Africa is home to more than 422 million followers of Islam, and some of the most beautiful mosques in the world. The architectural styles of mosques are as varied as the continent’s diverse cultures and history.
Mirroring the statistics of the rest of the world, the Muslim population in Africa is predominantly Sunni, but there is a large Shia population. Sufism also has a large presence — more mystical dimension of Islam that is sometimes considered its own philosophy altogether. The largest Muslims populations live in Northern Africa, but
the Horn of Africa, the Swahili Coast, and West Africa also have large populations.
Here are 12 gorgeous mosques of Africa.
Aqsunqur Mosque, Egypt
Also known as the Blue Mosque, it’s located in Islamic Cairo and serves several purposes. It is the mausoleums of founder Shams ad-Din Aqsunqur and his family members, and it is used as a funerary complex. It was built in the 1300s and is supported by the World Monuments Fund.
This is a Brazilian church in Porto-Novo, Benin’s capital, that was turned into a mosque. Porto-Novo is a spectacular place. Much of it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Ketchaoua Mosque in the capital, Algiers, is located by the historical casbah, which was built by the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century. Having once been a cathedral under French rule, the mosque has an interesting and complex architecture style, which is part Moorish and part Byzantine.
This mosque’s name means “The Mosque of Olive” and it is the oldest in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. Its 160 original columns were transported from Carthage to build this mosque. It also houses the prestigious University of Ez-Zitouna.
The Gurgi Mosque in old Tripoli serves as a popular tourist attraction. It was built by naval Capt. Mustafa Gurgi during the Ottoman reign in the 1800s and serves as a mausoleum for Gurgi.
This mosque is part religious site, part educational site in Cairo. Construction began in 1356 and it was impressive in size for the time. A sultan built the mosque and he intended to house all four Sunni schools of thought in it.
Many believe the mosque was named for the daughter of the prophet who built it: Al-Mu’izz li-Dīn Allāh commissioned it and his daughter went by the title “az-Zahrā” meaning “The Shining One.” This was the first mosque built in Cairo.
This mosqueis in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Kairouan. The mosque was built in the same year the town was founded — the year 50, according to the Islamic calendar. It is one of the oldest mosques in the Islamic world and one of the largest Islamic monuments in Africa.
This is the national mosque of Nigeria, built in 1984. When congregational prayers are not taking place, the mosque is open to non-Muslims. It is located across from the National Christian Centre in the Nigerian capital city of Abuja.
This is one of the most famous structures built in the Sudano-Sahelian style and sits on the flood plain of the Bani River in the city of Djenné. The original mosque in this location was built in the 1300s. This one dates to the 1900s. It serves as the city center.
The Ladysmith Sufi Mosque (sometime spelled Soofi) sits on the banks of the Klip River in KwaZulu-Natal. The mosque is said to have been built between 1895 and 1910. In the 1960s, it underwent massive renovations and was expanded.
The Larabanga Mosque in Larabanga, Ghana, is built in the Sudanese architectural style. It is the oldest mosque in Ghana and one of the oldest in West Africa. It’s listed as one of the 100 most endangered sites and has been restored several times.