The Mosque

There are lots of mosques in this 95% Muslim country! It seems as if every neighborhood has one. We have learned a lot about the Muslim religion while here, and we have enjoyed getting to know many very kind and caring Muslim people. Ron has not learned to pronounce the word "mosque" the way the French speaking people do; the taxi drivers always try to correct his pronunciation!
Here are some photos of the mosque that is close to where we live.

From the tower, a man uses a very loud speaker to broadcast his chants, which are calls to prayers. This happens at least five times per day, and during Ramadan it happens all through the day and night. Someone told me that the position this man has is a very sought-after position, and the best "singer" is chosen. Many young boys aspire to have this job, and they practice for it. The man is not paid for the job, but my friend said that the Muslim people make sure that he has plenty to eat and plenty of the necessities of life.

If you click on the following photo, you can see a man who is using a bottle of water to wash his feet and his arms. This is done because of the requirement to be clean in order to pray. Many times while walking on the public streets, we see men with large plastic buckets of water dipping out small pails of water to use for this ritual washing.

The following video will let you hear the sounds from the mosque. As you are listening, think about trying to sleep with windows open and hearing this sound late at night and in the early morning hours. During Ramadan, this sound could be heard almost every hour until at least 12:00 p.m.----and it could last for 45 minutes or more at a time. Then it would start back up at 5:00 a.m.! This video was taken on the street by our apartment. We walk this way every day.