A video of a Syrian man reciting the Islamic call to prayer, the adhan, in Spain's historic Alhambra Palace has been making the rounds on social media.
In the video shared by Mouaz Al-Nass, a Saudi-born Islamic musician of Syrian descent, Al-Nass can be seen chanting the adhan in the typical rhythmical manner inside the palace.
According to Al-Arabiya, the palace, which was built by Muslim rulers in the 1330s, had not witnessed the Islamic call to prayer in nearly five centuries.
Al-Nass recited the full Islamic call to prayer in the palace and fortress complex, which is located in Granada, taking spectators aback with his performance, with many of them reaching for their phones to take photos and videos.
Why? He felt that the walls had missed "hearing the call to Allah," Al-Nass told Ilmfeed.
Born in Jeddah, Al-Nass is a singer and drummer who specializes in Islamic music and holds a university degree in Management Information Systems from Syria.
Alhambra Palace, known as Qalat Al-Hamra in Arabic in reference to its reddish walls, was built as a military fortress by Muslim rulers of Granada towards the end of the Muslim rule of Spain in the 1330s.
When Granada came under Christian rule in the 1490s, the palace "was known at the time to have been a final place of refuge for artists and intellectuals," Al-Arabiya reports.
The palace was Al-Andalusia's last-standing stronghold before falling to the Spanish Catholic army, after which Muslims were forced to convert to Christianity or face torture.
Since Al-Nass first posted his video last week, it has garnered over one million views and over 25,000 shares on Facebook, with comments pouring in:
It gave people goosebumps
Muslims are nostalgic for the glory days
"We can appreciate beauty without religious consideration"
"I applaud your courage"
But, not everyone agrees
"I don't see anything heroic in what you did. It's called Alhambra Palace not Alhambra Mosque, so your act doesn't count as anything. Instead, people might consider your behavior as a violation.
Just imagine if someone entered Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and rang bells and held a mass service just because it used to be a church. He would have done so thinking that what he is doing is heroic, just like you did.
The palace is no long ours (Muslims') just like Hagia Sophia no longer belongs to the Romans."
"In my humble opinion, this is a provocation because this guy raised the adhan in a palace, not a mosque. Plus, the adhan should be raised in a place with Muslims, so that they are reminded of prayer times. Meanwhile, most of the people in the palace are not Muslim.
The palace today is not ours (Muslims') so this behavior will be considered as an act of provocation and disrespect and it will only add to the stigma against Muslims."