Timbuktu: Day 1 - the Great Mosque

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Welcome to my journeys across Timbuktu, which starts with my experiences of the Great Mosque. Today is Friday, which means that I have a day off and I get to explore my great city. I mean, I do anyway, regarding the fact that I have to travel all around Timbuktu as a merchant, although sometimes I enjoy traveling for the ability to take in scenery, learn, and explore, rather than for trading and working purposes. Anyway, I've been feeling a little out of it lately and I believe it has to do with the fact that I have not been paying more attention to my religion, Islam, in the past few weeks. So, I decided to travel to Timbuktu's famous Djinguereber Mosque. I went for the midday Friday prayers. In Islam religion, we are supposed to pray five times a day, which I have been failing to keep up with. Emperor Mansa Musa built the Mosque when he came back from his pilgrimage to Mecca. That's another thing that Muslims have to do. Once in a lifetime, we have to make the pilgrimage to Mecca. Anyway, when I got to Djinguereber, I was shocked by its cultural beauty. It was constructed by mud bricks. After I prayed, which took a few minutes, I had the chance to talk to people who were gathered around the Mosque. I met a young lady named Fatima, who was 15 years old, alongside her husband. Fatima told me that she spends her days cooking and cleaning at home, for women are not allowed to receive an education. I enjoyed connecting with people of my culture and religion today. Thankfully, now I feel more connected to Allah and I am definitely going to make an effort to go to more Mosques to pray.

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