Bevis Marks Synagogue

Website: http://bevismarks.org.uk

Yesterday ABJ and I visited the Bevis Marks synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in the UK. It's been operating for 308 years, ever since its completion in 1702.

We'd investigated visiting times on their fancy website but yesterday the site was down and was replaced with a very basic one with little information. We finally ended up phoning them and were told the opening hours were 10.30am-12.30pm on Sundays. We hurried across London and arrived at about 11am.

We were greeted by a tough-looking Polish bouncer. He charged us the student admission of £2 each before letting us in. Excitingly I had to cover my head with a yarmulke picked from a basket near the entrance. This was the first time I'd worn anything like this.

Entering the synagogue I found it was smaller than I'd expected. For a building with such an illustrious history I was expecting a huge cavernous interior. Instead it was the same size as a medium/small church.

Apparently there'd be a tour shortly so ABJ and I spent the time exploring. We examined the original English-oak furniture which has been used for hundreds of years. Unfortunately we exhausted the interior in about 5 minutes so sat down and watched the other visitors.

Eventually a walking tour group arrived and a man emerged from a side-door to give them the tour. We tagged along and all sat on the centre benches. The tour guide was a friendly man in his 50s who'd been associated to the synagogue for a long time (he said he'd been in the choir when he was 6!).

We heard how the synagogue was built by Spanish and Portuguese Jews who'd fled the Spanish inquisition to Amsterdam before travelling on to London. We heard about how the seven chandeliers represented the seven days of the week with the largest one for the Sabbath. The guide explained that a lot of the building and carpentry was done by people who built churches. He pointed out features of the synagogue which were identical to English churches of the same period and even, he suggested, completed in the same workshops!

The guide told us about some famous Jews associated with the synagogue including Prime Minster Benjamin Disraeli and rich philanthropist Sir Moses Montefiore (who is so respected his seat is roped off as a memorial). When the guide had finished we left the synagogue, dropping of my yarmulke on the way. While waiting outside we heard the leader of the walking tour referring to the synagogue guide: "He's a very nice man and it's all very interesting but he doesn't half go on a bit...!"Summary: A small taste of London Jewish history.

London Central Mosque

Website: http://www.iccuk.org

After a break from being a local tourist I got back into it today by visiting the London Central Mosque. The mosque is on the edge of Regent's park and I've cycled past it fairly often. It's an impressive building with a huge golden dome and a tall tower (called a minaret) to call people to prayer. Before I set off I did a little research into the mosque I was about to visit. There was talk of head scarves for women, removing shoes, stark architecture and there being not much to do. Nevertheless, there was also talk of welcoming security guards and friendly people.

I arrived at the mosque at about 3pm. Outside stood a family dressed very smartly. I stood there a moment, assessing the situation, trying to decide if I was about to crash a wedding. Finally, deciding it was OK, I walked in through the main gate, past the "No photography around the Mosque" sign, and to the security enquires desk. I meekly asked a man on duty there if I could look around and what there was to see and he gave me a helpful orientation. The main parts were the prayer hall, library (which holds around 20,000 books but was closed today) and bookshop. I later discovered a downstairs restaurant and some offices.

I left the desk and walked across the wide open square towards the main building. Inside there were lots of people milling about so I paused and, trying to look like I belonged, surveyed the area. Yes... there was the bookshop... Ah... that must be the prayer hall. I carefully watched a man pass the "no shoes" line and remove his shoes. I then did the same.

After putting my shoes in a rack I entered the cavernous prayer hall. This is aligned with Mecca and can hold 5,000 people. It's left and right walls have a few thin bookshelves on (presumably holding Qur'ans) and the centre of the ceiling lifts up into a huge dome. This is the same golden dome visible from outside and is deep blue on the inside with dazzling geometric tiling at the base. From the centre of the dome hangs a massive chandelier.

Dotted around the soft carpet were about 30 people praying and bowing towards Mecca. A few sat on chairs near the sides of the room. A few were lying on the ground. I sat on a chair at the left wall and listened to a nearby man quietly muttering from the Qur'an. There was a man lying on the floor near me who looked asleep.

After around 5 minutes of soaking up the quiet atmosphere I got up quietly and tiptoed back to the entrance again. On the way I read a poster about "Mosque etiquette" which was very interesting. For example women are not allowed to wear perfume in the mosque (to avoid arousing sexual excitement) but men are encouraged to wear scent. One should not enter the prayer hall with bad breath. There are also various Arabic phrases one is supposed to say when entering or leaving a prayer hall.

I left the hall and decided to explore downstairs. I put my shoes on and went down the stairs to a strange bathroom/shower-room/changing-room area. The men down here were not wearing shoes and there were various signs about not wearing shoes. I hastily took mine off, stowed them on a rack and went in to investigate. I later learned this was a wudu and a place where Muslims were supposed to wash themselves in an act of ablution (called wudu) before going up to pray. Near the room's entrance was a washing area where the user sits on a stone seat and water sprays from a tap in front of them. There are lots of these stone seats arranged in a line and the water pours into a gutter running in front of all the seats.

I left the wash room and decided to explore a bit more. To do so I put on my shoes by the wall. When I looked up there was an aged Muslim man with a long white beard looking despairingly at me. He told me I shouldn't wear my shoes in this part of the building. I apologised and said I was just leaving. As I walked towards the exit he said "No, no! You shouldn't say you're leaving and then walk with your shoes to go. You should take off your shoes first! People pray here." I apologised again and scuttled, shoeless, out the door. I was surprised to think that, at busy periods presumably, people pray in all available space including the stairwells.

I found myself now in front of a busy restaurant. I had a quick look around and then left the building by a side door. I walked up the stairs to ground-level and then back around the building to the main square again. I re-entered the main building and looked a notice board including "A Muslim shopper's guide" booklet by the Food Standards Agency and a poorly spelled notice about people misusing the mosque car park.

I left and tried, not very successfully, to take a few photos (through the trees) from outside the gates:Summary: Not that much to do as a tourist but interesting nonetheless.