Minarets, Shabbat & living in the modern middle east

Save for within the city walls of Old Jerusalem, traveling around Israel and the Palestinian territories we have found that life here is very contemporary. Israelis in particular fancy themselves to be very modern and western and all the amenities you would find in any large western city are also available here. If I had to pick out two things that makes this land different than any other I’m used to it’s the Muslim call to prayer five times per day and Jewish Shabbat (Sabbath) from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.

Scattered all across the country are tall thin towers with round tops called “minarets.” Many are attached to Mosques but they don’t necessarily have to be. At the top there are large megaphones attached and give times a day they light up and an imam sings out as far as the ear can hear the call to prayer. When this happens, all practicing Muslims within earshot stop what they are doing, turn to the east, remove their shoes, lay down a rug and pray to Allah. From cab drivers pulling over in the city to men on the hills at sundown, everyone stops and prays when the time comes. Even as I write this I can hear the echoes of a few nearby minarets and the voices rises from them calling the faithful to pray.



The other noticeable religious practice that takes place across this country is Shabbat, or Sabbath. On Friday evening when the sun goes down (5:36 officially tonight) a large horn blows and the Jewish faithful stop work. Their shops close, they don’t drive, they don’t cook. They stop everything. Truly devout Jews go so far as to sleep all day Saturday. Then, Saturday night when the sun goes down the horn blows again and the streets are filled with celebration as shops open back up and everyone goes out into the city together. It’s packed. We went out to dinner after Shabbat and left just as it had ended and were surprised at how few people were out. By 8:00 the city was filled with people eating, shopping and socializing. It’s super unique and really a neat part about life in the modern middle east.