuses decoration on geometric designs and written verses from the Quran, Islam's holy book. A mihrab, a special niche in the wall, shows the direction of Mecca, the holiest city in Islam, because Muslims face that direction when they pray.

Mosques serve as community centers where people gather for classes, celebrations, and community meals, in addition to the five daily prayers. The word can also refer to the community itself: when someone says “my mosque,” they might mean both the building and the people who worship there together.