The miḥrāb, signifying the qibla, or direction of prayer towards Mecca, is one of the few universal elements in mosque-architecture. But despite the form’s familiarity and ubiquity, a number of questions arise: How did the term miḥrāb come into the mosque vocabulary? Why was the form of an arch or niche chosen? What are the levels of meaning adhering to this architectural form? How were these meanings expressed through the inclusion of calligraphic, geometric, and biomorphic design components? The proposed paper will examine and redefine the evolution of this architectural form within a historical context in order to consider this unique architectural element from a contemporary design practice point of view. The paper will begin with some discussion of the history of the word miḥrāb, its function as a means of orientation within the mosque, and its expression as an architectural element with multiple layers of semantic and symbolic meaning. Using a methodology the author has developed as an artist and a researcher within her own studio practice, the paper will then consider a selection of case studies of historical miḥrābs, analysing individual design elements, with a particular emphasis on geometric modes of design and ornamentation. Through this diagrammatic visual study, the paper will illustrate some of the ways geometry was used, as both a design and compositional tool and as a visual language closely linked with the historical development of the mathematical sciences, the discipline in which Islamic architectural practice, including mosque architecture, was embedded. Through observation and drawing, this practical design enquiry will in addition illustrate how the art of Islamic geometric ornamental patterns, visually evoking a sense of balance through the harmony and symmetry of proportionally interrelated figures, was integrated into the design of historical miḥrābs. The paper will consider the rich heritage of mosque miḥrāb architecture and invite contemporary practitioners to make nuanced aesthetic connections and engage in a creative conversation with this unique form as an architectural, ornamental, and symbolic element.