This is another very rare acquisition of a leather prayer mat from Somalia. I
was told it is from 15th Century CE and been passed down though
generations. This prayer mat is made of leather and had been sewn
together from pieces.
The use of this skin prayer mat is very popular among the Sufis and
religious people especially in Somalia and Etiopia. In a book, Islam in
Etiopia written by J. Spencer Trimingham. he mentioned about the
activity of Tariqa or Sufi movements in Somalia and Etiopia especially
in 18th & 19th Century. During the initiation ritual between the
leader of the Tariqa movement ( Khalifa) and the novice, one of the
items that will be given to the new member is a Sijjada which is a piece
of skin prayer mat which he carries about on his shoulder.
In the book : The Mad Mullah of Somaliland by
Douglas Jardine, there is a mention of an outcast tribe in Somalia
especially Midgan that making a leather prayer by cutting it in the
shape of the mosque at Mecca.
From FAO website, there are a few goat species in
Somalia whom skins are made into prayer mat. Haraghe Highland is the
small size goat that has main color of plain non spotted white and some
with black and brown. The prayer mat is called
Sijaja.
Another species of goat is short-eared Somali (
Denghier) which has a medium size and widely used to make sleeping mats
and prayer mats. The color of the coat is mainly white 76 % with some
brown, black and grey.
The third specie is Long-eared Somali (
Galla/Melebo) which is bigger than short-eared Somali. The coat color is
almost completely white with tiny colors in brown, black and grey. The
skin is widely used as a sitting mat and prayer mat.
They are called Harek or Okedi in Somalian landuage.
In a writing to CNN, The author, Dr Cawo Abdi recollected her memory of
sitting on her father’s prayer mat made from goat skin somewhere in
central Somalia whom they belonged to Nomadic hamlets.Her father was a
Quranic teacher that teach
children from hamlet to hamlet.
There is a similar mat displayed in British museum . It was acquired in 1935. Below is the link
Somali Prayer Mat In British Museum
In
a video clip from Somali Museum Minnesota, the founder was shown
referring to similar mats as prayer mats aged more than a hundred years (
at 7:42).
Somali Museum Minnesota
My other Somalia Prayer Mat is at below link
Somali Prayer Mat #1
Artifact Specification
Dim : 124cm x 65cm
Date : 15th CE
Material : Skin
Origin : Somalia
