Larabanga Mosque
A small mud-and-stick mosque in Sudanese style near Mole, among the oldest surviving buildings in Ghana.
Updated 19 October 2026
The mosque at Larabanga is built in the Sudanese style of the West African savanna: mud walls over a timber frame, with the horizontal support timbers projecting through the surface as rows of pegs, buttressed pyramidal towers over the mihrab and minaret, and a whitewashed finish that has to be renewed after every rainy season. Local tradition dates its founding to the fifteenth century, which would make it among the oldest buildings in the country, though the fabric has been rebuilt many times as mud construction requires. An ancient baobab and a stone associated with the founding legend stand beside it. It is a working mosque and non-Muslims are generally shown the exterior only.
History
By legend, in 1421 a trader named Ayuba dreamed near a "mystic stone" that he should build a mosque, woke to find the foundations already laid and completed it, asking to be buried beside it; the mosque also keeps an old Quran that local people believe was a gift from heaven in 1650 to the imam Yidan Barimah Bramah. Like other rural mosques it was the work of a single marabout, loosely based on styles such as the Great Mosque of Djenné, with large buttresses to make up for poorer materials. In the 1970s a sand and cement render trapped moisture in the adobe walls and led to termite damage and a partial collapse, and in September 2002 a severe storm destroyed the mihrab and minaret, so the World Monuments Fund placed the mosque on its 2002 Watch (Wikipedia, Larabanga Mosque).
What's there
- The mud walls - the whitewashed Sudanese-style structure with projecting timbers.
- The buttressed towers - the pyramidal mihrab and minaret forms.
- The mystic stone - the rock beside the mosque tied to its founding story.
- The old baobab - the tree standing next to the building.
When to go
November to March in the dry season, when the road and the whitewash are at their best; the mosque is re-plastered after the rains. Avoid prayer times. Mornings are cooler.
Before you go
Non-Muslims are usually not admitted inside. Fees, guiding charges and photography charges are levied and negotiated on arrival, sometimes assertively. The village around is very poor and children ask for money. The building is small and the visit brief.
Nearby
Mole national park lies a few kilometres north; Damongo is south.
Key facts
Source: Wikidata, item Q490898, read on 18 October 2026.
What to pack for Larabanga Mosque
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- Comfortable walking shoes - Sightseeing means kilometres of pavement and cobbles daily. Find on Amazon
- Modest clothing - Shoulders and knees covered - the single most common requirement. Find on Amazon
- A slim anti-theft daypack - Zips that close properly; keep it in front in crowds and on transit. Find on Amazon
- A scarf or shawl - To cover the head or shoulders on entry; women especially at mosques. Find on Amazon
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