The mecca of west africa, the larabanga mosque is the. Arvin by the ghanaians to take us to larabanga village to take a look at the mosque and the famed mystic stone which have put larabanga on the world tourist map. Tanzania kenya ghana empire songhai empire african states mosques african history history books sierra leone. The mit press is a leading publisher of books and journals at the intersection of science, technology, and the arts. The history of ghanas most famous mud mosque is shrouded in mystery and myth.
It is believed that a copy of holy quran descended directly from heaven to this mosque. Not only is the larabanga mosque a popular architectural monument in. Larabanga mosquethe mecca of west africa come see ghana. The women of larabanga have welcomed us on each of our visits to the northern region. For the history of the mosque and of the people of larabanga, you should visit the larabanga. Larabanga mosque and mystery stone home to over 93 mammals including elephant, hippos, warthogs, antelopes the mole national park also holds a great collection of birds. It has undergone restoration several times since it was founded in 1421.
According to one story, ayuba slept in the area and had a. Showing signs of sudanese style in its architecture, larabanga mosque is one of the most photographed buildings in ghana. Cultural sites, historical sites, national monuments, and see ghana about the larabanga mosque is thought to be the oldest mosque in ghana and west africa. Larabanga was built in the seventeenth century with western sudanese architecture. The larabanga mosque is the oldest and one of the most beautiful mosques in ghana.
When you arrive to the larabanga mosque, you should go to pay a fee to. Whether you are craving to experience the hustle and bustle of the capital city or enjoy the atlantic. It is the oldest mosque in the country and one of the oldest in west africa, and has been referred to as the mecca of west africa. Lists of mosques cover mosques, places of worship for muslims. Visit larabanga mosque on your trip to larabanga or ghana. In the early 1400s, the larabanga mosque in ghana was founded by ibrahim ayuba alansari. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. According to legend, ayuba, a trader of moorish origins, was travelling across the sahara in 1421 century when he spent the night in the village of larabanga. According to history, the tree sprung up on the grave of the spiritual consultant and founder of larabanga after his burial. This mosque was built in the sudanese architectural style which is located in the village of larabanga.
The mosque has features such as horizontal timber, pyramidal towers, buttresses, and triangular perforations over entry portals. It reconstructs the history of larabanga as a seat of islam in the west african savannaincluding the history of its dominant ethnic group, the kamaraand traces the simultaneous emergence of an architectural idiom. The larabanga mosque is a mosque, built in the sudanese architectural style in the village of larabanga, ghana. Larabanga the oldest mosque in west africa youtube. Project muse new meanings and historical messages in the. Islam, which first entered africa through egypt in the 10th century ad, progressed from egypt towards the west and the south at the same time as the transsaharan slave and gold trade routes. Find cheap deals and discount rates among them that best fit your budget. He was sent here from almadinah almunawwara by his shaykh. I was scrolling my facebook timeline one day and came across an article about the larabanga mosque since i am a history lover i put this on my list of places to visit in ghana. According to locals, he was from banu alnajjar, which was the same tribe as of the mother of prophet muhammad pbuh located in the.
Browse expedias selection of 1 hotels and places to stay closest to larabanga mosque. The larabanga mosque is ghanas oldest mosque and was founded in the early 1400s by ibrahim ayuba alansari who was sent here from almadinah almunawwara by his shaykh. Many other muslims outside larabanga and even people of other faiths. The book of holy quran is still kept inside the mosque. A booklength scholarly work on architecture on the african continent is so. Larabanga is an ancient village just outside of mole national park. Larabanga mosque is one of the eight most respected mosques in ghana and the oldest of all. When you arrive to the larabanga mosque, you should go to pay a fee to visit the atraction, after you should pay the guide.
Larabanga is a village in west gonja district, a district in north western northern region of ghana. Today, this copy of the quran is preserved at larabanga by a caretaker and only made public each year during the fire festival for special prayers when the muslim new calendar begins, sources told rajeev, who had visited larabanga for information about the stone and mosque. Each side of the building bore a separate entrance. The larabanga primary and junior high school receive extra attention through donations of books to the library started by leah. Right next to the mosque is a baobab tree believed to be 500 years old. It is one of the 100 most endangered site in the world monuments fund list. It is believed that an islamic trader called ayuba, who was travelling through the area, built the mosque. It is not just any mosque but an ancient one which is over a hundred years. The seventeenth century structures style was heavily influenced by western sudanese architecture, characterized by the use of horizontal timber, pyramidal towers, buttresses, and triangular perforations over entry portals. It is reputed to be ghanas oldest mosque and houses a copy of the quran. Northern region in ghana, the larabanga mosque was built in the sudanese architectural style. Built with mud and and sticks in sudanese style, it is the oldest mosque in ghana and west africa. Top 10 hotels closest to larabanga mosque in larabanga.
