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]
^M. Bloom, Jonathan; S. Blair, Sheila, eds. (2009). "Mosque". The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture. Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. p. 549. ISBN9780195309911.