Definition: Rewrite each original sentence in order to make it easier to understand by non-native speakers of English. You can do so by replacing complex words with simpler synonyms (i.e. paraphrasing), deleting unimportant information (i.e. compression), and/or splitting a long complex sentence into several simpler ones. The final simplified sentences need to be grammatical, fluent, and retain the main ideas of their original counterparts without altering their meanings.
Input: 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 Basra, year 665, under Umayyad caliph Muawiyah I's rule. He urged their constructions to make mosques as good as Christian bell tower churches.