Mit press books and journals are known for their intellectual daring, scholarly standards, and distinctive design. Known as the mecca of west africa, the mosque also houses a quran which is said to date from 1650 and was a gift from heaven to the imam for his prayers. For the history of the mosque and of the people of larabanga, you should visit the larabanga mosque. The huaisheng mosque is the main mosque of guangzhou. The park is ghanas largest wildlife refuge go on a safari or hiking with an armed guard early morning or late evening. Restored several times over the years, the building features two tall towers buttressed by twelve bulbous structures fitted with timber. Larabanga mosque was built from earth packed and known in ghana and west africa as the oldest mosque. Built primarily from packed earth, larabanga is ghanas oldest mosque, and one. This page was last edited on 16 november 2018, at 22. It does something to a history lover to touch a structure that is considered the oldest in all of west africa. The seventeenth century structures style was heavily influenced by western sudanese architecture, characterized by the use of horizontal timber, pyramidal towers, buttresses. This is the place where its said the founder of the mosque slept and had his dream to build the mosque. New meanings and historical messages in the larabanga mosque.
Arguably the bestknown and possibly oldest of the few west sudanese structures that survive in northern ghana, larabanga mosque is a broadly rectangular timberframe structure whose whitewashed mud walls are supported by around a dozen bulbous buttresses spiked with protruding timber struts. Larabanga is a small town in western gonja in northern region, 5 miles from mole national park. The larabanga mosque is the countrys oldest mosque it was founded in 1421 by an islamic trader. Closer to home, the larabanga mosque at the center of town is a world heritage site and the oldest mosque in ghana. Yoruba traditional architecture 2019 yoruba traditional architecture the post yoruba traditional architecture 2019 appeared first on architecture decor.
The mosque was built in the th century by moorish traders. New meanings and historical messages in the larabanga mosque michelle moore apotsos bio as a structural manifestation of the ways in which time and transformation have been allowed to act upon the human environment, architectural form is very much a documentary record of the histories, events, influences, and interruptions that make up the. The larabanga mosque is the oldest in all of ghana, possibly in all of west africa. The history behind the famous mosque is cloaked in mystery. Built primarily from packed earth, larabanga is ghanas oldest mosque, and one of the countrys most revered religious sites. Popular attractions mole national park headquarters and mole pond viewpoint are located nearby.
It is 15 kilometers north away from damango and 4 kilometers south of the mole national park. The larabanga mosque has a striking structural design. Do you need to book in advance to visit larabanga mosque. We produce high quality content and stock footage hd 19201080 for local and international filmtelevision companies, producers and tourist in need of visual content from africa for all purpose. The history of the mud mosque in larabanga is difficult to distinguish from the many myths about it. Larabanga mosque labaragaga is situated 10 miles 16 km west of damongo, nr and only about 5 miles to the mole national park dept of game and wild life. The countrys oldest and most revered islamic shrine, larabanga mosque dates back to 1421. The tiny muslim village of larabanga, just 4km from mole national park, is most famous for its striking sudanesestyle mudandstick mosque, purported to be the oldest of its kind in ghana. The tallest parts of this rather surreal apparition. Save on popular hotels near larabanga mosque, larabanga. Short documentary film, larabanga mosque ghana youtube.
Ghana city tours is your perfect private tour partner to explore the history of ghana, its attractions. The lists include the most famous, largest and oldest mosques, and mosques mentioned in the quran, as well as lists of mosques in each region and country of the world. It is a predominantly muslim town and became famous because of the adobe sahelian mosque which was builtin the style of buildings in the former western sudanese empires. It has survived for centuries despite inclement weather and bad reconstruction projects. Its fame and popularity probably owe a lot to the appeal of the mystery and magic in those fascinating legends. The mecca of west africa, the larabanga mosque is the oldest mosque in ghana oct 12, 2016 david goran believed to have been built by moorish traders during the time of the transsaharan trade in the th century, larabanga is ghanas oldest mosque, and. The history of the mud mosque in larabanga is difficult to distinguish from. All structured data from the file and property namespaces is available under the creative commons cc0 license. It reconstructs the history of larabanga as a seat of islam in the west. They are local folks who will give you the history of the mosque as well as a tour of the nearby village. The mole national park, which you can walk to outside of town, is ghanas largest national wildlife park. History most of the communities of the regions of northern ghana, especially the northern region, are muslim.
It is located at larabanga, an islamic town in damango within the west gonja district of ghana. Amazingly, the mosque is always cool inside, even when temperatures stay high outside. He built the mosque in the traditional sudanicsahelian style, from mud and reeds. The northern regions of ghana are inhabited by the muslims which holds great history in ghana. The mystery behind the larabanga stone that always returns. Looking for exceptional deals on larabanga mosque, larabanga vacation packages. Inside of larabanga mosque, the oldest mosque in ghana.
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