"Am I okay?" I asked Nabila as I hopped on the minibus.
I was covered from head to foot. Nabila nodded.
To some others, she offered head scarves and abayas.
We were an international group of women eager to visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat last Wednesday in a trip organised by Outpost Oman.
Naaima, our tour guide, joined us as we waited among the neem trees chirping with morning birds.
She led us first to the Women's Prayer Room and gave us an interesting explanation about why women and men do not pray together.
"We stand shoulder to shoulder as we pray" she said "Imagine attempting to pray with two handsome men on either side!"
We admired the exquisite imagery on the carved Burmese teakwood, the coolness of the Italian marble, and the majesty of Indian sandstone.
Naaima then led us to the passageways of the mosque which were designed by drawing inspiration from various cultures including Egyptian, Morroccan, Andalusian, Ottoman, and Contemporary.
The Men's Prayer Hall is the main attraction at the mosque.
"Inspite of its grandeur", said Naaima, "it inspires one to pray as if in solitude with Allah."
Our eyes are glazed with awe as we gaze up at the huge gold-plated chandelier made from Swarovski crystals. It is the second-largest chandelier in the world.
"It's royalty - it has never come down since it went up" informs Naaima.
Dazed, we look down on the floor to see one of the most beautiful and largest carpets in the world.
Our tour ended with a cup of Omani coffee and dates that Naaima served as she talked about everything from babies to Bollywood.
Everybody in our group agreed that apart from the beauty of the Grand Mosque, our tour guide, Naaima, would remain unforgettable.
She gave us an insight into the real meaning of Islam. Shukran, Naaima!
(This post was also published in Outpost Muscat Newsletter, May-June 2014.)
I was covered from head to foot. Nabila nodded.
To some others, she offered head scarves and abayas.
We were an international group of women eager to visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat last Wednesday in a trip organised by Outpost Oman.
Naaima, our tour guide, joined us as we waited among the neem trees chirping with morning birds.
She led us first to the Women's Prayer Room and gave us an interesting explanation about why women and men do not pray together.
"We stand shoulder to shoulder as we pray" she said "Imagine attempting to pray with two handsome men on either side!"
We admired the exquisite imagery on the carved Burmese teakwood, the coolness of the Italian marble, and the majesty of Indian sandstone.
Naaima then led us to the passageways of the mosque which were designed by drawing inspiration from various cultures including Egyptian, Morroccan, Andalusian, Ottoman, and Contemporary.
The Men's Prayer Hall is the main attraction at the mosque.
"Inspite of its grandeur", said Naaima, "it inspires one to pray as if in solitude with Allah."
Our eyes are glazed with awe as we gaze up at the huge gold-plated chandelier made from Swarovski crystals. It is the second-largest chandelier in the world.
"It's royalty - it has never come down since it went up" informs Naaima.
Dazed, we look down on the floor to see one of the most beautiful and largest carpets in the world.
Our tour ended with a cup of Omani coffee and dates that Naaima served as she talked about everything from babies to Bollywood.
Everybody in our group agreed that apart from the beauty of the Grand Mosque, our tour guide, Naaima, would remain unforgettable.
She gave us an insight into the real meaning of Islam. Shukran, Naaima!
(This post was also published in Outpost Muscat Newsletter, May-June 2014.)
