24 of the most extraordinary & ancient mosques in Africa, each a reflection of the local building styles (2)
24 of the most extraordinary & ancient mosques in Africa, each a reflection of the local building styles (2)
9. Bou Inania Madrasa, Fes, Morocco, 1350–55 CE
Built in 1350–55 CE by Abu Inan Faris. It is the only madrasa in Morocco which also functioned as a congregational mosque. Widely acknowledged as a high point of Marinid architecture & of historic Moroccan architecture generally.
10. Mosque of the Seven Sleepers, Chenini, Tataouine, Tunisia
Where the sleepers are allegedly buried: in the surroundings of the masjid some uncommonly large tombs (about 4 meters long) are visible.
11. Agadez Mosque, Agadez, Tchirozerine Department, Niger, 1515
It was made of clay and is the tallest mud-brick structure in the world. The city was built in 1515 at the time when the city was captured by the Songhai Empire. It was restored and some of it was rebuilt in 1844.
12. Great Mosque of Kilwa, Lindi Region of Tanzania, 10th century
The Great Mosque of Kilwa is a great example of Swahili architecture. It is one of the earliest surviving mosques on the Swahili coast and is one of the first mosques built without a courtyard.
13. Larabanga Mosque, Ghana, early 1400s
Founded by one of the Prophet’s (PBUH) Companions, Ibrahim Ayuba al-Ansari, who was sent there from al-Madinah. Built in the Sudanese architectural style, it is the oldest in the country & one of the oldest in West Africa.
14. Chinguetti Mosque, Adrar, Mauritania, 13th-14th century
The minaret of this ancient structure is supposed to be the second oldest in continuous use anywhere in the Muslim world. The mosque is popularly considered the national emblem of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
15. The Atiq Mosque or al-Kabir mosque, the oasis village of Awjila, in the Sahara desert of the Cyrenaica region, Libya, 12th century
The oldest in the region. It has unusual conical domes made of mudbrick & limestone that provide light & ventilation, with palm tree posts.
16. The Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Cairo, Egypt, 879
One of the oldest mosques in Egypt as well as the whole of Africa surviving in its full original form & is the largest mosque in Cairo. It features ancient architecture styles of Egypt, being created from carved stucco and wood.
