A Marble basin from Hama, Syria and made in 1277, on display in the Museum’s Medieval & Renaissance Galleries. Washing before a prayer is an act of ritual purification, cleansing the body from secular activity prior to going before God. This basin is part of an ablutions fountain built by the ruler of the city as a civic amenity for the faithful. Today large mosques may feature simple ablutions areas, which often consist of rows of taps. Many smaller mosques, without the capacity for a courtyard fountain or pool, require worshippers to use restrooms to perform ablutions. As part of 'All This Belongs to You' at Victoria and Albert Museum, Kensington Gardens
Picture by Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd +44 7813 022858
23/03/2015