The Auburn Gallipoli Mosque

Where was it? The Mosque that we visited was located in Auburn.

What did you do and see at the Mosque? When we arrived at the Mosque, we had to first take off our shoes before entering the main hall. This was to make sure we did not contaminate the Mosque, and keep it clean. Once inside, we sat on the floor and were presented a talk by a Muslim woman who worked at and attended the Mosque. She was able to outline the Islam religion and explain the practices of the common Muslim. The main hall, in which worship and prayer takes place, was intricately decorated, with many Arabic references and lots of colourful patterns upon the walls and in the dome-shaped roof. Once the talk was finished, men started to enter the main hall to begin their noon time prayer. This was established by the Muezzin, who sung the call to prayer.

What did you learn? Identify major items/ facts.

During the talk, we learnt about many aspects of the Mosque as well as what the religion of Islam involves. We learnt that Muslims must pray 5 times a day, towards Mecca, the direction of which was shown by the qibla wall at the front of the Mosque. The woman also explained to us the role of the minbar, which was a staircase towards the front of the Mosque that the Imam preached from every Friday and on two other festival days during the year. We also learnt about the 5 pillars of Islam- faith in one God, a pilgrimage to Mecca once in their life, prayer 5 times a day, giving to the poor, and fasting during Ramadan.

What have you gained from the experience?

Our visit to the Mosque greatly enriched our knowledge of the Islamic religion and allowed us to be more accepting of different religions.