A mosque is a religious building for Muslims. It has a central dome and then one, or more, minarets attached to the main building. The minarets are not just decorative towers, they actually serve a purpose. Before electricity an Imam would climb the stairs all the way to the balcony of one of the minarets and from up high he would loudly chant the call to prayer. Following Muslim tradition the Imam would do this five times a day. The call to prayer is meant to act as a reminder to Muslims that it is time to stop what they are doing and pray.
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| One of the Blue Mosque's minarets. Can you imagine climbing that minaret five times a day? |
Lucky for the Imam things are a little different today. Technology has taken over and now there are loud speakers attached to the minarets so the Imam can recite the call to prayer from inside the mosque and the speakers carry his voice across the city.
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| Inside the Blue Mosque. The designs on the ceiling are made by patterning lots of different tiles. |
Even though the mosque is open to the public as a tourist attraction, it is still active and at certain times of the day you can see rows of Muslims praying under the beautiful blue-tiled ceiling. Hmm, I wonder why they call it the Blue Mosque?
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