The basic meaning for minaret (manara or el manar) in pre-Islamic Arabia was used to designate high places of light or fire. Although minarets served as a place from which the call to prayer was made, some minarets served as beacons or markers to guide caravan or crusade routes. The towers (manara) attached to Islamic fortresses along the North African coast (Tunisia) and Syria were used as lighthouses or signal towers by the Byzantines. The structure of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and completed 200 B.C.E., may have been used as the basic form for minarets.

  In the beginning of Islamic age the word hermitage was used to refer to the Minaret. " , the Caliph " Moawia " is the establisher of the " Omaowian " state ordered the governor of Egypt " Moslomah " to build hermitage for the prayers' call in " Amr Ben El- Aas' Mosque .

    The Historian " El- Masoudi " mentioned that the hermitages existed in the temple in Damascus in which " El- Walid " established his Mosque [ the Omawian Mosque ] was used to perform the call of prayers.

      The Minaret was not known in the time of prophet Mohammed , the man who calls for prayers was calling for the prayers from above the building.

A minaret has significance at both the spiritual and material level. Standing vertically it serves as a spiritual symbol that links heaven and earth. The appearance of a single minaret resembles the numeral "1" which symbolizes unity and oneness. Some Muslims suggest the association to the first long straight letter of the Arabic alphabet, alif, with which Allah's name begins. At the material level, or horizontal level, it serves as a boundary to outline space.

The first Minaret in Islam was in the corners of Amr Ben El- Aas' Mosque in El- Fustat in (52) Hijria / (673 ) of adobe on the shape of the temple's towers that existed at that time on the ground upon which the " Omawian " Mosque - was established.

In the Toloni age [254 - 292 Hijria / 868 - 905 A.D ] we see the Minaret as a architectural element separate of the building - was built of rotten stone and lays in the Nothern Western front of " Ibn Tolon's " Mosque [ 263 - 265 Hijria / 876 - 879 A.D ] .

Generally, it looks like Gama Samera's minaret in Iraq [232 Hijria / 847 A.D ] , knowing that there is a minaret of rotten stone in El- Qairawan Gama in Tunis [ 221 Hijria / 836 A.D ] which is older than that exists in " IBen Tolon's Gama " .

     It is likely that the upper part of IBn Tolon's minaret and the Lower part are of Mamlukian Sultan Lejkin's work. 

     The climber can use a stairs from outside till the surface of the base , then by a rotated stairs in the external place , he could climb to the surface of the middle part topped by fumigator.

    We notice that in the Fatimid Age { 325-567H./969-1171 A.D}, the minarets comprised of two floors : the lower part of squared section in some cases higher or gradual, above which there is another lower floor for the first one that ends with a dome .

    We also see in this age some minarets of third floors : the first one   squared projection low height , the middle is about a high disk , while the third is eight  fold section  that ends with lantern or with a dome.

The minaret of the Aubian age ends from upper with a pyramidal shape  fumigator whose external  surface is composed in ribs.

while the wooden terrace were found between the two floors and the minaret external surface was decorated with knotted ribs with a triangle knots in which holes were regulated .

While in the beginning of the marine Mamluk age 9 648-784H), The squared lower part become higher in comparison with the Aubian age , and the minaret kept its general figure used to be in the previous age , and the rotten stone were used in the establishment instead of stones .

While in the othmanic age , new minaret appeared that represents the religious architecture in turkey mostly found in the corners of the building , that is a squared base upon which is semi high disk that ends with a edged coned .

Conversion from square to the minaret's body of multiple ribs through pyramidal shapes .

The best example of this age is the minaret of queen Safia`s mosque (Turkey-1019H/1610 AD ) and of Mohamed Ali mosque ( Cairo Egypt - 1246-1265 H 1830- 1848 AD).