Great Mosque of Kilwa

Great Mosque of Kilwa

The Great Mosque of Kilwa is a congregational mosque on the island of Kilwa Kisiwani, in Tanzania. It was likely founded in the tenth century, but the two major stages of construction date to the eleventh or twelfth and thirteenth century, respectively. It is one of the earliest surviving mosques on the east African coast.

The smaller northern prayer hall dates to the first phase of construction. It contained a total of 16 bays, supported by nine pillars, originally carved from coral but later replaced by timber. The structure, which was entirely roofed, was perhaps one of the first mosques to have been built without a courtyard.

In the early fourteenth century, Sultan al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman, who also built the nearby Palace of Husuni Kubwa, added a southern extension which included a great dome. This dome was described by Ibn Battuta after he visited Kilwa in 1331.

External links

[http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.tcl?site_id=7808 Description of the mosque at ArchNet, including pictures.]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Kilwa Kisiwani — Infobox World Heritage Site WHS = Ruins of Kilwa Kisiwani and Ruins of Songo Mnara State Party = Type = Cultural Criteria = iii ID = 144 Region = Africa Year = 1981 Session = 5th Danger = 2004 Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/144Kilwa… …   Wikipedia

  • Fakr ad-Din mosque — The Fakr ad Din Mosque is the oldest mosque in Mogadishu, Somalia. It is located in Hamar Weyne (literally big town ), the oldest part of the city.The mosque was built in 1269 by the First Sultan of Mogadishu. It is closely related to the Palace… …   Wikipedia

  • eastern Africa, history of — Introduction       history of the area from ancient times through the 20th century. East Africa The coast until 1856       The earliest written accounts of the East African coast occur in the Periplus Maris Erythraei apparently written by a Greek …   Universalium

  • Spread of Islam — This article is about followers of the Islamic faith. For territories under Muslim rule, see Muslim conquests. For religions conversion to Islam, see Religious conversion …   Wikipedia

  • List of mosques in Africa — Part of a series on Islamic culture Architecture …   Wikipedia

  • Architecture of Africa — The architecture of Africa, like other aspects of the culture of Africa, is exceptionallyClarifyme|date=June 2008 diverse. Many ethno linguistic groups throughout the history of Africa have had their own architectural traditions. In some cases,… …   Wikipedia

  • Sultan al-Hasan ibn Sulaiman — Sultan al Hasan ibn Sulaiman, often referred to as Abu l Mawahib ( father of gifts ), ruled the island of Kilwa Kisiwani, in present day Tanzania, from 1310 until 1333. Al Hasan ibn Sulaiman was a member of the Mahdali dynasty, and oversaw a… …   Wikipedia

  • Palace of Husuni Kubwa — The Palace of Husuni Kubwa is a ruined structure on the island of Kilwa Kisiwani, in Tanzania. The majority of the palace was erected in the 14th century by Sultan al Hasan ibn Sulaiman, who also built an extension to the nearby Great Mosque of… …   Wikipedia

  • History of Africa — Pre Colonial African States …   Wikipedia

  • Islāmic world — Introduction  prehistory and history of the Islamic community.       Adherence to Islām is a global phenomenon: Muslims predominate in some 30 to 40 countries, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and along a belt that stretches across northern… …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”