Thread by @BaytAlFann

From Senegal to Ghana, to Egypt to Somalia, Africa is known for its fantastic mosques – each an architectural masterpiece in their own right.

Here are 20 of the most unique & ancient mosques in Africa, each a reflection of the local building styles #JummahMubarak

A thread…

1/ Great Mosque of Djenné, Mali, built 13th c. current structure 1907

World’s largest mud-brick building & finest example of Sudano-Sahelian architecture; characterised by its adobe plastering & wooden scaffolding. The walls are reconstructed with mud each April in a 1 day event

2/ The Mosque of the Companions, Massawa, Eritrea. early 7th century CE

Did you know? This was the first mosque built in the continent of Africa. It is believed to be the first mosque on the African continent.

3/ Masjid al-Qiblatayn, Zeila, Somaliland, 7th century

Built after the hijrah, the migration of the early followers of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to Abyssinia. Now mostly in ruins, it is one of the oldest mosques in Africa & contains the tomb of Sheikh Babu Dena

4/ The Fakr Ad-Din Mosque, Somalia, 13th century

Also known as Masjid Fakhr Ad-Din, the 2nd oldest mosque in Somalia after Masjid al-Qiblatayn (Somaliland). It is located in Hamar Weyne mogadishu, the oldest part of the city. It is believed to be the 7th oldest mosque in Africa

5/ Al-Azhar Mosque, Cairo, Egypt, 970

One of the oldest and most important mosques in Egypt. It is considered a source for enlightenment. The cornerstone of Al-Azhar Mosque was laid on Ramadan 14, 359 AH - 970

6/ The Gobarau Minaret, Katsina, northern Nigeria, 14th century

Gobarau is one of the largest buildings in West Africa, with its construction believed to have been completed during the reign of King Sarkin Katsina Muhammadu Korau (1398-1408 AD) the first Muslim King of Katsina

7/ 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.

8/ 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

9/ The Great Mosque of Kairouan, Tunisia, 670

One of the oldest Muslim place of worship in Africa, over a millennia, founded in the year 670. Also known as the Uqba Mosque, it illustrates the mixed influences of pre-Islamic, Roman, and Byzantine architecture.

10/ 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

11/ Djinguereber Mosque, Timbuktu, Mali, 1327

A famous learning center of Mali, cited as Djingareyber or Djingarey Ber in various languages. Its design is accredited to Abu Ishaq Al Saheli who was paid 200 kg (40,000 mithqals) of gold by Musa I of Mali emperor of the Mali Empire

12/ 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

13/ 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

14/ The Great Mosque of Fes el-Jdid, Fes, Morocco, 1276

It is the historic main Friday mosque of Fes el-Jdid. It is believed to have been founded by the Marinid sultan Abu Yusuf, around the same time that the city itself was founded, making it the oldest mosque in Fes el-Jdid

15/ 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

16/ 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

17/ The Great Mud Mosque of Benin, in the region of Sahel, northern Burkina Faso

18/ Al Nejashi Mosque, Negash, Ethiopia, 7th century

Negash is synonymous with Islam as it is the place where the first Muslim settlement took place in the world. It houses the tombs of the companions of Prophet Muhammad PBUH & is dubbed by Ethiopian Muslims as the second Mecca

19/ 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

20/ The Great Mosque of Kano, Nigeria, 15th century

The great mosque was built for Muhammad Rumfa. It was made of mud, and was of the soro, or tower, variety.[1] It was moved to a new site by Muhammad Zaki in 1582, and rebuilt in the mid 19th century by Abdullahi dan Dabo

21/ The Great Mosque of Testour, the city of Testour, Beja Governorate, Tunisia, 1631

The mosque embodies Andalusian architecture, especially its minaret, which features Andalusian style inscriptions & architectural elements. The height of the minaret is 23 meters

22/ Minaret of Hamoudi mosque (1906), City of Djibouti, Djibouti

Every city has at least one iconic building, and this is the closest thing to it in Djibouti city what with the mosque's size and prominent location above the main square

23/ The Great Mosque of Touba, Senegal, 1887

Founded by Amadou Bamba in 1887 and completed in 1963. Bamba died in 1927 and is interred inside the mosque. It is the largest building in the city and one of the largest mosques in Africa, with a capacity of 7,000

24/ Khatmiyah Mosque, Kassala, Sudan, 18th century

At the base of the Taka Mountains is this spectacular mosque, centre of the Khatmiyah Sufi sect. It's a lovely mudbrick building with a pointed octagonal minaret and a photogenic arcade of columns in the main prayer hall

Discover more about the history of Ancient African Mosques and their unique local architectural styles:

baytalfann.com/post/ancient-a…