Minarets
or towers were originally used as torch-lit watchtowers, for example in
the Great Mosque of Damascus; hence the derivation of the word from the
Arabic nur, meaning "light."
The
Islamic holiday of Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting period of
Ramadan and the first day of the following month, after another new
moon has been sighted. Eid ul-Fitr means the Festival of Breaking
the Fast, it is a joyous celebration. Food is donated to the poor
(‘Zakat al-Fitr’), everyone puts on their best, preferably
new, clothes, and communal prayers are held in the early morning,
followed by feasting and visiting relatives and friends. The
prayer is two rakaahs only, and it is an optional prayer as opposed to
the compulsory 5 daily prayers.
In
a practical sense, minarets are also used for natural air conditioning.
As the sun heats the dome, air is drawn in through open windows
and up and out of the shaft, thereby causing a natural ventilation. |