Chapter 18

Nearly a year later, Pi discovered Islam. He was out one day exploring his town and happened upon the Muslim quarter of town. He was drawn to a mosque and had a peek inside. He saw a large open room, the sanctuary, with long straw mats covering the floor.Pi experiences the same curiosity when he witnesses the Great Mosque. He sees it but is afraid to enter, so enters a local bakery instead. While talking to the bakery’s owner, the owner is called to prayer by the muezzin (the man at the mosque who calls the time for prayer). He witnesses the bakery owners relaxed, repetitive prayer motions and later thinks on it while praying at the Catholic Church.