SHEIKH LOTFALLAH ESFAHAN MASJID OF HISTORY

According to some scholars, Islam started during the lifetime of Muhammad in the 7th century CE,[5] and so did architectural components such as the mosque. In this case, either the Mosque of the Companions in the Eritrean city of Massawa,[6] or the Quba Mosque in the Hejazi city of Medina (the first structure built by Muhammad upon his emigration from Mecca in 622 CE),[7] would be the first mosque that was built in the history of Islam.[8]
Other scholars, referring to passages of the Quran,[9][10][11] state that Islam as a religion preceded Muhammad,[12][13][14] and includes previous prophets such as Abraham.[15] Abraham in Islam is credited with having built the Ka'bah ('Cube') in Mecca, and consequently its sanctuary, Al-Masjid Al-Haram (The Sacred Mosque), which is seen as the first mosque[8] that existed.[16][17][18][19] A Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari states that the sanctuary of the Kaaba was the first mosque on Earth, with the second mosque being Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem,[20] which is also associated with Abraham.[17] Since as early as 638 AD, the Sacred Mosque of Mecca has been expanded on several occasions to accommodate the increasing number of Muslims who either live in the area or make the annual pilgrimage known as Hajj to the city.[21]
Either way, after the Quba Mosque, Muhammad went on to establish another mosque in Medina, which is now known as Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (The Prophet's Mosque). Built on the site of his home, Muhammad participated in the construction of the mosque himself and helped pioneer the concept of the mosque as the focal point of the Islamic city.[22] The Prophet's mosque introduced some of the features still common in today's mosques, including the niche at the front of the prayer space known as the mihrab and the tiered pulpit called the minbar.[23] The mosque was also constructed with a large courtyard, a motif common among mosques built since then.[22] #fastitlinks.com