Juma Masjid Mosque

Built in 1881 and extended several times, the Grey Street mosque holds several thousand worshippers and was long described as the largest mosque in the southern hemisphere by capacity - a different claim from Nizamiye's, which rests on floor area and scale. It sits at the heart of Durban's historic Indian trading district, and the building is wrapped on its street sides by shops whose rents support it: the arcade of fabric sellers, spice merchants and jewellers is part of the same structure. Gold-domed minarets rise over the corner. The Victoria Street Market is next door. Guided visits are offered by local organisations, which is the sensible way to see both the mosque and the quarter, and modest dress and prayer-time awareness apply.

History

In August 1881 Aboobaker Amod Jhaveri and Hajee Mohamed bought a site in Grey Street for £115 and turned a small brick building on it into a mosque. More land was added in 1884 and 1889, the first minaret and two shops to fund the upkeep were built in 1904, and the mosque was rebuilt in 1927 to designs by Payne & Payne and extended again in 1943 (Wikipedia, Juma Mosque, Durban).

Highlights

• The 1881 mosque - long described as the largest mosque in the southern hemisphere.
• The shop arcade - traders built into the mosque's street frontage, funding its upkeep.
• The Indian quarter - the historic trading district around Grey Street.
• The minarets - gold domes rising over the Grey Street corner.

When to go

April to September for Durban's cooler months, outside prayer times. One hour.

Before you go

An active mosque - modest dress, shoes off, women directed to a separate area, and visits paused around prayers. The surrounding streets are crowded and busy; watch belongings. Guided visits are the easiest way in.

Nearby

Victoria Street Market is next door; the beachfront is east.

Key facts