Religion in Baku

Ramadan starts today

Friday Night at sundown is the official beginning. It is a month long, is once a year, and consists of fasting during the day while the sun’s up.

I have two local guys working with me on the audit and so they will be participating. It’s funny to hear them respond to our questions. They get up early in the morning and have a large breakfast. And you can imagine after sunset they have big dinners. I’m sure there are religious rituals they go through, but will have to find that out later.

Of the two guys working with me – Vugar (Voo-gar) and Parvin (like Marvin) – one is less devout than the other. While we were out walking after lunch one day they said that their religion was like all religions…people are more devout than others. Hrmmmp.

There are no prayer horns that go off anywhere other than one area of town where the mosques are. There are not women with burkas walking around – more in Texas than here.

Parvin is the more devout Muslim of the two and each afternoon he pulls his prayer rug out of his bag and goes somewhere to pray for about 20 minutes. Either that or he has a secret smoking habit.

Last night (Thursday) Zaur (Zah-oor) and Vugar took us to a nice Continental Restaurant in the Old Town. This is where Baku began – with large old fort down by the ocean built to protect the original inhabitants. (Like the one in San Juan and for the same reasons.) We climbed 5 flights of stairs to a rooftop restaurant that overlooks Old Town and the ocean. Beautiful sight and as usual, the weather has been very pleasant. 80’s during the days/70’s at night and there’s been nice breezes blowing – just really very comfortable.

AT ANY RATE, (like I worked in our nice dinner while talking about Muslims), about 9:00 there was this loud noise of “wailing” for lack of better word and it was some Muslim prayers, or something, going on. Was unbelievably loud and it echoed throughout the area of town where we were. It was the first time we’d heard anything like that and the funny thing is – it did not phase anyone at the restaurant. Not only did nobody look around (obviously they’re used to it) but it did not affect people with what they were doing. I take it these were “less” devout people – probably the kind that jack up the enrollment at the First Muslim Church of Baku.

Will keep you posted. Off to work…which will be another blow to my work ethic…not used to working all day on Friday. Arrgh.