A visit to Jumeirah mosque

There are many mosques throughout Dubai, but Jumeirah mosque is the only one that allows non-Muslims to enter as a way for expatriates and visitors to learn more about Islam and arabic practices. The tour is organized by the Sheikh Mohammed Center for Cultural Understanding. It is only held on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday @ 10am. Their motto is "Open Doors - Open Minds." We got up bright and early and went to the mosque! Mosques have a domed roof and two towers, which are called minarets. The purpose of the minarets is so when there are calls to prayer, muslims can hear the call from these tall towers.

When Brak and I arrived, there were about 100 visitors waiting outside the mosque. We were greeted by an Emirati volunteer who would lead us into the mosque and answer any questions the group had. We all had to make sure we were appropriately dressed meaning, long pants and shirts with sleeves. Women also have to cover their heads: you can bring your own scarf or the tour also has many that you can borrow. The tour began with us learning about how Muslims have to wash themselves before prayer. He called upon some volunteers to wash themselves at the basins outside the mosque as well. Volunteers had to wash their hands, mouth, throat, nose, ears, arms up to the elbow and feet. - the purpose is to purify themselves of all filthy substances before entering the mosque.

We removed our shoes and went inside. We were able to take alot of photographs of all the intricate patterns in the mosque. Our volunteer explained that muslims have to pray five times a day. They pray about every 2 hours, these prayer times are based on the sun and change alittle every day. They always have to pray facing Mecca. Men and women prayer in separate areas, except at Mecca where millions prayer shoulder to shoulder.

He showed many pictures of Mecca and talked about the Hajj, which is the annual pilgrimmage that Muslims take to Saudia Arabia. It is a journey to Mecca that every Muslim has to do once in their lives. In 2009, approximately 2 million people participated in the Hajj, which usually happens in November/December based on the lunar calendar.

It was a great experience and definitely a must see while in Dubai to learn more about the culture.