Queen Victoria Mosque
| Queen Victoria Mosque | |
|---|---|
 The mosque in 2011 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Mosque |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 62 Chiappinni Street, Bo-Kaap, Cape Town |
| Country | South Africa |
  Location of the mosque in Cape Town | |
| Geographic coordinates | 33°55′22.1390″S 18°24′43.7490″E / 33.922816389°S 18.412152500°E |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Mosque architecture |
| Completed | c. 1850 |
| Specifications | |
| Dome(s) | One (maybe more) |
| Minaret(s) | Two (maybe more) |
The Queen Victoria Mosque, also called the Jamia Mosque, is a mosque, situated at the corner of Chiappini and Castle street, in Cape Town, South Africa.[1] It is considered to be the first and oldest mosque in Cape Town,[2][3] and the largest in the Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town.[4] The mosque is a National heritage site.[5]
History
[edit]While some sources mention that the mosque was built in 1850,[a] others mention that the land for building the mosque was granted in 1851.[b] It is a Shafee mosque[6] and was the first mosque built on land that was specifically given for a mosque site by the British Crown.[1] This may have been one reason it was referred to as Queen Victoria mosque.[1] Another reason it was referred to thus could have been the involvement of the British Crown in resolving disputes within the Muslim community.[7] The Jamia mosque site was granted to the Cape Muslims with the expressed assurance that it be utilised by all Muslims regardless of their differences.[1] The land grant resulted out of conditions in the Colony in 1846.[1][c]
See also
[edit]
Notes
[edit]- ^ Worden, et al. (2004) mention that the mosque was built in 1850.[2]
- ^ Hutchinson (2006) writes that the mosque site was approved only on 19 October 1851 and the title deeds were transferred three years thence.[6]
- ^ In 1804, the Cape was threatened by war; the increasing clashes on the Eastern Frontier required the complete trust of those who lived in the Colony, leading to the inclination to appease the Muslim community.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f Davids, Achmat (1980). The Mosques of Bo-Kaap. Athlone, Cape Town: The South African Institute of Arabic and Islamic Research. p. 138.
- ^ a b Worden, Nigel; Van Heyningen, Elizabeth; Bickford-Smith, Vivian (2004). Cape Town: The Making of a City. New Africa Books. pp. 187–. ISBN 978-0-86486-656-1.
- ^ "The colourful Bo-Kaap district in Cape Town, South Africa". Insightguides.com. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "Mosques". Bokaap.co.za. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ "Jamia Masjid, 62 Chiappini Street, Bo-Kaap, Cape Town". South African Heritage Resource Agency (SAHRIS). 2 May 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
- ^ a b Hutchinson, Michael (2006). Bo-Kaap: Colourful Heart of Cape Town. New Africa Books. pp. 78–. ISBN 978-0-86486-693-6.
- ^ McCormick, Kay (2002). Language in Cape Town's District Six. Oxford University Press. pp. 32–. ISBN 978-0-19-823554-5.
