Continuing from the previous post of Toledo Trip Part 4.
It was finally the time to visit Cristo de la Luz Mosque in Toledo. We walked our way up from Bisagra Gate to Puerta del Sol.
Along the way to Puerta del Sol (picture above), I met a Muslim family from the UK walking up the hill too. My instinct told me that they could be on their way to visit Cristo de La Luz Mosque.
As we passed the family, I said salam (Peace) to the wife and she replied. It felt nice to meet another Muslimah wearing hijab in Toledo. Other than her, I had not seen any other lady wearing hijab during our visit.
Why do I care about that? It is because I feel that hijab is an identity for a Muslim lady. It helps us to recognize each other and I felt that global ukhuwah although she was a total stranger. Sisters in Islam. Masha Allah.
Picture from The Guardian.
FYI, sometimes I came across some older ladies wearing something similar to hijab in Madrid (as picture above) but DH husband told me that previously Spanish ladies covered their heads during the Franco regime.
Back to our main topic - Mosque in Toledo.
The entrance to the Museum of Cristo de la Luz Mosque is by walking to your right after the HOTEL signboard as in the first picture above. Yes, we can no longer pray inside the mosque. It is now made into a museum. T_T
You will see another small gate (picture above) after taking a few steps of staircase. Then walk straight up and you will see the mosque on your left.
A plaque on the small gate stating it is Puerta del Sol.
The Mosque of Cristo de la Luz is a former mosque in Toledo, Spain, the only one of the ten once existing in the city which remains largely as it was in the Moorish period. It was then known as Mezquita Bab-al-Mardum, deriving its name from the city gate Bab al-Mardum. It is located near the Puerta del Sol, in an area of the city once called Medina where wealthy Muslims used to live. - from Wikipedia.
You may enter the mosque after paying the admission of 2.50 euro per person from the entrance on the left (as picture above).
We met the Muslim UK family again here and they were trying to buy some water from the vending machine without success and the lady in the museum could not understand their English (maybe of their thick British accent?) OR the lady could not speak English. Either one. Hence DH helped them to translate.
Aigoo...I hope that Spanish government could put those who could speak English at Tourist spots like this. What a pity.
Something similar happened to my friend at Barajas airport early this year when she was claiming her shopping duty free tax. Both officers on the counter could not speak English!! OMG!!
My friend just burst off right there. I just laughed because I could not help her, my Spanish is so broken and we could do nothing other than wait for DH to finish praying and helped us translate.
Okay..photo bomb of the Cristo de la Luz Mosque starts now. ^^
The door of the mosque for entrance.
A small park outside the mosque where you can rest and take some pictures of the mosque and Puerta del Sol.
Some information of Cristo de la Luz Mosque in English and Spanish.
The ceiling.
Another ceiling.
A Spanish guide explaining some information about the mosque to a group of tourist in Spanish.
One of the pillars design.
This cute little boy was the cream on top of our Toledo trip. He just oozes with cuteness and such a well-mannered kid! Plus he was mesmerized by my beauty...hahah. Just kidding!
But he definitely could not take his eyes off of me. I guess again...because of my hijab. I looked different from the rest of the ladies there of course, all covered. His first question to me was...(there were others later during the end of our journey ^^) :
¿Cómo te llamas? - What is your name?
He spoked oh so quietly to me so I couldn't catch him the first time as the crowds of tourists entering the mosque.
I asked DH - what did he say?. DH said - tu nombre (your name).
Ahh...me llamo Zarina.
zeta, a, ere, i, ene, a..spelled it for him and he just smiled sheepishly at me.
We stopped our conversation there as his mother called him to check out the park outside.
Pictures in the mosque..kinda like Sufi mysticism or not. I'm not sure.
Not sure of this. Sewage under the mosque?
The Qibla (Arabic: قبلة, "direction") is the direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays.
The end. ^^
By this time, it was close to two in the afternoon and our stomachs were on 'huelga'. Next post will be our review on Cristo de la Luz Restaurant.
Bi iznillah.