What does minar mean?
A minar is a tall, slender tower, most commonly one associated with a mosque and used for issuing the Islamic call to prayer. In South Asian English, it can also describe a freestanding monumental tower such as the Qutb Minar, particularly one built as a minaret, a victory monument, or a landmark. The word is related to minaret but is especially common in Indian and Pakistani contexts. Architecturally, minars may be constructed from brick, stone, or other masonry and can become prominent visual features of the surrounding skyline. Their importance is not merely functional: when no longer used for religious announcements, they often survive as historical monuments and symbols of the cities in which they stand.
nounA tall, usually slender tower, especially an Islamic minaret from which the call to prayer is made. The term is also used for freestanding monumental towers in South Asian architecture.
- A tall, slender tower associated with a mosque or Islamic place of worship, traditionally used for the call to prayer.
- A freestanding monumental tower characteristic of South Asian Islamic architecture.
"The old brick minar rose above the rooftops of the market."
"The muezzin's voice rose from the minar as the evening call to prayer began."
"The ruined minar is among the most prominent remains of the historic city."
The regular plural is minars.
"The two minars frame the entrance to the old city."
A minar is essentially a minaret by another name, especially in South Asian English.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does minar come from?
The English word entered South Asian usage through Hindi and Urdu, whose forms derive from Persian and ultimately Arabic. Arabic minār is a variant of manāra, meaning “lighthouse” or “tower,” and is related to nūr, “light.” The same Arabic source also underlies the more internationally familiar word minaret.
How minar is actually used
Chiefly used in South Asian English. In architectural contexts, minar can refer either to a mosque's minaret or to a freestanding commemorative or monumental tower.
Easily confused with minar
Minar is the common South Asian term for a tower associated with a mosque or Islamic architecture, whereas minaret is the more widely used international term and may refer more specifically to a tower attached to a mosque.