Scenes from an Afternoon Walk...(12/13/05)

I ventured out after Asr today on a quest to find a few items from a short mental list, and in keeping with my decision to turn left instead of right this trip *smile* I found myself in a bustling little neighborhood surrounded by small vegetable and fruit stands, bakeries, grocery stores, butcher markets, and a series of little walk-up restaurants (a/k/a a local souk!). It was such a nice afternoon, the weather amazing considering that it is mid-December; you don't even have to wear a sweater outside yet! Subhan'Allah. There were only a few things remaining on my shopping list when the adhan for Maghrib sounded. Deciding to scout out a masjid instead of waiting until I returned to the apartment for salat, I stopped to surmise my surroundings. One of the nice things about living in a country where Islam is the predominantly practiced religion is that you don't have to look too far to find a masjid! Al-hamdulillah! Turning to my left and then to my right, within eyesight of either direction I found the familiar minaret, the only thing left to do was make a decision as to which direction to walk. I started out the afternoon's adventure with a left turn, so it just somehow made sense to continue left. What I found inside the masjid was such a nice surprise, so much so that I just had to snap a few photos. I've been in many a masjid with tile lined walls, but the walls and ceilings of the entire three floors of this masjid were hand painted. It was simply beautiful. I hope you enjoy the pictures, insha'Allah.