Loudspeakers in mosques

Loudspeakers were invented in the early 20th century, and they were introduced in mosques in the 1930s, where they are used by a muezzin for the adhan ("call to prayer"), and sometimes for khutbah in Islam. Outdoor loudspeakers, usually mounted on tall minarets, are used five times a day for the call to prayer. Loudspeakers are sometimes also used inside mosques to deliver sermons or for prayer. Electrically amplified adhans have become commonplace in countries such as Turkey and Morocco, whereas in others such as the Netherlands only 7 to 8% of all mosques employ loudspeakers for the call to prayer.

The loudspeakers are also used as an early warning system and function as civil defense sirens in countries such as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.