Visited a couple mosques which are famous in Islam. Both places we were welcomed in and treated with utmost kindness.
People from all over the world come here.
This is Masjid Qublitain. In the old days the early Muslims always prayed facing Jerusalem (Al-Quds). It was while in this mosque Mohammed received the command to face Mecca.
This is Masjid al-Nabawi. Mohammed is buried here. It's the second most holy site in Islam. We were told the place can hold half a million people! As it was we were going in as prayer time was ending. It was like trying to enter Ohio State's stadium after an OSU-Michigan game.
People come here just to hang out. Some were napping. Some eating. One man came by and gave me some dates. They were delicious.
Next time I'm going to Mecca. Followers of my blog may wonder why I'm going to these religious sites given my theological proclivities. It's historical and you can't deny the cultural significance. Plus since Americans are so afraid of everything that isn't Wal-Mart it's important for me to explore the so-called "other."
I was made to feel very welcome. More so than in Israel. But that's a blog for another day.
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