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Post by onlymark on Nov 19, 2011 11:58:36 GMT
Hands up who has never heard the call to prayer in an Islamic country?
You probably know there are mosques and minarets and that someone shouts something to call everyone to go there and pray. It's called the adhan/athan/azan and it happens five times a day. Not always so long though depending on the time of day and the day itself. Usually on a Friday lunch time there is quite a long version. I'm sure you've heard the church bells ringing on a Sunday, this is their version and to me is much more atmospheric.
I don't actually hear this very often except when out on the street and somehow I virtually always manage to sleep through the early morning one if I'm in range.
The first video is of a local call to prayer in Amman, you don't need to listen to all of it, just enough to get the idea. Notice the microphones used. Before these came to be there had to be a somewhat breathless climb to the top of the minaret five times a day to do it.
The second video is of a female British TV presenter (who I can't quite remember her name at the moment but I've watched her many times) who visits Saudi Arabia. This is well her full exposure to it in context and with the full atmosphere.
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Post by onlymark on Nov 19, 2011 12:07:09 GMT
Just remembered her name - Kate Humble.
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Post by bjd on Nov 19, 2011 12:42:05 GMT
My husband lived in Beirut for 5 years when he was younger. When we went to Morocco in 2002, the first time he heard the call to prayer in the streets, he was very moved too.
Lamu in Kenya is on the coast, with a mainly Muslim population. I admit that the recorded call at 5:30 am felt very early and I was never able to fall asleep again.
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Post by onlymark on Nov 19, 2011 14:24:40 GMT
I've spent time in Lamu and actually it was one place I didn't want to stay in bed!
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Post by imec on Nov 19, 2011 15:50:55 GMT
Thanks mark. The second one brought back many memories of my time in Saudi.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2011 16:12:14 GMT
I've heard the omnipresent call to prayer in Jeddah many times -- it is completely intoxicating.
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Post by auntieannie on Dec 4, 2011 13:42:05 GMT
I heard it in India. Fighting for the attention of the population with the songs of the sellers of flowers for the hindu rituals. Sometimes, the christian churches decided to chime in at the same time too...
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 5, 2011 5:10:37 GMT
I have never heard it in real life. My first exposure to it was when the movie Exodus came out. I thought the call was so beautiful.
It's right at the beginning of this clip, at the 9-second mark:
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