*Audio* Call of the Adhan
Cultural Delight
The adhan is the Islamic call to prayer sung from the minaret of a mosque, shortly before each of the 5 daily prayers. The first prayer, Fajr (before dawn), occurs before sunrise.
Here’s what I’m hearing in Antalya these days—usually at 4:30 am. While the adhan wakes me up, it’s a wonderful way to start the day.
Each adhan typically lasts 3-5 minutes and is sung by a muezzin, a man whose specific role is to call his fellow worshipers to prayer from the minaret of a mosque.
The muezzin sings several times:
God is the greatest (Allahu akbar)
I testify that there is no God but Allah (Ashhadu anna la ila ill Allah)
I testify that Mohammed is God's Prophet (Ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah)
Come to prayer (Hayya alas salah)
Over the weekend, Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-dusk fasting of Ramadan, was celebrated throughout the Muslim world.
Happy Eid to all who celebrate. 🦋
Have you ever heard an adhan? What did you experience? Any other religious songs move you (even though you don’t adhere to the faith)?
Christened “Wander Woman” by National Geographic, Erin Michelson is a professional speaker and author of the Nomad Life™ series of travel books and guides, including the #1-ranked “Explore the World with Nomads.”