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Miðasalan er við hliðina á biðsalnum.

Miðasalan er við hliðina á biðsalnum.
The ticket office is next to the waiting room.
From Lesson 225:Resultative aspect with motion verbs (vera farinn)·Icelandic

Questions & Answers about Miðasalan er við hliðina á biðsalnum.

Why does biðsalnum take the dative case here?
It is the object of the multi-word preposition við hliðina á (next to). Specifically, the preposition á at the end dictates that the following noun must be in the dative case.
Are miðasalan and biðsalnum built from the same base word?
No, even though they look similar! Miðasalan ends with the definite form of sala (a feminine noun meaning sale). Biðsalnum ends with the definite, dative form of salur (a masculine noun meaning hall or room).
Let's break down the phrase við hliðina á. Why is it formed this way?
It literally translates to by the side of. Við means by, hliðina is the definite accusative form of hlið (side), and á connects it to the next noun. It is the standard way to say next to in Icelandic.
Why is there an a in the middle of miðasalan?
In Icelandic compound words, the first noun is often put into the genitive (possessive) case. Miða is the genitive plural of miði (ticket). So miðasalan literally translates as the sale of tickets.

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