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Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, is well known for its history, active culture, and seashore. If you're visiting Mogadishu, you're definitely going to like this city for its lovely atmosphere and welcoming citizens. Although the destruction faced by the city in the past can not be denied, the city still stands tall as the people of Somalia work tirelessly to restore and renovate their city even today. Mogadishu has a total population of 17.5 million people, 99% of whom identify proudly as Sunni Muslims. So, Mogadishu is a Muslim-majority city. Whether you're on a tour of Somalia or have moved temporarily or permanently, settling down in the country as a practicing Muslim should be anything but challenging due to the vast majority of people being Muslims in the country. In this article, we've listed some of the most popular mosques in Mogadishu.
The mosque of Islamic Solidarity (Masajidka Isbahaysiga) was constructed in 1987 by a construction company known as the Hamar Construction Company. However, the financial help required to build the mosque was provided by Saudi Arabia as a gift for the Somali people. However, unfortunately for this gorgeous mosque, the mosque had to close its door to worshippers when the civil war struck, and it remained closed for a while. Fortunately, the mosque was rebuilt after efforts from the government and businesses in Mogadishu. The mosque can accommodate up to 10,000 worshippers and is quite spacious. The architecture of the mosque resembles mosques usually seen in Saudi Arabia. A minaret around 35 meters tall is located near the mosque's main entrance.
Masjid Fakar Ad-Din, or the Fakr Ad-Din mosque, is the second oldest mosque in Somalia and, hence, it is of great historical importance. The mosque is also reported to be the 7th largest mosque in Africa. Sultan Abu Bakr Fakr Ad-Din, the namesake of the mosque and the first Sultan of the Fakar Ad-din Sultanate, laid the seed of this historic mosque. The mosque has been built in a rectangular plan with a domed mihrab and a tall prayer hall.
Some materials used in the building of the Fakar Ad-Din mosque include stones, marble, and coral. It has three ablution lobbies for people to do their wadu, followed by a courtyard, a feature typical of many mosques. Although East African mosques are usually not designed to be spacious, the Fakar Ad-Din mosque's prayer hall has plenty of space for worshippers to comfortably offer prayers. The mosque building has two cones, one spherical and the other hexagonal, which stand out among the other features of the mosque.
The mosque was constructed with the money of a woman known as Awooto Eeday (awooto is used for grandmother in the local Somali dialect). Awooto was a pious woman who contributed to the building process of the mosque. The mosque is a small building and is located in one of the old historical narrow passageways of Hemar Weyne in Mogadishu. The plate with inscriptions on top of the mihrab on the building has the date of 1223 AH encrypted on it. However, according to experts, the mosque could have been constructed even before the mentioned date, and the date could entail the renovation of an older mosque.
Xamar Weyne's Friday mosque is known to be one of the oldest mosques in Mogadishu and Africa. The mosque is reported to have been built in 667 AH. The mosque was previously called Mohamed al-Awal, as it was constructed during a time when Mogadishu was ruled by Muhammad Ali. The mosque is located at an equal distance from the sea to the east and the south, whereas the floor of the mosque was two meters below the level of the external mosque ground. The mosque carries significant historical importance. Since Mogadishu is known for its old mosques, we recommend paying a visit to the Xamar Weyne's mosque.
Another popular mosque located in the old Hamar Weyne district in Mogadishu, the Mohamed Al Taani Masjid, is situated close to the Xamar Weyne's Friday mosque. The mosque has Shirazi-inspired writing on it, which is one of the mosque's most unique features. Aydarus Sharif Ali writes in his book that a man named Muhammad Ali, who came to Mogadishu from Egypt to become the governor of Mogadishu, built the mosque during his tenure in Mogadishu.
| Fajr | Duhur | Asr | Maghrib | Isha |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04:29 | 11:55 | 15:19 | 18:02 | 19:13 |