Ever wondered about the oldest masjids in the world? If the answer is affirmative, you have come to the right place.
In this post, we have enlisted some of the world’s oldest masjids, in order of their respective age (the oldest one comes first, followed by the next oldest masjid, and so on).
16 Oldest Masjids in The World
1. Masjid al-Haram, Mecca (Saudi Arabia)
Image: Maria Alexandra
Masjid al-Haram is the oldest and largest masjid in the world surrounding the Holy Ka’abah. Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) and his son Prophet Isma’il (PBUH) raised the foundation of the Ka’abah, as mentioned in the Quran.
2. Masjid al-Aqsa, Jerusalem (Palestine)
Image: Godot13
Masjid al-Aqsa or Bait al-Muqaddas, the first Qiblah of Muslims, was constructed forty years after the construction of Masjid al-Haram.
3. Masjid al-Quba, Medina (Saudi Arabia)
Image: Abdelrhman Habashy
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) laid the foundation of Masjid al-Quba when he first reached Medina, in the year 622 CE.
4. Masjid an-Nabwi, Medina (Saudi Arabia)
Image: SeekQuran
Masjid an-Nabwi was built by Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in Medina in the year 622 CE, few months after Masjid al-Quba.
5. Masjid al-Qiblatain, Medina (Saudi Arabia)
Image: Muhammad Mahdi Karim
Masjid al-Qiblatain (Masjid of the two Qiblahs) was built in the year 623 CE. This is where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received the Revelation to change the direction of prayer (Qiblah) from Jerusalem to Mecca.
6. Huaisheng Masjid, Guangzhou (China)
Image: EastAsia
Huaisheng Masjid was built around 627 CE by Hz Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqas (RA), an uncle of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He was part of the first Muslim envoy to China sent in the 620s.
7. Jawatha Masjid, al-Ahasa (Saudi Arabia)
Image: Almrsal
Jawatha Masjid in al-Kilabiyah village of al-Ahasa was built in the year 628 CE by the tribe of Abd al-Qais. It has since been renovated many times.
8. Cheraman Juma Masjid, Kerala (India)
Image: നിരക്ഷരൻ
Cheraman Juma Masjid, built in 629 CE, was the first masjid in India. It was built by Hz Malik Dinar (RA) in memory of the noble Chera King Cheraman Perumal.
9. Palaiya Juma Palli Masjid, Kilakarai (India)
Image: Kilakarai
Palaiya Juma Palli Masjid is located in Kilakarai, a town in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was constructed by Yemeni merchants as per the orders of Bazan ibn Sasan, the Governor of Yemen, in 630 CE.
10. The Masjid of Uqba, Kairouan (Tunisia)
Image: MAREK SZAREJKO
The Great Masjid of Kairouan, or the Uqba Masjid, was established by the great General Hz Uqba ibn Nafi (RA) in the year 670 CE.
11. Umayyad Masjid, Damascus (Syria)
Image: american_rugbier
Caliph al-Walid I commissioned the construction of Umayyad Masjid in the year 706 CE, and it was completed in 715 CE, shortly after the death of Caliph al-Walid I.
12. The Great Masjid of Aleppo, Aleppo (Syria)
Image: yeowatzup
The Great Masjid of Aleppo was built by Caliph Suleyman ibn Abd al-Malik in 717 CE, following the successful construction of Umayyad Masjid, Damascus. Sadly, the minaret of this beautiful masjid has been destroyed recently during the Syrian Civil War, and as of now, the masjid is no longer in use.
13. al-Zaytuna Masjid, Tunis (Tunisia)
Image: Citizen59
al-Zaytuna Masjid was built in the year 732 CE by the liberator of Tunis, Hassan ibn Nu’man (RA).
14. The Great Masjid of Xian, Xian (China)
Image: Dennis
The Great Masjid of Xian was built in the year 742 CE, during the rule of Tang dynasty. It served as the religious center of Arab merchants and traders based in China.
15. Koutoubia Masjid, Marrakech (Morocco)
Image: Stuart Pinfold
Construction of Koutoubia Masjid began somewhere around 1150 CE. It was completed during the reign of Sultan Yacoub el-Mansour (1184-99).
16. Djenne Masjid, Djenne (Mali)
Image: mauro gambini
Djenne Masjid, the largest mud-structure building in the world, was initially built in 13th century. It is said that Sultan Koi Kunboro, a popular ruler, embraced Islam and transformed his own palace into a masjid.
That brings us to the end of this post. Need more? Check out some other posts about masjids around the world.
New Islamicate 