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 built in 665 in Basra when Muawiyah was in power. Muawiyah wanted to built minarets, because they would make mosques look as good as Christian churches with their bell towers.