RELIGIOUS PLACES IN SURAT India is a country which believes in the principle of unity in diversity.

The most beautiful building among these is the Mosque. The Mosque was built in early 1990's and is American built, almost entirely by local architects and local artists. There is a fountain in front of the Mosque and a second fountain inside the vestibule. These fountains have come from as far away as Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia and are merely for decoration though in older times fountains were used for washing before prayer.

In 1990, heavy numbers of West African Muslims were leaving their business and attending the Jumah, which is the weekly prayers that happens every Friday at Masjid Malcolm Shabazza. By their obligation about spiring up attendance could change into better economic rewards. Masjid leadership started to display signs in French leading where to pay their charity weekly. Because masjad Malcolm Shabazz was built out of the Black nationalist passion of the Nation of Islam, Imams during the Friday khutba usually talk about racial subjects or some of race sides relations in the US. West African Sunnis , who are also refereed to be called (orthodox Muslims) felt they had different demands and wished a sermon counseling survival through religious

Within the Arabian desert rests the town of Mecca which houses the Ka‘ba, the pantheon site where the all the pagan Arab pilgrims converged to worship their tribal deities. Although no one knows who built the square, roofless structure, or when it was set up, the Ka‘ba became the center of the religious life in pre-Islamic Arabia, the sixth century Anno Domini (AD), is characterized as a time of complex beliefs of no universalism or moral absolutism, neo-animism (providing a host of intermediary deities between the creator god and his creation), and henotheism (belief in a

Abd al-Malik. The place this mosque is built on is sacred to both, Muslims and Jews. According

India is a country full of mysteries and differences. It has a long history, a profound yet unique culture, with diversified nationalities, races, religions, languages and a huge population. The pursuit of secularism and inveteracy of sectarianism have brought huge influence to the Indian society. As the mainstream culture in India, Hinduism plays an important role in the Indian society and has dominated almost 2000 years of its history. Although in the following years since, the Indian culture gradually becomes a combination of different races, religions and languages, Hinduism still remains to be the key to dig into the development of the culture and society of India.

Next, my mother told me this mosque is the biggest one, and the second religious buildings, also it has the tallest minaret in the world. This mosque has a roof made of light steel, and decorated with cedar wood which opens in 3 minutes for bringing fresh air during the summer. Also, this mosque has many chandeliers made in crystal. The location of this mosque is right by the sea overlooking the Atlantic ocean,

) What is the name of your pilgrimage site? The name of my pilgrimage site is called “The Dome of the Rock.”

1.) After watching the video clip of one pilgrimage site and reading the background essay, include a 100+ word description of the sacred place. The Church of Holy Sepulchre also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is the sacred site for Christian in the religious pilgrimage city of Jerusalem, in Israel. Jerusalem has many visitors every day because it is sacred to half of the world religious beliefs, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.

Jerusalem is the holy city that hosts an array of religious artifacts and buildings that are rooted in different religions that span centuries. From the Wailing Wall to the Second Temple, Jerusalem exists as a testament to ancient religions and their cultures. But one particular architectural masterpiece rises above all of them. The Dome of the Rock or Qubbat as-Sakhrah rises above Jerusalem, its golden peak reflecting the desert sun, a beacon of ancient history. It can be seen from all over Jerusalem and is the glory of the Haram es-Sharif or “Noble Sanctuary” or Temple Mount for Muslims. It stands erected between other religions and it contains a rich history interlaced with a mystery that has perplexed historians and archeologists for centuries. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions of the world and just like Christianity has left a mark in the ancient world, so too has Islam. One of the biggest marks it has left is due to the architecture attributed to Islam. Islamic architecture is praised by millions of people due to the elegant and proportional design. There have been many buildings erected in the name of Islam such as The Great Mosque in Damascus or the Umayyad Palace in Jordan but The Dome of the Rock has been hailed by many to be the jewel of Islamic architecture. It is a testament to the longevity of Islam and a reminder of what the followers of Islam believe in.

Only the minaret still stands. According to local Islamic tradition, the northwest section of the mosque contained the shrine of a famous Islamic saint, Nabi Salih.

Masjid Al-Haram, Makkah, Saudi Arabia The holiest Islamic object is the Ka’ba in the Masjid al-Haram.

One of the most visited religious places of the Sikhs is the _____________ in Amritsar.

Therefore, Mosque have beautiful stained glass and patterns with geometry and calligraphy on the outside of the building. The first mosque with a minaret was established in 707 which is called the mosque of Madinah. A minaret as told by Ettinghausen was said to be "from it the muezzin called the faithful to prayer at appointed times (Ettinghausen 21)." The minaret was not around during Muhammad's time where he had to go on a rooftop to do a call to prayer 5 times a day, so when the minaret was established in the Islamic culture it became a symbol of Islamic presence. A minaret is a tall building so that everyone in that society could see it and hear the muezzin call. Something that seemed similar in mosques to early churches were the Corinthian order pillars that were common since this was a place to learn. Another thing I noticed was the utilization of certain shapes on the outside walls such as the circles which meant divine and in one picture there was a panel with one large circle and four smaller circles around it. The four circles could be a reference to the four holy books of Islam which are the Qu’ran, Tawrat, Injil, and

Minaret – the “slender tower” with balconies in which a muezzin announces prayer time to Muslims (Dictionary)

I chose to research the Muslim religion for my site visit. I wanted to have in depth experience with this religion since I did my group project about Sikhism and during class we went into great detail about every other religion. I did not know what to expect when visiting a mosque, it was a pretty nerve-wracking experience for me being a non-Muslim. I have been raised with Christian morals my whole life even though I have only gone to church a few times in my whole life. Almost all religions have a house of prayer; Jews have synagogues, Buddhists/Hindus have temples and Catholic and Christians have churches and cathedrals. Muslims have mosques; each religious center has their own different rules, rituals and services that need to be followed. A mosque is a place of prayer for Muslims within the Islamic belief. Another word for mosque in Arabic is Masjid. Kind of like a church, a mosque is where Muslims worship and bow before Allah to declare their obedience and loyalty. Mosques date back till the time of the prophet. In order to find a mosque, I went on the Internet and stumbled upon Masjid Beit El-Maqdes.