caters for a business clientele. Rooms are
dressed in tactile fabrics, thick carpets and
warm earth colours, while wall-mounted
flatscreen TVs, large desks, good mattress-
es and an oversized pool are additional
comforts. Squash and tennis courts are
handy for burning off those calorific deal-
clinching lunches.sheraTon deira h oTel $$
Map p206 (%04-268 8888; http://www.starwoodhotels
.com; al-Mateena St; r from Dh650; iWs) Rates
are reasonable at this off-the-beaten-path
five-star in Little Iraq. Standard rooms
skimp on size if not on amenities, which in-
clude flatscreen TV and a coffeemaker. Go
for the junior suites if you can score a good
rate; they’re extra-spacious, with large mar-
ble bathrooms and giant tubs.4 Bur Dubai
oraffles dubai luXury hoTel $$$
Map p214 (%04-324 8888; http://www.dubai.raffles
.com; Sheikh rashid rd, near Wafi Mall, oud Metha;
r from Dh1095; iWs) Here’s a luxury hotel
that lives up to the moniker. Built in the
shape of a pyramid, Raffles is a high-octane
hot spot with magnificent oversized rooms
(with balconies) done in the colours of a
Moroccan kilim – deep blue, burgundy red
and sandy taupe. Bathrooms are of lime-
stone and sandstone imported from Egypt,
with giant sunken tubs and rainfall shower-
heads. Zeitgeist-capturing in-room touches
include Lavazza espresso machines, light-
ing controlled from a bedside console, iPod
docking stations and free wi-fi.The call To prayerIf you’re staying in the older areas of Deira or Bur Dubai you might be woken around
4 � 30 am by the inimitable wailing of the azan (the Muslim call to prayer) through
speakers positioned on the minarets of nearby mosques� It’s jarring, to be sure, but
there’s a haunting beauty to the sound, one that you’ll only hear in Islamic countries�
Muslims pray five times a day: at dawn; when the sun is directly overhead; when the
sun is in the position that creates shadows the same length as the object shadowed;
at the beginning of sunset; and at twilight, when the last light of the sun disappears
over the horizon� The exact times are printed in the daily newspapers and on web-
sites� Once the call has been made, Muslims have half an hour to pray� An exception
is made at dawn: after the call they have about 80 minutes in which to wake up, wash
and pray before the sun has risen�
Muslims needn’t be near a mosque to pray; they need only face Mecca� If devotees
cannot get to a mosque, they’ll stop wherever they are and drop to their knees� If you
see someone praying, be as unobtrusive as possible, and avoid walking in front of the
person� All public buildings, including government departments, libraries, shopping
centres and airports, have designated prayer rooms� In every hotel room arrows on
the ceiling, desk or bedside table indicate the direction of Mecca� Better hotels pro-
vide prayer rugs, sometimes with a built-in compass�
When you hear the call to prayer, listen for the phrasing� First comes ‘Allah-u-ak-
bar’, which means ‘God is Great’� This is repeated four times� Next comes ‘Ashhadu
an la illallah ha-illaah’ (I testify there is no god but God)� This is repeated twice, as is
the next line, ‘Asshadu anna muhammadan rasuulu-ilaah’ (I testify that Mohammed
is His messenger)� Then come two shorter lines, also sung twice: ‘Hayya ala as-sa-
laah’ (Come to prayer) and ‘Hayya ala al-falaah’ (Come to salvation)� ‘Allah-u-akbar’
is repeated twice more, before the closing line, ‘Laa ilaah illa allah’ (There is no god
but God)�
The only variation on this standard format is at the dawn call� In this azan, after the
exhortation to come to salvation, comes the gently nudging, repeated line ‘As-salaatu
khayrun min al nawn’, which translates as ‘It is better to pray than to sleep’�
If you’re not in a hotel where you can hear the call to prayer, stop by the souqs in
Deira and pick up a mosque alarm clock – it’s the perfect souvenir to take home to
friends�s
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