List of the oldest mosques in the world

Mosque of Uqba, founded in 670 in Tunisia

The designation of the oldest mosque in the world requires careful use of definitions, and must be divided into two parts, the oldest in the sense of oldest surviving building, and the oldest in the sense of oldest mosque congregation. Even here, there is the distinction between old mosque buildings that have been in continuous use as mosques, and those that have been converted to other purposes; and between buildings that have been in continuous use as mosques and those that were shuttered for many decades. In terms of congregations, they are distinguished between early established congregations that have been in continuous existence, and early congregations that ceased to exist.

To be listed here a site must:

• be the oldest mosque in a country, large city (top 50), or oldest of its type (denomination, architectural, etc.);
• be the oldest congregation of its type (denomination).

Oldest mosques

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Building	Image	Location	Country	First Built	Denomination	Notes
Quba Mosque		Medina	Saudi Arabia	622	Sunni	Oldest mosque site, but building largely rebuilt in 20th century
Al-Masjid al-Nabawi		Medina	Saudi Arabia	622	Islam	Site of pilgrimage. Contains Muhammad's tomb. Largely rebuilt.
Masjid al-Qiblatain		Medina	Saudi Arabia	623	Sunni	Mosque of the two Qiblas
Jawatha Mosque		Al-Kilabiyah	Saudi Arabia	629	n/a	(defunct)
Masjid al-Haram		Mecca	Saudi Arabia	638	Islam	Site of pilgrimage, rebuilt in 1571
Great Mosque of Kufa		Kufa	Iraq	639	Shia
Mosque of Uqba		Kairouan	Tunisia	670	Sunni	rebuilt in 800s
Cheraman Juma Masjid		Kodungallur	India		Sunni	Locally considered to be the first mosque of India; reliability of sources unclear
Imam Hussain Mosque		Karbala	Iraq	680	Shia	reconstructed several times, including in 1016
Al-Aqsa Mosque		Jerusalem		705	Sunni
Al-Zaytuna Mosque		Tunis	Tunisia	709	Sunni
Umayyad Mosque		Damascus	Syria	715	Shia, Sunni	National Mosque
Great Mosque of Xi'an		Xi'an, Shaanxi	China	742[1]		Although remains date mostly from the 18th century,[2] the Mosque was founded in 742[3]

By country and territories

Afghanistan

• Haji Piyada, built in the second half of the 9th century, oldest Islamic building in Afghanistan ^[4]

Australia

See also: List of mosques in Australia

• Central Adelaide Mosque, the oldest major city mosque built in 1888. However, the first mosque in Australia was built at Marree in northern South Australia in 1861.^[5]

Bangladesh

• Sixty Dome Mosque, built in 14th century, one of the oldest mosques in Bangladesh

Canada

See also: List of mosques in Canada

• Al-Rashid Mosque, built in 1938, first purpose built mosque

China

See also: List of mosques in China

• Great Mosque of Xi'an, built in 742, oldest mosque in China ^[6].

Egypt

See also: List of mosques in Egypt

• Mosque of Amr ibn al-As, built in 642, oldest mosque in Africa

France

See also: List of mosques in France

• Paris Mosque, built in 1926, oldest mosque in France

Germany

See also: List of mosques in Germany

• Berlin Mosque, built in 1924, oldest mosque building in Germany

India

See also: List of mosques in India

• Cheraman Juma Masjid, date uncertain but purportedly in 7th century, one of the oldest mosques in India
• Old Jumma Masjid of Kilakarai, 11th century, one of the oldest mosques
• Kazimar Big Mosque in Madurai. Built in 13th century second oldest mosque in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu

Indonesia

See also: List of mosques in Indonesia

• Agung Demak Mosque, built in 15th century, one of the oldest mosques in Indonesia

Iran

See also: List of mosques in Iran

• Jameh Mosque of Ferdows, built possibly in 7th century

Iraq

• Imam Hussain Mosque, built in 680

Jerusalem

• Al-Aqsa Mosque, built in 705
• Mosque of Omar (Jerusalem)

Malaysia

See also: List of mosques in Malaysia

• Kampung Laut Mosque, built in 1730s

Netherlands

• Mobarak Mosque (The Hague), built in 1955, first purpose built mosque in Holland

Oman

• Masjid Mazin bin Ghadouba, foundations date to 7th century, oldest mosque in Oman

Pakistan

See also: List of mosques in Pakistan

Saudi Arabia

• Masjid al-Haram, built ca. 7th century, oldest mosque in Saudi Arabia
• Quba Mosque, built in 7th century, oldest mosque in the world

Singapore

See also: List of mosques in Singapore

• Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka, built in 1820

Somalia

• Fakr ad-Din Mosque, built in 1269, oldest mosque in Mogadishu

Syria

See also: List of mosques in Damascus

• Umayyad Mosque, built in 715

Thailand

See also: List of mosques in Thailand

• 300 Years Mosque, built in 1600s, possibly oldest mosque in Thailand

Tunisia

• Mosque of Uqba, built in 600s, possibly oldest mosque in Tunisia

Turkey

See also: List of mosques in Turkey

• Hagia Sophia, built in 537 as a Christian church, later converted to a mosque in 1453, now a museum

United Arab Emirates

• Al Badiyah Mosque, built in 15th century, oldest mosque in UAE

United Kingdom

See also: List of mosques in the United Kingdom

• Masjid-e-Abu Hurairah (Wales), built in 1860, oldest mosque in UK
• Shah Jahan Mosque (England), built in 1889, oldest purpose built mosque in England
• Fazl Mosque (England), built in 1924, oldest purpose built mosque in London

United States

See also: List of mosques in the United States

• Al-Sadiq Mosque, commissioned in 1922, in Chicago, Illinois
• Mother Mosque of America, built in 1934, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Yemen

• Great Mosque of Sana'a, built in 7th century, possibly oldest mosque
• Al-Janad mosque, built in 7th century, possibly oldest mosque

See also

• List of mosques
• List of mosques in Africa
• List of mosques in the Americas
• List of mosques in Asia
• List of mosques in Europe
• List of mosques in Oceania
• Mosque
• List of the oldest buildings in the world
• Oldest churches in the world
• Oldest synagogues in the world

External links and references

• International Architecture database

1. ^ China By Shelley Jiang,pg. 274
2. ^ Fodor's China edited by Margaret Kelly, pg 618
3. ^ Geography of China: Sacred and Historic Places By Britannica Educational Publishing, pg. 181-182, Kenneth Pletcher
4. ^ http://whc.unesco.org/pg_friendly_email.cfm?cid=326&id=1928&
5. ^ http://www.cultureandrecreation.gov.au/articles/cameleers/
6. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=Z-P_u2AIzbEC&pg=PA181&dq=mosque+xian+742&hl=en&ei=Mcn2TJqvJcT38AaqnvTsBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCYQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q&f=true