Best 5 Mosques To Worship In Nigeria (2024)
Are you looking for the best mosques to worship in Nigeria? Then read on. It’s no news to say mosques can be found in the nooks and crannies of anywhere Muslims live in the country. In some places, you can get a sizable number in just a square kilometer. In others, they are very much apart.
This means finding a mosque to observe your Salat (Prayer) is not a problem except if you land yourself in places without Muslims. However, if you’re a religious tourist and you want to fill your eyes and mind, then there are some mosques around in Nigeria that can quench your thirst in such regards. Some even allow non-Muslims into the mosque.
In this article, you will learn about the 5 best mosques to pray in Nigeria.
Abuja National Mosque
The Abuja National Mosque also known as the Nigerian National Mosque, is the national mosque of Nigeria. This mosque is located in the capital city, Abuja, and is situated on Independence Avenue, across from the National Christian Centre. The mosque has a golden dome that glitters in the sun showcasing its beauty and architectural marvel.
The mosque was built in 1984 by Lodigiani Nigeria Ltd and is open to the non-Muslim public, except during congregational prayers. The current Chief Imam of the Mosque is Ustadz Musa Mohammed.
If you’re on a mosque tour, this is one of the best mosques to visit in Nigeria. The mosque is known to be one of the most beautiful and well-constructed mosque in Nigeria and it gets this commendation because of the way eyes get excited when they get a glimpse of it.
The complex includes a conference centre capable of serving five hundred persons, the office for the Islamic Centre, and residential facilities for the imam and muezzin. For those that don’t know who a Muezzin is, a Muezzin is the person appointed at a mosque to lead and recite the call to prayer for every event of prayer and worship in the mosque.
His post is an important one, and the community depends on him for an accurate prayer schedule.
Shitta-Bey Mosque
Shitta-Bey Mosque is a prayer ground and religious learning centre in Lagos. This mosque is considered one of the oldest mosques in Nigeria, making it to be a place to be. Not only one of the oldest, this is also one of the biggest mosque in Nigeria. The mosque is located at Martins Ereko Street, Lagos Island, Lagos. It was established in 1892 and designated as National monument by Nigerian Commission for Museums and Monuments in 2013.
This mosque, considered one of the most important historical legacies of Nigeria, was named after its founder Sierra Leonean born Nigerian, Mohammed Shitta Bey, who was an aristocrat, philanthropist and businessman. The mosque which has only 1 Minaret was constructed with only concrete, granite, and marble, it was designed in Afro-Brazilian architecture by renowned Brazilian architect Joao Baptista da Costa.
Gobarau Minaret
The Gobarau Minaret is on its own not a mosque but part of a mosque. The age of this is said to be over 600 years. It’s considered the oldest mosque and the first storey building in West Africa. It is located in the center of the city of Katsina, Northern Nigeria. As an early example of Muslim architecture in a city known as a theological center, the tower has become a symbol of the city.
Originally built as the central Mosque of Katsina town, this was later used also as a school. By the beginning of the 16th century, Katsina had become a very important commercial and academic center in Hausa land, and Gobarau mosque had grown into a famed institution of higher Islamic education.
Gobarau continued to be Katsina’s Central mosque until the beginning of the 19th century AD, when a new mosque was built. The new mosque was later demolished by Muhammadu Dikko (1906–1944), who built the famous Masallacin Dutsi, which is still used up to this day.
Ilorin Central Mosque
The pride of Ilorin is the Central Mosque. It is located in the center of the city. To this day it attracts tourist due to its unusual beauty. Ilorin is the state capital of Kwara in Western part of Nigeria.
The traditions of African cultures are mostly gathered here.
Lagos Central Mosque
Lagos Central Mosque is an important jum’at mosque in Lagos Island and home of the Chief Imam of Lagos. It is located along the busy Nnamdi Azikiwe Street. The current Mosque was opened for use in March 1988, displacing an earlier mosque that was built between 1908 and 1913. The chief Imam leads jumat service at the Mosque and he is the custodian of the mosque.
Due to the beauty of the mosque, the mosque serves as a tourist center attracting mostly Muslim tourists in the city of Lagos. This is no doubt, one of the mosque to worship in Nigeria.
