the first mosques had no minarets. the most conservative islamic groups, like "wahhabis", still avoid building minarets. they see them as simply a fancy decoration and unnecessary. the first minaret was built in 665 in basra during the reign of the umayyad caliph muawiyah i. muawiyah encouraged the building of minarets, as they were supposed to be the same as bell towers on christian churches. because of this, mosque architects used the shape of the bell tower for their minarets. both the minaret and the bell tower serve the same purpose — to call the faithful to prayer.