200,000 attend Ramadan Prayers

About a week ago the month-long Muslim sacred fast of Ramadan began. Ramadan is one of the 5 pillars of Islam and celebrates the giving of the Qur'an to Muhammed. During Ramadan, devout Muslims don't eat from sunrise to sunset. Like so much of Islam, there is a "system" for working this out. About 2:15 in the morning drummers walk through the neighborhood to wake people up who want to eat before sunrise. Then about 4:30 a very loud cannon goes off about two blocks from the Albright, where I am staying. This is loud enough to wake you up (believe me, I know) and it lets people know the fast has begun. No food, drink, cigarettes, until sunset. Pregnant women and those with medical conditions do not fast. During the day (except Friday) most of the non-food shops are open, but not any of the "fast food" shops where you can grab a quick bite. Usually by the afternoon, some markets are open where you can buy food to take home to cook for dinner. But you can't eat on the street (like I said, believe me...) and can't eat until about 7:45 in the evening, after the cannon goes off again.

I thought Ramadan was this serious time of contemplation, but it is really a celebration. I'm told during Ramadan prices are higher because people actually consume more; they just eat before and after sunrise and sunset. After dusk, lots of shops provide Ramadan pancakes, special breads, and special juices to help break the fast. Street noise and honking and fireworks well past midnight each night. Two nights ago we went to see some new friends in the Old City and broke their fast with them. We had this nice big platter of baked ground beef, onions, whole garlics, hot peppers, and other spicy stuff. Everyone stands around the platter, uses the Ramadan bread as spoon, knife, and fork and digs in. Yum! Made the mistake of  having a nice cup of Turkish coffee after, so was up past 2am.

Fridays are crazy. And I mean crazy! Yesterday, they estimated that 200,000 entered the Old City for prayers. On the first Friday of Ramadan the police had the whole neighborhood blocked off. No vehicles could get in. Many come to this area of town to walk into the Old City to the Al Aqse Mosque for prayers. Swarms of people. I noticed yesterday that the neighborhood was open, cars and buses everywhere...lots of honking and crowds. Police and soldiers around to well into the early morning hours.

Being a good Baptist...I'm eating all day! And last night at church (I go to church on Friday evenings here...a very cool habit, by the way) we had...MEXICAN FOOD!  We ate for about an hour and a half and then had church for about an hour and a half. Lots of fun.