Sunday 14 May 2017

Layover prayers

A priest and a rabbi walk into an airport bar... or maybe not!
Beyond chapels, multi-faith prayer rooms are a more common sight in airports around the world. But what if you could really use solace, specific to your faith, and in your own language?

For the next 3 months, travelers at Germany's Stuttgart Airport, can step into the "Gebetomat" and choose from 300+ prayers offered in 65+ languages.

The Gebetomat is the brainchild of Oliver Sturm. The Stuttgart installation is just latest version of Sturm's Pray-O-Matic booth, which the Berlin artist designed in 2008.

In 2012, Sturm's prayer booth popped up at Manchester University as part of a 3-year research project on multi faith spaces and prayer rooms worldwide.

Look for the brightly coloured converted photo booth at Stuttgart Airport in Terminal 3, near gate 310. Prayers are free.

Related resources
German airport offers prayer booth in 65 languages - NY Daily News
Pray-o-mat is UK's first - University of Manchester
Interfaith Airport Chapels in The US: Tranquility on The Fly - Vane Airport Magazine


More resources
Hell Will Be an Airport (A Layover Story) - John Pavlovitz
Stuttgart Airport (STR) Transportation Guide - IHateTaxis