Tsingoni Mosque

The mosque at Tsingoni carries an inscription dated to 1538 and is the oldest mosque still in use anywhere in France, built when Tsingoni was the seat of the sultans of Mayotte. The mihrab and parts of the original coral-stone fabric survive within later rebuilding, and it is classified as a historic monument. It remains an active parish mosque in the village. Tsingoni was the capital of the Mayotte sultanate before the seat moved to Dzaoudzi in the nineteenth century. The mosque has been rebuilt and extended several times around the surviving early fabric.

History

The date of the mosque's founding is disputed: one source gives 1538, while researchers also suggest around 1441. A new minaret was added in 1994, the mosque was listed as a French historical monument in 2016, and renovations costing an estimated €2 million began in 2019 (Wikipedia, Tsingoni Mosque).

The main sights

• The 1538 inscription - the date carved into the fabric.
• The mihrab - the surviving original element inside.
• The coral stone - the building material of the earliest fabric.
• The sultanate seat - the village that was Mayotte's capital.

When to go

May to October is the dry season. It is a working mosque and prayer times govern access. Fridays are busiest.

Practical notes

It is an active mosque and interior access for non-Muslims is generally not given. The visit is largely the exterior. Dress and behaviour matter at any time.

Nearby

Lac Karihani is south, and Mamoudzou is east.

Key facts