Why I took these pictures at Frankfurt airport
A Berkin bag, a plastic watering can, a dizzyingly ornate prayer room … every picture has a story to tell.
A dizzyingly ornate Muslim Prayer room at Frankfurt airport is an area of respite for the faithful — never mind the tiles that may give you vertigo! The prayer room is a testament to the sensibilities of the German authorities. Of course, a Christian church and a Jewish Synagogue are also there — peaceful co-existence in a secluded corner of the sprawling airport.
Many airports around the world are mindful of the growing importance of the Muslim traveler. A recent Thomson Reuters study indicates that the Islamic travel sector is worth $140 billion and is growing at a faster clip than the ubiquitous growth in Chinese tourists.
The prayer room at Frankfurt airport comes complete with an ablution area and a shelf for keeping your shoes. The Turkish tiles adorning the walls may be a little too much to endure but it is a great place for Muslim travelers to peacefully say one of their five daily prayers.
Why is it that pictures you take in Europe look so beautiful while those you take in the Middle East are not? The natural photogenic beauty of azure blue skies and floating white clouds in the background make everything come alive. Take a picture of Burj Khalifa in Dubai — the magnificent tower that looks down on everything — and you see a dusty, hazy background. In Frankfurt your mundane iPhone picture looks like a work of art. No, it has not been Photoshopped!
Your feet hurting you? Want to stretch after a long flight? Prepare yourself for another long-haul journey? The ergonomically designed chairs at Frankfurt airport are aimed at relieving stress. Just slide into them and your soles will bless your soul! Unfortunately, the rest area is located close to the inter-terminal shuttle train and unless you have noise eliminating headphones, you will not find this a sleep inducing environment.
Everyone dreads walking after a long flight. The long walk to the baggage claims area is exacerbated if the airport you land in does not have moving walkways. At Frankfurt airport you need to take a train to shuttle between terminals to catch a connecting flight or to get to the baggage claims area. The trains are clean and efficient. And you also get a great view of the airport.
A plastic watering can in a toilet is a sign of welcome relief for Muslim travelers. No, they are not super zealous about watering plants. Some may even hate indoor plants. But they will all be relieved to see the watering can.
This can was spotted in the toilet at the Business Class lounge at Frankfurt airport.
And you give away your lack of understanding of Muslims by continuing to question why this can is there … When Muslims do their thing — No.1 or No.2 — they don’t just paper over the fact. They wash away all traces of the act. The watering can is what they need to facilitate the process!
Why was I at Frankfurt airport? I am the CEO of a Dubai based startup called Irhal. We have built an Arabic/English travel website — www.irhal.com — and a mobile app for Muslim travelers. We have been selected by MassChallenge the largest startup accelerator in the world. And I was on my way back to Boston after a short trip to Dubai to celebrate Eid with my family.
But you question the significance of the bag…
Irhal has been a labor of love. It needed a tremendous amount of passion and dedication. And resources. Passion is fueled by the fire within. Our team has plenty of that to keep going. Winning the Dubai Startup Weekend award and more recently (Nov 2014) the Best Islamic Economy Startup Award given by Dubai Silicon Oasis keeps the adrenaline flowing. Resources are a whole new story.
We need funds so that we can hire more team members, update the content and launch a proper marketing campaign to promote Irhal. Unfortunately, most investors in the Middle East are only willing to invest $20,000 for 20% equity. We received a $100K offer from Dubai Silicon Oasis in Feb 2015 and refused. We have already spent multiple times that amount and we are looking for $1 million in funding.
In May 2015 Irhal was selected by MassChallenge — the world’s largest startup accelerator program for their June-October 2015 program. We are expecting to raise funds (InshaAllah) from US investors to help speed up our work.
I have invested my personal resources to keep this project afloat. When my wife asked me if she could buy a designer handbag I told her, “Honey, Sabr (patience), InshaAllah I will get you a Berkin bag soon.” We are now seeking investment (not just for the Berkin bag!).
You can download the Irhal Mobile App from the links here: iPhone or Android
