In this page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Weekly_Maqam we read that in the Sephardic Middle Eastern Jewish tradition
This sounds familiar to Byzantine chant practice of using Plagal Fourth mode (a Rast maqam equivalent) to open services like the festive vespers (Anoixantaria) or the liturgy (Typika), the Akathistos, the Holy Week services etc.
Maqam Rast is used to mark the beginning of something new..
This sounds familiar to Byzantine chant practice of using Plagal Fourth mode (a Rast maqam equivalent) to open services like the festive vespers (Anoixantaria) or the liturgy (Typika), the Akathistos, the Holy Week services etc.