FEELING UNDER THE WEATHER, Sana apologized for not being able to accompany me to the Friday prayers. As we entered the mosque’s wide courtyard, Nadhim beckoned a woman walking in front of us. He asked if she wouldn’t mind guiding me in, as this was new to me. She agreed, and Nadhim made his way to the men’s entrance. Shorter, older, and with a few gold teeth, the gentle woman led me to the women’s section. She showed me where to place my shoes, on a shelf near a large pillar. The prayer hall was full of women of all ages, and a few children. Some wore dresses, some wore skirts, with every kind of hijab one could imagine: black, black with rhinestones, busy patterns, subdued solids, striped, flowered, bright, paisley, some with silvery strands of thread, others modest and blending with the skin.
We found our places in the last row, near the open entryway to the courtyard. As I faced forward for the first rounds of prayer, I was overtaken by this amazing, new experience. I stood there. I didn’t try to remember, nor did I forget, I just stood. I was in the Great Mosque in Kairouan, Tunisia, and it was beautiful. After a few moments, I focused and prayed. We sat for several minutes, waiting for the Imam to speak. I couldn’t grasp all that he was saying, but did understand the reference he made to Mother’s Day, noting that mothers must be celebrated each and every day. Following his words, the worship began. Shoulder to shoulder, we prayed in unity. It was yet another great day to be alive, and a moment I’ll not soon forget.
Following the prayer, I thanked the lady and made my way out to find Nadhim. We walked around the corner and sat on a bench in front of the mosque. Scores of tall, blonde, summery-dressed tourists flooded the plaza, taking photos of the holy site and its dispersing crowd of worshipers. As the day-trippers hovered around the big, luxury buses, I was grateful to not be one of them. For the rest of the afternoon, Nadhim & I walked around the city, ending the evening enjoying a sheesha smoke at a roadside café. He and a friend walked me back to my hotel, and tomorrow we would be off to a Land of Olives… Khazazia. 
