My First Mosque

Today I had the chance to visit the main mosque in Sarajevo, built in the 1500s. It is 13 meters by 13 meters wide on the inside, and the domes that form the ceiling are 26 meters tall. Perfect acoustics!

It withstood incredible shelling during the "war of Serbian aggression" as my host called it. This and other mosques were purposely targetted because they were places of cultural and religious significance. He said that the mosque was hit by over 100 different shells and grenades of various caliburs. Luckily (or smartly) the walls are about a meter thick, so they were able to withstand a lot of damage without caving in.

During the war, they employed specially constructed reinforcements for the domes that form the roof of the mosque. Otherwise, the domes would have collapsed. My host told me that people still came to pray 5 times per day, even during the worst shelling. Even knowing that the mosque was a prime target. It was that important to them. I have to respect that kind of devotion.

You have to take off your shoes to enter, because the floors are all covered with exquisite rugs. My host told me that the rugs were all gifts from Muslim (and some non-Muslim) countries. The big one furthest toward the altar was given by one of the Shahs of Iran.

This one was given by an uncle of Saddam Hussein (a long time before Saddam) who was the leader of Iraq.

On Fridays during the service, there is a specal speech given by the Imam (leader) which talks about principles of Islam and how to live a good Muslim life. The rest of the services (5 times a day, everyday) are given in Arabic, but this small speech is given in the local language, Bosnian. The Imam stands on the top of these stairs for the speech, only on Fridays.

This part of the mosque has a special name, which unfortunately I cannot recall. It is very important, though, because it points towards Mecca. It is decorated with intricate details, and it is where the Imam speaks from except for that special Friday part.

This is me outside the mosque, in the courtyard, with an incredible fountain where people wash their hands before going in to pray.