Malindi Mosque | |
Map Type: | Tanzania |
Map Size: | 225px |
Map Relief: | yes |
Religious Affiliation: | Islam |
Location: | Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania |
Festivals: | --> |
Organizational Status: | --> |
Date Destroyed: | --> |
Elevation Ft: | --> |
Malindi Mosque is a mosque in Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania, located near the port.[1] It stems from the 1830s but was possible built on the site of an elder mosque that might have dated back to the 17th century or earlier.[2] Some travel guides claim an origin in the 15th century.[3]
The present mosque was built in 1834-1835/1250 AH by Muhammad ben Abdulkadir al-Mansaby from the Benadir coast in Somalia. He was a rich merchant in Zanzibar during the 1820s to the 1840s. The building was enlarged twice in 1841 and 1890.[4]
It has some unusual architectural features, including a cone-shaped minaret (one of just three minarets of this shape in East Africa) and a square platform.