Page 155 - Neglected Arabia Vol I (1)

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NEGLECTED ARABIA 9

as a mosque is that of Santa Sophia at Constantinople, built by a
Roman Emperor.
In India as well as in Malaysia there are a number of examples
of Hindu temples turned into mosques, in Africa the modem
buildings arc western in style. / i
The mosque, as its very name imports, is chieily a place “where
prayer is wont to be made/1 but the recitation of the Koran is also
conducted there during the Friday worship and on special occasions
such as least-days and the Month of Fasting. In order that the
sacred volume may be read through rapidly it is divided into thirty
parts or portions and bound in as many separate little' volumes, one
of which is read each night and silver ornaments. The i
during the month of Ra- Cairo museum has some • -
niadhan. On some occa- waSWffllHH wonderful specimens of
sions thirty men read each BljraWllWlliAi these ancient Koran cases.
one portion, complete the There are no idols in
task, and so obtain the iff8* the mosque and with the
merit of its perusal 'in a exception of the words in
8
much shorter period. The * praise of Mohammed no
caskets in which these inscriptions that would of-
books are kept are many fend a Christian. May we
of them exceedingly beau-/ not hope that even as the
tiful, covered with mosaic, synagogue became the
and encrusted with gold church in the first century
so in the twentieth century
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we may see many mosques
used for Christian worship.

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An Old Morgue and Minakkt. Alkito, Syria

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