Guinea, Africa

      Much of the culture in Guinea is also affected by the Islamic religion. As a majority of the population is Muslim, one religious institution of Guinea is a mosque. This is where Muslims go to pray and worship Allah. A mosque is about as big as a moderately sized house. There is often Arabic written on the doors and walls. One example of a mosque in Guinea is the Conakry Grand Mosque. There are 2,500 seats on the upper floor for women and 10,000 seats on the lower floor for men. There are also many gardens and tombs such as those for national heroes like Samori Ture, Sékou Touré and Alfa Yaya (beautifulmosque.com). Two of the main cultural attractions in Guinea are Alcatraz Island and Badiar Transboundary National Park. Alcatraz Island contains many colorful birds native to Guinea. Badiar Transboundary National Park has many different kinds of animals and it crosses the border to Senegal into Niokolokoba Park (us-africa.tripod.com). Guinea’s art usually consists of sculpture and mask making. Their masks are made to portray animals, such as crocodiles and lizards. Their art is usually abstract and conceptual (Eleanor Stanford). Their greetings usually involve hand shaking. They stand close together when talking and they often hold hands. Elders are treated with authority and respect. The most important thing children are taught is to respect their elders. Children begin education between the ages of 14 and 16. They have many religious rituals involving singing and dancing. For example, the abira is a ritual intended to rid the community of evil. During some rituals they place a pot of water at the entrance of a village to ask good spirits to protect them and grant them with more children (Eleanor Stanford). The Islamic religion shows through the culture, architecture and behavior of Guinea and its people.