Call to prayer

I've never lived in a place that had a large Muslim population before and while this maybe be part of the "honeymoon phase" here, I am particularly enjoying hearing the call to prayer. I have a lot to learn about Islam so don't think that anything I say is fact, more just guessing as I go along trying to educate myself. The guest house that I'm staying at until I find an apartment (that's another story) is up on a hill a bit but still very close to the center of town. It has a great view and because there are so many mosques around the city all of their call to prayers echo on the hills and it sounds really beautiful.

The view from my balcony. The big building with what looks like a clock tower is the brewery and just below that is the river (which you can't see) and then is the old town surrounded by all the rest of Sarajevo.

I think that I read somewhere, or heard on the news, or heard from someone, or maybe I just made it up that many mosques today use a recording of the call to prayer to broadcast over their speakers instead of having an actual muezzin do it each time. Well, last night as I was walking up to the guest house I passed a mosque with a fenced in courtyard. As I approached I heard the call to prayer but then when I looked in I saw someone was actually reciting it as people entered the courtyard. I was so impressed! Only later did I realize that traditionally it is supposed to be done from atop the minaret, so I could have easily been mistaken on this one. But, whatever may have been happening as I walked by, I'm glad I saw it.