Thursday, January 26, 2012

Mosques in the Middle East

Mosques in the Middle East are amazing. In Egypt, they are located almost on every single corner. They're easily spotted too. Every minaret in Egypt soars well into the sky at night and is illuminated with plenty of light green bulbs. There are thousands of mosques in Egypt, which is why they call the city, "The city of a Thousand minarets". It's the only city in the world that receives that title. However, there are many shared characteristics between the mosques in Egypt and the mosques in like Lebanon, Syria, or Jordan. And since each of these countries elaborately portrays the unequal distribution of wealth, the mosques differ based on where they are located. In Egypt, if they give you a small alley and put in some walls, a fan or two, and possibly a ceiling with green lights on the outside, then it's a mosque. In Amman the mosques there are in the middle of the downtown area scattered throughout.

It's essential to have mosques in the Middle East. People need to pray when it's time to pray and people need a close one that will be convenient to their jobs and homes. But since mosques in the Middle East are more common than cars, finding a few close to your home shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Saudi Arabia has the Ka'abah which is located in Mecca. It's the most sacred place in the world for worshipping for a Muslim. I myself can't imagine what it would be like to pray among those many Muslims in one area (even though I did, I just can't remember) and experience it. The Prophet's (Peace be Upon him) mosque is also located in Saudi Arabia. These two mosques are very important to a Muslim.

Every country in the Middle East has that "famous" mosque. The Ka'bah in Saudi Arabia, Al-Quds in Palestine, Masjid Al- Azhar in Egypt and so on. These mosques are important landmarks throughout these countries, however it's a against Islam to travel to a certain place with intentions to pray at a certain mosque unless it is Al Ka'abah in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The qualities of the mosques differ from country to country as well. The very commonly known characteristics of a typical mosque in Egypt is as follows; crowded, hot, infested with flies and other sorts of insects. However these qualities are inviting, especially since it proves one's dedication to go pray. Several other mosques' qualities include clean, air conditioned, spacious, and in good locations. These mosques are present in Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon as well, however they are only found in the affluent districts.

Mosques in Dubai, Doha, and Kuwait city are probably large, clean, and air conditioned. What do you expect? These people have the money to do much more. And I thank God that they're actually building good facilities with their money. In Egypt and the Levant countries however, the mosques (particulary in the older downtown areas) aren't very new because they were either made on short notice, or in an emergency due to lack of mosques in the area. In the end, mosques in the Middle East provide clear images of the dominant religion in the Arab world.


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