Queen Victoria Mosque | |
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Location | |
Location | Bo-Kaap, Cape Town, South Africa |
Geographic coordinates | 33°55′22.1390″S 18°24′43.7490″E / 33.922816389°S 18.412152500°E |
Architecture | |
Type | Mosque |
The Jamia mosque or Queen Victoria mosque is situated at the corner of Chiappini and Castle street, Cape Town. [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]
While some sources mention that the mosque was built in the year 1850, [a] others mention that the land for building the mosque was granted only in the year 1851. [b] It is a Shafee mosque [5] 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. [6] 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]