A muslim can pray anywhere but the tradition of praying in the mosque began by our prophet ( pbuh) at madinah.

The mosque is a focus for congregational worship & community affairs. The word masjid in arabic means a place of prostration, therefore a masjid is a place for salah , a place where muslims kneel & prostrate themselfes before god.

No matter what the size or place , all mosques fulfil the same functions, which is to serve the muslim community as a house of god. The mosque is considered to be a place where any muslim is free to enter, pray & participate. Prophet muhammad ( pbuh) encouraged people to fund mosques towards the buildings & the running of it, declaring that anyone who did so would find a home build for him in paradise.

MOSQUE DESIGNS...

Muslims are commanded to pray towards the kaabah, so mosques in all muslims continue are designed facing the qibla which is the direction of the kaabah. They are virtually the same. Most of the designs are designed to look very similar to our prophets mosque in madina with a green dome & minarets. As muslims men & women pray seperatly mosques will provide woman a seperate. Aswell as furnishing prayer spaces for both men & women , mosques also need to fullfil other community functions in order to be officially designated to do such activities.

Each mosque must have a kitchen aswell as a bathroom as abultion ( wudhu) are very important acts in the mosque.
Finaly, all mosques must provide facilities for washing & shrouding the dead. Some mosques also provide living facilities for the leader of the mosque & the family.....