Mosque and Churches

We had an early start at 8:30 this morning to allow time to catch a train ride to the Mosque of Rome. The train ride was a bit of an adventure, as our intended stop was closed for construction. After overshooting our stop a couple of times and devising an alternate route, we arrived at the mosque. The crescent symbol of Islam could be seen standing prominently atop the domed structure.

All of the girls were required to cover their heads, as is Muslim tradition (nicely parallel contrast with the yamicas the guys wore in the Jewish synagogue yesterday). We all had to remove our shoes before entering the (ornately carpeted) mosque. Our tour guides were quite friendly and helpful, even despite the fact that we were later than our scheduled time.

We were given a talk about the nature of Islam, and the five components of following the religion. We learned about Ramadan (which is going to be particularly long this year, as it occurs in August) and the Islamic practices performed in the mosque, from prayer to dining to social interaction.

The mosque itself is very large and open. The pillars which support it are of an open, curved design which is modeled after raised hands opened toward God. All of the walls are decorated with fine mosaic patterns and stained glass. There are no pictures (Muslims believe that it is not possible for humans to depict or understand the form of God), but a strip of Arabic writing circles the entire building. The mosque was finely decorated, to be sure. Yet it felt much more open and clean than the ornately decorated churches that we've been visiting.

Pizza, a nectarine, and a pear for lunch today. I picked up a few more groceries today. My shopping lists most always contain just a few recurring items: (1) milk, (2) fruit and (3) cereal. Here in Rome, that list includes (4) bread and (5) pasta. We're hoping to have a potluck this Saturday, in celebration of our last weekend in Rome (hard to believe...)!

In the afternoon, we visited two churches restored by competing public figures of the Borghese era in Rome. The first, the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere was restored by Pope Innocent II, while the second the Church of San Crosogono was restored by Scipione Borghese. Both churches are very similar (incredible use of gold, majestic ionic columns, etc.), and it is easy to see how associating one's name with the building/restoration of a church is a highly-visible form of self-advertisement.

Rounding out our day, we trekked up to the Acqua Paola, a grand fountain created by Emperor Trajan. The fountain was a triumphant display of water delivery to the city. Bringing water to people meant bringing life; the Roman aqueducts were a fundamental component of the growth and glory of Rome. (Also, the skyline view opposing the acqua paola is absolutely stunning)

Dinner consisted of chicken and marinara linguine at one of the girls' apartments. Erik, Molly, Kate, and Maggie did a great job - another good meal it was. Oh, and I forgot to mention that we had gelato in the afternoon (at yet another new gelato shop). I had banana and melon. They both tasted quite good, but I felt like mashed fruit with crushed ice would be just as satisfying. The smoothness was just a little lacking, I think.

A group of about a dozen of us went to Magnolia Cafe to watch the Germany vs. Spain World Cup semifinal match. The cafe was ridiculously crowded, and we barely fit everyone at our table (actually, we didn't; Shurui, Erik, Daniel, and Zinnia had to sit away from the table). I was personally rooting for Germany, having studied German in high school for four years. Alas, though, Spain played the better match. The people in the group adjacent to our table were clearly Spain fans, from the ruckus they were making. Indeed, after the match, there was a large gathering of people in the Campo cheering and chanting over Spain's victory.