The larabanga mosque made it to the world monuments funds list of 100 most endangered sites. When you arrive to the larabanga mosque, you should go to pay a fee to visit the atraction, after you should pay the guide. Media in category larabanga mosque the following 15 files are in this category, out of 15 total. The larabanga mosque is a mosque, built in the sudanese architectural style in the.
An ancient mosque of sudanese architecture is their pride. The huaisheng mosque is the main mosque of guangzhou. Lists of mosques cover mosques, places of worship for muslims. The larabanga mosque sits about 100 metres away from the sawladamongo road, one of. The history of the mud mosque in larabanga is difficult to distinguish from the many myths about it. This book shows diagrams of the construction as well as showing the.
This book is about how a mosque was constructed during the sixteenth century. Larabanga is about 4 kilometres away from the capital of the west gonja district. Larabanga, ghana built primarily from packed earth, larabanga is ghanas oldest mosque, and one of the countrys most revered religious sites. Believed to have been built by moorish traders during the time of the transsaharan trade in the th century, larabanga is ghanas oldest. Oct 22, 2003 mosque by david macaulay is a nonfiction book that is intended for the intermediate to advance age group.
We had a knowledgeable guide and although we couldnt go inside he did give us a brief history of the mosque. The mecca of west africa, the larabanga mosque is the. According to history, the tree sprung up on the grave of the spiritual consultant and founder of larabanga after his burial. It is popularly referred to as the mecca of west africa, because of its rich historical and architectural values. The dimensions of the mosque are approximately 8m by 8m. 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. The larabanga mosque is thought to be the oldest mosque in ghana and west africa. Ghana city tours is your perfect private tour partner to explore the history of ghana, its attractions. It is so white in this picture because they took it right after its yearly renovationpainting. Dec 16, 2017 larabanga is a small town about 450 kilometres away from the capital of ghana, accra. 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. In just over 400 pages the author succeeds in giving a wellorganized, wellresearched, and wellwritten account of the history of christianity on the entire african continent, from antiquity to the present.
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 that embodied the towns unique identity. The larabanga mosque is a mosque, built in the sudanese architectural style in the village of. Project muse new meanings and historical messages in the. Jun 02, 2016 larabanga is a town with a great history and rich culture. Its been known as the mecca of west africa ever since it was built in the 1400s, and its greeted centuries of pilgrims who have come to witness its distinctive beauty. May 04, 2017 larabanga mosque northern region gcb bank limited. Whether you know it or not, or will admit it or not, we are at war and the enemy is islam. Oral history and other sources suggest that the ancestors of some of ghanas residents entered this area at least as early as the 10th century ad and that migration from the north and east continued thereafter these migrations resulted in part from the formation and disintegration of a. Near to mole park in northern ghana is the small town of larabanga, and this has what is said to be ghanas oldest mosque, and possibly oldest building still standing, possibly built well before white people visited the country. Visit larabanga mosque on your trip to larabanga or ghana.
Each side of the building bore a separate entrance. Believed to have been built by moorish traders during the time of the trans saharan trade in the th century, larabanga is ghanas oldest. Closer to home, the larabanga mosque at the center of town is a world heritage site and the oldest mosque in ghana. According to one story, ayuba slept in the area and had a. The park is ghanas largest wildlife refuge go on a safari or hiking with an armed guard early morning or late evening. Youll sometimes hear that the larabanga mosque was founded in 1421 instead of 1600s and the claim that it is the oldest mosque in all of west africa. Do you need to book in advance to visit larabanga mosque. We recommend booking larabanga mosque tours ahead of time to secure your spot. Apostos book focuses in on larabanga mosque in northern ghana but also discusses the style of architecture in the region iron, gender and power.
Any act of worship that follows the islamic rules of prayer can be said to create a mosque, whether or not it takes place in a special building. 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 a place of pilgrimage and is considered the mecca of west africa. Built primarily from packed earth, larabanga is ghanas oldest mosque, and one. The story continues that ayuba never left larabanga once he had completed the mosque. He then pushed us to buy shea butter and there were children asking for money though which was a bit distressing. While you are not allowed in the mosque, the local guide explained the history and structure of the building, and the significance of many of the aspects of the building. New meanings and historical messages in the larabanga mosque.
Built primarily from packed earth, larabanga is ghanas oldest mosque, and one of the countrys most revered religious sites. It has survived for centuries despite inclement weather and bad reconstruction projects. On the way from tamale to the savannah region, you will make a stop at the oldest mosque in west africa founded in 1421, which was built in the sudanese architectural style in the village of larabanga, ghana. 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. Built in traditional style, it was created using mud, reeds and whatever came to hand in the local area. This is the oldest mosque in ghana, believed to have been built by the moors in the th century, although some argue that the date could possibly be the 15th century. Short documentary film, larabanga mosque ghana youtube. Larabanga mosque the larabanga mosque is the oldest in all of ghana, possibly in all of west africa. Rituals of transformation in african societies by eugenia w. The larabanga mosque is a mosque, built in the sudanese architectural style in the village of larabanga, ghana.
