Year 5 and 6 were lucky enough to visit a Mosque in Cambridge and Ely Cathedral, the purpose of the visit was to understand the similarities and differences between Christianity and the Islam faith and in particular Churches and Mosques.
Our day began with a 2 hour tour and visit to a Mosque in Cambridge where we were greeted by the Imam. He explained to us the Mosque is the cornerstone of the Islam faith and how Muslims live by the 5 pillars.
The Imam explained to us the main features of a Mosque firstly the minaret, this is a tall thin tower above the mosque. It can be seen from far away. The Muezzin climbs to the top of the Minaret to deliver the call to prayer- this tells Muslims it is time to come and pray. Next was the Wudu, this area is where Muslims make themselves clean before going to pray in the Mosque. Finally the Minbar, this has several steps to a high platform. The Imam uses the Minbar to speak to the congregation.
Lunch was in front of Ely Cathedral where Mr King gave a talk on the history of the structure of the cathedral (built in 2 different times). We looked at the Cathedral Spire, the many fonts that were there, the pulpits and the Altar.
Once we returned to school we collated all the information and wrote a recount of our day including all of the similarities and differences. Everyone had a fun and informative day and the children enjoyed this immensely and learnt a great deal.