From Brazil to Argentina, to Peru to Venezuela, Latin America is home to some of the most wonderful Mosques, that stylistically reflect the cultural heritage & diversity of local Muslim communities.
Here are the most incredible Mosques in Latin America #JummahMubarak
A thread…
1/ Mosque of Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim, Caracas, Venezuela
It is the second largest mosque in Latin America after the King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center in Buenos Aires. The construction of the mosque began in 1989 by Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim.
1/ Mesquita Brasil, São Paulo, Brazil
Known for its modernist design and notable minaret. The mosque was designed by architect Paulo Antonio Mendes da Rocha & built in 1989.
1.1/ Mesquita Brasil, São Paulo, Brazil
It’s interior is adorned with traditional Middle Eastern intricate tilework and calligraphy.
2/ The Mosque of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, Maicao, La Guajira, Colombia
It is the third largest mosque in Latin America. It is locally known as "La Mezquita" ("The Mosque"), simply because it is the only mosque in the region. Constructed in 1997.
3/ Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque, Sao Paulo, Brazil
The largest mosque in South America, it is a fusion of Ottoman and Arab styles in modern design, blending traditional Islamic elements with contemporary materials, such as glass and steel, to create a stunning and unique structure
3.1/ Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque, Sao Paulo, Brazil
It has a unique facade that incorporates geometric shapes and intricate tilework, while its interior is decorated with beautiful calligraphy and patterns. This is the Mihrab.
4/ Bab Al-Islam Mosque, Tacna, Peru
Although there are other mosques in Peru, this is the only example of Islamic architecture. Combined with the adjoining Shah Wali-Ullah School of Sciences it is the largest mosque in the region. Prayers are offered in both Spanish & Arabic
5/ Mesquita do Brás, São Paulo, Brazil
Built in the 1940s. The mosque features a mix of Islamic & Brazilian architectural styles, with a distinctive large central dome. It also features a grand entrance as well as intricate tilework & geometric patterns that adorn its interior.
6/ Mesquita de Cuiabá, Cuiabá, Brazil
Built in the 1980s. The mosque features a modernist design, with Islamic elements like a dome and minarets fused with local Brazilian styles, such as a red-tiled roof and beautiful interior decor including colourful tiles.
7/ Mezquita As-Salam, Santiago, Chile
The building, the first mosque in Chile, was commissioned in 1989, and was opened in 1996 by the king of Malaysia. The octagon building has a copper color dome like that of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem Al-Quds.
8/ Khaled Ibn Al-Walid Mosque, Quito, Ecuador
Founded in the year 1991, it was the first Muslim religious organisation recognised by the government conducting Religious activities as well as social, cultural and educational
9/ Mezquita Abou Bakr Al-Siddiq, Bogotá, Colombia
The land where the mosque stands today was purchased in 2010. Soon the construction of the mosque commenced within the same year. The mosque is the largest mosque in Bogotá
10/ Centro Cultural Islámico, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Named after King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. It became the largest Mosque in Latin America, after the President Carlos Menem's 1995 grant of 34,000 m² of municipal land in the Palermo section of Buenos Aires was given to the Mosque
11/ Mezquita Sunni de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Argentina
This is the principal entrance to the Mosque, a colourful amalgamation of traditional Argentinian and Islamic design.
12/ The Naqshbandi Sufi Darghah, Chile
Led by a local Chilean sheikh who established the first branch in Chile, this small group of Muslims is connected to Naqshbandi Orders throughout the Americas, including Argentina and the United States.
13/ Mezquita Al Ahmad, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Opened in 1985. It is the second oldest mosque in Buenos Aires but it is the oldest building with Islamic architecture in Argentina and it was designed by Ahmed and Elia Ham.
14/ Centro Cultural Islamico, Montevideo, Uruguay
The statistics for Islam in Uruguay estimate a total Muslim population of 1000, representing 0.02 percent of the population. This is the main Islamic centre & Mosque,
15/ Mezquita Suraya, Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico.
The mosque was completed in 1989 and was the first purpose-built mosque constructed in Mexico. Architect Zain Chamut was commissioned to design a mosque that reflected both Islamic and Hispanic architectural tradition.
