Lala
Unique for the role it plays
This sundial is located in the central courtyard of the Sidi Okba Mosque . It is situated on a raised platform and is unique for the role it plays: recording prayer times. According to the Qur'an, Muslims must pray 5 times a day (one of the five pillars of Islam), on a pre-established schedules that varies according to the seasons: Half an hour before sunrise ("asr"), at sunrise ("fajr"), at noon when the sun is at its zenith ("dhuhr"), the afternoon ("maghrib"), and an hour and a half after sunset ("isha").
Nowadays, the calls to prayers are broadcast over loudspeakers that are installed on the minarets of the mosques, but these schedules were once marked by sundials.
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![](https://images.mnstatic.com/da/cc/dacc5c952c11ab41a7e3c56d5785ab41.jpg?quality=75&format=png&fit=crop&width=65&height=65&aspect_ratio=65%3A65)