What is the qibla wall?

In the Islamic tradition, a qibla wall is a wall of a mosque that indicates the direction followers must face during daily prayer. Such a wall is often identified by an ornamental indentation known as a mihrab.

The word "qibla" has long referred to the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia. The Kaaba is a massive stone cube believed to have been first constructed by Adam, the first man. Despite its unquestionably pre-Islamic origins, the Kaaba is actually the second focal point used for the qibla. The first was the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.