Srinagar, Jammu Kashmir The Jama Masjid of Srinagar is one of the oldest mosques in India to carry that moniker. Aside from the various Dargahs built for various Sufi saints, it is in fact one of the oldest standing mosques in the country. Located in the extreme north of India, it is among a number of great mosques constructed under the auspices of the Delhi Sultanate during … [Read more...]
NIZAMUDDIN DARGAH
Delhi, NCT The Nizamuddin Dargah, or Shrine of Nizamuddin Auliya, is the oldest Muslim institution in Delhi and among the oldest Muslim shrines in India. Located at the heart of the very old and very busy Nizamuddin neighborhood, this venerable mosque is both a local center and a major destination for hundreds of thousands of Muslims every year. It draws even more visitors … [Read more...]
CHERAMAN JUMA MOSQUE
Methala, Kerala The Cheraman Juma Mosque is believed to be the oldest mosque in India, a claim that is not generally disputed by any potential rivals (although the current building dates from a later period). According to legend, it was established directly by a merchant and follower of the Prophet Muhammad just a few years before the Prophet’s death. Many Muslims honor it as … [Read more...]
MOSQUES AND MUSEUMS OF THE UAE (MASJID SHEIKH ZAYED, SHARJAH MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION)
Abu Dhabi, Sharjah & Other Cities, United Arab Emirates Once little more than a collection of small kingdoms tucked away on the western side of the Arabian Peninsula, the region now known as the United Arab Emirates has grown from a relatively unimportant mercantile enclave into a world economic powerhouse. Since the end of World War II, vast reserves of oil have made … [Read more...]
MOSQUES AND MUSEUMS OF THE GULF STATES (MASJID AL FATIH, MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ART)
Doha, Qatar; Manama, Bahrain; and Kuwait City, Kuwait The three small Persian Gulf states of Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait are closely tied to the United Arab Emirates in terms if history, culture and great modern architectural ambitions. This is particularly true of neighboring Qatar and Bahrain, which at one point were nearly incorporated into the UAE. Huge quantities of oil … [Read more...]
KING FAHD ISLAMIC CULTURAL CENTER
Buenos Aires, Argentina Until fairly recently, Islam historically made little headway in establishing footholds in the Americas. Sizeable Muslim communities can as yet be found in only three countries: the United States, Brazil and Argentina. Of these, the Muslim community of Argentina is the smallest; and yet it is home to the King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center in Buenos … [Read more...]
QOLSHARIF MOSQUE (MASJID QOLSHARIF)
Kazan, Russia Thanks to its role as capital of the Kazan Khanate in the 15th and 16th centuries, Kazan has one of the oldest and largest Muslim communities in Russia. Kazan boasts numerous great mosques both ancient and modern, including the Masjid Qolsharif, the most important and magnificent mosque in Russia. The Masjid Qolsharif also enjoys the honor of being the second … [Read more...]
HASSAN II MOSQUE (MASJID HASSAN II)
Casablanca, Morocco Casablanca’s Masjid Hassan II is one of the great mosques of the 20th century. It is for all intents and purposes the national mosque of Morocco. More importantly, it holds several very impressive records. Aside from the fact that it is the largest mosque in Morocco, it is also the largest mosque in the world outside of Saudi Arabia. Only the Masjid … [Read more...]
FAISAL MOSQUE (MASJID FAISAL)
Islamabad, Pakistan The nation of Pakistan boasts the world’s second largest Muslim population, so it is not surprising that Islamabad, its capital, is home to one of the world’s largest mosques. The Masjid Faisal was in fact the world’s largest mosque outside of Arabia for about a decade in the late 20th century, and is still the largest mosque in the Asian Subcontinent. … [Read more...]
KOCATEPE MOSQUE (MASJID KOCATEPE)
Ankara, Turkey When the modern nation of Turkey left behind its centuries-old capital at Istanbul and relocated the government to Ankara, they also left behind countless spectacular mosques. Ankara then had virtually no major mosques to speak of. In order to rectify the situation, and establish Ankara as an important Muslim city within the new republic, Turkey built the … [Read more...]
