I generally post a photo here but a while back I was visiting the mosque and madrasa of Sultan Hassan in Cairo with a friend when one of the men offered to show us how the construction of the mosque facilitated the transmission of sound from the area where the sheikh would be preaching to the people sitting in the large courtyard. This mosque was built in the 1100's long before anyone could dream of microphones, but the effects are extraordinary.
I came to Egypt as the wife of an Egyptian/Canadian businessman and the mother of our children in the late 80's. My husband is no longer with us, the children are pursuing careers abroad, but Egypt is still my home, albeit, a rural rather than urban one. You can reach me at msgabbani at gmail.com
4 comments:
I wish you had told us if he ever faced the congregants... the sound was beautiful, though.
To get the effect he'd have to face the niche.
Fascinating, and the sound is beautiful. A prayer to Allah, I presume. Thanks so much!
I've always been struck by how architects of ancient buildings were able to create something that carries sound so well.
Trial and error, perhaps?
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