my social production

Here’s the first video I’ve taken since arriving in Damascus, recorded from the terrace of our house in Muhajirin, an area built on the side of a mountain on the northern edge of the city.

The call to prayer or adhan (pronounced ah-than, with the “th” as in “than”, not “think”) happens five times a day, starting each morning at about 4:40 AM. That early morning one is a real surprise, and for the first three weeks it woke me up almost every time. Gradually I became accustomed to it and these days, usually, I sleep right through without earplugs or anything.

It’s really amazing, though, how the entire city rumbles and waves with all the calls happening simultaneously. You can kind of get a sense of it in this video.