With an outstanding selection, easytouse search tools and descriptive hotel profiles, youll find larabanga mosque hotel deals in a wink. Dating from the 15 century, the larabanga mosque is the oldest mosque in ghana, and one of the countrys most revered religious sites, but is a common believe that this mosque is even the oldest mosque in the whole area, including ivory coast and burkina faso. The second famouse sightseeing spot in northern region. For the history of the mosque and of the people of larabanga, you should visit the larabanga. Larabanga is built in a traditional sudanese architecture and easily recognised by. Informal and openair places of worship are called musalla, while mosques.
Ghana has three major geographic regionscoastal, forest, and northern savannathe boundaries of which are not always clearly defined. The twon of larabanga with famouse ancient mosque, is bleived to be the oldest islamic buildhing in ghana. The major regions, africa, americas, asia, europe and oceania are sorted alphabetically. Mosque by david macaulay is a nonfiction book that is intended for the intermediate to advance age group. In the 1970s, a mixture of sand and cement was applied to the external faces of the mosque with the intention of protecting the mosque from wind and rain damage. For the history of the mosque and of the people of larabanga, you should visit the larabanga mosque. The history behind the famous mosque is cloaked in mystery. Larabanga also laribanga is a village in the west gonja district of the northern region of ghana.
They also believe in a stone they regard as sacred. If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. The mosque is completely hidden from the main road and surrounded by other buildings. Right next to the mosque is a baobab tree believed to be 500 years old. 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.
Restored several times over the years, the building features two tall towers buttressed by twelve bulbous structures fitted with timber. Larabanga a town of an ancient mosque and a mystic stone duration. Larabanga a town of an ancient mosque and a mystic stone. Amazingly, the mosque is always cool inside, even when temperatures stay high outside. Its fame and popularity probably owe a lot to the appeal of the mystery and magic in those fascinating legends.
The countrys oldest and most revered islamic shrine, larabanga mosque dates back to 1421. From the earliest days of islam, the mosque was the center of the muslim community, a place for prayer, meditation, religious instruction. Adobe the larabanga mosque is a mosque, built in the sudanese architectural style in the village of larabanga, ghana. Jul 24, 2018 the history of the mud mosque in larabanga is difficult to distinguish from the many myths about it. This book shows diagrams of the construction as well as showing the reader the importance of a mosque in the culture. Larabanga is built in a traditional sudanese architecture and easily recognised by its horizontal. Larabanga mosque, ancient westsudanese style mosque, larabanga, ghana the africa image library larabanga mosque, ghana the oldest and most revered mosque in ghana is the larabanga mosque. It has undergone restoration several times since it was founded in 1421, after which you will be taken to the larabanga mystic stone. The larabanga mosque is the oldest and one of the most beautiful mosques in ghana. Larabanga is in the west gonja district in the northern region, one of the 9 regions of ghana.
The larabanga mosque is a historic mosque, built in the sudanese architectural style in the village of larabanga, ghana. Nov 21, 2019 we recommend booking larabanga mosque tours ahead of time to secure your spot. An architectural study of a subsaharan subject is very much a rare thing in the field of historical architecture. This idea comes from another oral account of an islamic trader named ayuba had a dream while staying there instructing him to build a mosque. He built the mosque in the traditional sudanicsahelian style, from mud and reeds. Larabanga is a town with a great history and rich culture. 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. Larabanga is a small town about 450 kilometres away from the capital of ghana, accra. A booklength scholarly work on architecture on the african continent is so.
It has undergone restoration several times since it was originally founded in 1421 17th century according to some. Discover and book hotels, restaurants and local experiences in 50,000. Larabanga is known as unique mosque as tourism site. It reconstructs the history of larabanga as a seat of islam in the west. Orbitz makes it easy to find the best larabanga mosque hotel deals for your trip. It is believed that an islamic trader called ayuba, who was travelling through the area, built the mosque. The mecca of west africa, the larabanga mosque is the oldest. In this concise book the author outlines step by step the purposes of a mosque, what takes place in them and why, and where the idea for a mosque came from. The story goes that he was given instructions to build the mosque in a dream. It has undergone restoration several times since it was founded in 1421. Jun 07, 2019 this is the oldest mosque in ghana, believed to have been built by the moors in the th century, although some argue that the date could possibly be the 15th century.
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. There is some controversy over when exactly the mosque was built, and who built it. The larabanga mosque is made from mud and sticks and its exterior seems to change colour throughout the day, varying from white to goldenbronze. This whitewashed mud built sahelian mosque contains an ancient copy of the quran and is said to date from near the same date. 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. They are local folks who will give you the history of the mosque as well as a tour of the nearby village. The history of the mud mosque in larabanga is difficult to distinguish from. It does something to a history lover to touch a structure that is considered the oldest in all of west africa. The larabanga mosque is the oldest in all of ghana, possibly in all of west africa.
Pdf on dec 1, 2016, michelle moore apotsos and others published new meanings and historical messages in the larabanga mosque find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Oct 12, 2016 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 one of the countrys most revered religious sites. History most of the communities of the regions of northern ghana, especially the northern region, are muslim. 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. Larabanga mosque, ghana larabanga mosque, in ghana, was built in the sudanese architectural style and is the countrys oldest mosque. Subcategories this category has only the following subcategory. 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.
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