16/ The biggest Mosque in Latin America…
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Istanbul is known as the "City of Cats" and sometimes referred to as "Catstanbul." Hundreds of thousands of cats have roamed the metropolis for millenniums.
It’s #Caturday and to celebrate the start of the weekend, a thread on the cats of Istanbul …
1/ The city of Istanbul is chock full of cats, with some estimates putting the number of stray felines at 125,000. The citizens of Istanbul do not see this as a problem; they welcome their feline friends with open arms #Caturday
2/ Istanbul has a long history of caring for cats, which goes all the way back to the origins of the city and is firmly rooted in their culture, Islamic beliefs and sense of practicality #Caturday
One of the oldest libraries in the world — Al-Qarawiyyin library, was founded by a Muslim woman more than 12 centuries ago! Libraries developed in the Islamic Golden Age due to a commitment to literacy & knowledge.
For #WorldBookDay a thread on libraries in Islamic history…
1/ Al-Qarawiyyan Library, Fez, Morocco
Founded by a Muslim woman, Fatima El-Fihriya in 859, it is one of the oldest libraries in the world & the oldest library in Africa. It also holds the distinction of being the world’s oldest working library, & is still in use today…
1.1/ The Al-Qarawiyyan Library houses a collection of 4,000 rare books & ancient Arabic manuscripts written by renowned scholars of the region. The manuscripts include a 9th century version of the Quran and a manuscript on Islamic jurisprudence written by philosopher Averroes
‘Traveling leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller’
- Ibn Battuta
The most famous explorer in the Muslim World, Ibn Battuta, travelled more than any other explorer in pre-modern history - around 117,000 km!
A thread on the 14th century explorer Ibn Battuta…
1/ Ibn Battuta was born in 1304 CE in Tangier, Morocco. His travelogue the Rihla is his most important work. His journeys in the Rihla lasted for a period of almost thirty years, covering nearly the whole of the known Islamic world & beyond.
2/ Ibn Battuta travelled more than any other explorer in pre-modern history, surpassing Zheng He with 50,000 km (31,000 mi) and Marco Polo with 24,000 km. His total distance travelled was approximately 117,000 km (73,000 mi) (15,000 mi).
Ebru is the ancient Turkish art of marbling - creating colourful patterns by sprinkling & brushing pigments on water, which are transferred to paper. Highly regarded, it is on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list. Today the tradition continues
A thread on the art of Ebru…
1/ The art of Ebru has a long history that predates the Islamic period. With its roots in Turkistan, the art came to the Uighurs before being perfected by the Ottomans
Video: firdevscalkanoglu
2/ As one of the most popular Islamic arts in Turkey it is more widespread today than it was in the past. The word Ebru etymologically, comes from the Persian word Ebri meaning "cloudlike." Due to its wavy, nebular appearance it is called "marbling" in Europe
From the Kufi to the Taqiyah to the Ghuttra, headdress worn by men in Muslim cultures is wonderfully diverse and super stylish - influencing mainstream fashion over the centuries.
Here are some of the types of headdress worn by men in Muslim cultures
A thread…
1/ Fes (Tarboosh/Peci)
A brimless, cylindrical hat made of red felt, traditionally worn in Morocco & other parts of North Africa. Known as the Fes in Turkiye, Russia & Central Asia & as the Peci In Indonesia, it also traditionally worn in parts of the former Ottoman Empire.
2/ Kufi
A kufi is a short, rounded brimless cap worn by Muslim men predominantly in North Africa, East Africa, West Africa & South Asia. It is also worn by men throughout the African diaspora. It is called various names, Prayer cap, Islamic cap, muslim cap, taqiyah and more.
Ai-generated art has created many surreal & imaginative conceptualizations, pushing the boundaries between real & artificial. Architects & designers have traded their drawing boards to re-imagine Islamic architecture for the future
A thread on Ai-generated Islamic architecture…
1/ Design has seen a dramatic shift in the past year, with artists & architects increasingly embracing innovative technologies in their creative practices. One of the most sensational innovations has been AI-powered design programs
Futuristic Ai-generated Islamic architecture
2/ The emerging wave of Ai powered design is being met with varying optimism/cynicism by creatives...