Wee Minaret

Safe to say, the surrounding, taller buildings post-date this modest minaret in Cairo.

I wrote about minarets in my book in a passage dated 14th December 2012 - very nearly six years ago. I think I have permission to quote myself here!

''Minarets

Allah is the almighty (intoned four times)

I testify that there is no deity other than God (intoned twice)

I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God (intoned twice)

Come to prayer (intoned twice)

Come to Salvation (intoned twice)

God is almighty (intoned twice)

There is no deity other than God (intoned once)

Adhan, the call to prayer, is heard from the minarets across the city five times every twenty-four hours, Friday being the most important prayer day of all. Originally, the minarets were purely functional and supported an elevated platform on which the muezzin sat.

He would project his voice across the nearby streets to alert the faithful that the doors of heaven were opening at that moment and remind them that it was a propitious time to pray.

Over time, the minarets became taller and more ornate as tastes developed and status factors became a consideration. The live human voice was enhanced by electronic amplification or replaced by a recording. Cairo has perhaps the greatest range of minarets of any Islamic city and they form a significant part of the city’s heritage.

In the Diwan bookshop on 26 July Street, a popular meeting place for Westerners and Egyptian intellectuals alike, ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ was playing quietly in the background.''

I revisited the bookshop today, just around the block from where I'm waiting for Dd. Guess, what . . . they were playing the same song!