Mnara Mosque
Zanzibar, Tanzania
The Manara Mosque was built in 1834-1835/1250 AH by Muhammad b. Abdulkadir al-Mansaby, a member of a saintly clan from the Benadir, a coastal region of Somalia and a prominent Arab merchant in Zanzibar from the 1820s to 1840s. It was likely built on the site of an older Sunni mosque, possibly dating to the 17th century or earlier. It was enlarged in 1841 and again by Seyyid Ali bin Said in 1890. The mosque is notable for its conical minaret, one of only three in East Africa and the only that sits on a base.

Sources:

Bianca, Stefano & Francesco Siravo. Zanzibar: A Plan for the Historic Stone Town, 41. Geneva: The Aga Khan Trust for Culture, 1996.

Finke, Jens. The rough guide to Zanzibar. London: Rough Guides, 2010.

Fitzpatrick, Mary, Tim Bewer, and Matthew Firestone. East Africa, 128. Footscray, Vic: Lonely Planet, 2009.

Sheriff, Abdul. The History and Conservation of Zanzibar Stone Town, 51. Zanzibar: Department of Archives, Museums and Antiquities, 1995.
Location
Zanzibar, Tanzania
Images & Videos
Associated Names
Events
1834-1835/1250 AH
Variant Names
Malindi Mosque
Alternate
Msikiti wa Balnara
Alternate
Building Usages
religious