The first minaret was constructed in 665 in Basra during the reign of the Umayyad caliph Muawiyah I. Muawiyah encouraged the construction of minarets, as they were supposed to bring mosques on par with Christian churches with their bell towers.
The first minaret was constructed in 665 in Basra. This construction was during the reign of the Umayyad caliph Muawiyah I. Muawiyah encouraged the construction of minarets. He thought they would put mosques on par with Christian churches and their bell towers.