Juma Masjid Mosque

Built in 1881 and extended several times, the Grey Street mosque holds several thousand worshippers and is usually 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, established by descendants of indentured labourers brought to Natal from the 1860s to work sugar, 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.

What you actually see

• The 1881 mosque - the largest congregation capacity in the southern hemisphere.
• The shop arcade - traders built into the mosque's street frontage, funding its upkeep.
• The Indian quarter - a trading district descended from indentured labour after the 1860s.
• 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.

Honest expectations

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.