Nine notable mosques in Africa

At over $33 million (€30 million), the new Massalikul Jinaan mosque was completed in September 2019 by the Mouride Brotherhood. It is the largest in West Africa capable of holding 15,000 worshippers inside, and another 15,000 on an outside esplanade. The name is derived from the title of a poem by Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba Mbacke, the 19th-century founder of the Brotherhood and revered as a saint.

This magnificent mosque is one of the oldest places of worship in the Islamic world, and possibly the oldest in Africa. Founded in the year 670 by the Arab general Uqba ibn Nafi, the building shows the mixed influence of pre-Islamic, Roman and Byzantine architecture. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Kairouan, in northern Tunisia's inland desert.

Nicknamed the Mecca of West Africa, the Larabanga Mosque is built in Sudanese architectural style in Larabanga, Ghana. Founded in 1421– it is the oldest mosque in the country and one of the oldest in West Africa. Listed as one of the 100 most endangered sites, it has undergone restoration several times. The restoration works have revived the knowledge of mud-plaster maintenance.

The Great Mosque of Touba was consecrated in 1887 by Sufi saint and founder of the Mouride Brotherhood, Amadou Bamba — though it wasn't officially completed until 1963. Bamba died in 1927 and is interred inside the mosque which is now run by his descendants. It is considered one of the most beautiful mosques in the world.

The Great Mosque of Djenne is the world's largest mudbrick structure. It was built in 1907 using a unique architectural style developed in West Africa's Sahelian grassland in the 14th century. Every year, the entire community of Djenne takes part in a festival to repair damages caused by the natural effects of erosion — complete with music and food, of course.

This striking mosque was built in 1984 and is the national mosque of Nigeria. Though it was built to cater to Nigeria's substantial Muslim population, it is also open to the non-Muslim public, except during congregational prayers. It is also symbolically located opposite the National Christian Center.

Completed in 2006, Uganda's National Mosque is an example of modern mosque architecture. It was commissioned in Kampala by the former Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi and subsequently named after him. After his death, it was renamed and is also the headquarters of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council.

Completed in 1993, the Hassan II Mosque was until recently the largest mosque on the African continent and the third-largest in the world. The mosque was built to commemorate the 60th birthday of former King Hassan II. Its stunning location on an outcrop overlooking the ocean represents a verse from the Quran, which states that God's throne was built upon the water.

Also known as the Great Mosque of Algiers, it was completed this year after seven years of construction at the cost of over $1 billion (€915). Its construction was a global effort: Financed by the Algerian government, designed by German architects, and built by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation. Its 265 meter (869 feet) minarett makes it the tallest building in Africa.