No, actually I am not talking about the organ. I am talking about the oud. In Arabic, “oud” means “stick” or “from wood.” Ouds are pear shaped, stringed instruments that are the ancestors of lutes. The have small necks and no frets.
The oud is an 11 or 13 stringed instrument that originates in the Middle East. It may have originated from the Persian barbat which is from the 1st century BC! Other than the Persian barbat type, there are Arabian ouds and Turkish ouds. The Arabian one is slightly larger with a rich, deep sound. The Turkish is tuned a half step up and has a brighter, more present tone.
Also, here is an oud WITH a violin:
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The Architecture of Mosques:
Mosques, Islamic places of worship, generally reflect the culture of where they are, but there are features that they all have in common.
They commonly have domes, rounded roofs and ceilings, that are decorated beautifully.
Another main feature is the minaret, the tall tower where the muezzin leads prayer. The minerets are tall and graceful, much taller than the rest of the mosque. The muezzin leads the call to prayer in a loud voice, so all can hear.
There is the mihrab as well, which is an indentation in the wall that faces towards the city of Mecca. Mecca is the holy city of Islam, and when Muslim people pray, they face toward it.
There are also spacious courtyards surrounding the mosques. They are called sahns and they often contain fountains.
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Now, I am going to tell you about something completely different: clothes! To be precise, I am going to tell you about the saree, the beautiful garb of India.
They can be worn for all occasions and come in a variety of styles, colors, and fabrics.
The pallu is the part that is part that drapes. It is worn over the shoulder or sometimes on the head, out of respect for elders. The blouse is the shirt part, and the petticoat is the skirt. The border lines the edges and can really bring out the elegance of the whole outfit.
Sarees are made with 3.5-9 yards of fabric and may be made of silk, cotton, or other types of material. There are a variety of ways for them to be worn.
Here is one website that shows some different ways to wrap them:
https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/easy-saree-draping-tutorials/
Also, here is a video of a girl trying different sarees for a wedding. I enjoyed it, and I hope you will too.
The pictures that you posted are absolutely amazing. I never knew that the oud had 11 to 13 strings.
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ReplyDeleteI loved the pictures of all the Mosques you shared. The architecture of those buildings is absolutely beautiful. Blue is my favorite color, so I thought the Navy and gold Saree was gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI loved the section about the saris. They're so beautiful and colorful! The detail is so intricate it's gorgeous! It was so interesting to read about all the styles and the different parts that make up the sari.
ReplyDeleteI like how you talk about the clothes Indian wears. I like how they have different styles. I have seem how they put it on and it looks complicated.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the information about the mosques. The book about Medieval Spain that I've been reading this term has made several references to cathedrals that became mosques that became cathedrals again--I'm hoping it will elaborate on some of the architectural similarities and differences along the way.
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