Walking by the Mosque

I spend a lot of time in the afternoons walking between our house and the boys' after-school activities which means I get to walk by the Central Mosque often.  Bishkek often feels really Soviet, but I love walking by the mosque because it doesn't feel quite so Soviet right there.

Friday afternoons are obviously the best time to go, when people are gathering to pray and listen to the  sermon.  When I go by the first time, the muezzin is chanting (the best time), and when I walk by later, it's usually the sermon.  If I'm a little later than usual, there are people running toward the mosque so they won't miss the prayer, but usually I see people walking there with rungs tucked under their arms.  I saw someone with a tushuk under his arm today instead.