Many of the minarets here are lit up with green lights in the evenings. The Arabic word for minaret is manara, which means lighthouse. Most minarets are equipped with speakers which blast the calls to prayer for all in the vicinity to hear.
Originally minarets in warmer climates were built to provide ventilation and served as natural air conditioning for hot air to escape from the mosque itself. Now with modern air conditioning available, the minarets have just become a traditional part of mosques. There is no particular significance as to why most mosques are lit up in green in the evenings. It does make them easier to spot for someone looking for a mosque in which to pray who is unfamiliar with the neighborhood.
3 comments:
Interesting information on the original purpose of minarets. This one is lovely all lit up like that!
I did not know that original purpose for them.
There's a discussion about the use of the color green in Islam here: Islam and green.
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