The Gaddafi Mosque
The Gaddafi Mosque, also known as the National Mosque of Uganda, is the largest in East Africa. Located about 2 kilometers from the center of Kampala’s old Kampala Hill, one of seven hills in the Ugandan capital. The Gaddafi Mosque was built after Uganda’s state established the Muslim Supreme Council in 1972, and it was later renamed the Old Kampala National Mosque.
However, construction of the Mosque was halted in 1976 until 2001, when Ugandan Sheik Mufti Shaban Ramadhan Mubuye asked Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the late former president of Libya, to assist in the construction of the Mosque during his visit to Uganda. His request was approved and hence the reconstruction of the Mosque resumed and was completed in 2006.
The completed mosque, known as the Gaddafi National Mosque, was officially opened in June 2007 and housed the headquarters of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council. Following Colonel Gaddafi’s death in 2013, it was renamed “Uganda National Mosque,” as the current Libyan government was unwilling to rehabilitate the mosque under its previous name.
The Gaddafi Mosque can accommodate up to 15,000 worshipers, with an additional 1,100 in the gallery and 3,500 on the terrace. Libyan Colonel Muammar Gaddafi commissioned the mosque as a gift to Uganda and for the benefit of the Muslim community. There are many mosques in Uganda, but the Gaddafi mosque is the largest in East, Central, and Sub-Saharan Africa. A conference hall, library, hospital, university, and radio station are all part of the Mosque.
In comparison to other mosques in Uganda, Gaddafi Mosque is a skyscraper that houses the headquarters of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, the national religious advocacy organization for all Muslims in Uganda, on the ground level. And its main goal is to reach out to all people regardless of their socioeconomic status, as well as to take care of Islamic matters in Uganda. The mosque is located on the upper floor, where the Muslim congregation sits during prayers. The Uganda Mosque head’s residence and office are housed in the Gaddafi mosque. A Mufti is a religious scholar who determines legal avenues and perceives Sharia or Islamic principles.
The Gaddafi Mosque, which sits on 12 acres of land, is one of Africa’s largest Mosques, with the tallest Muezzin from which Muslims call their fellow religious affiliation for prayers. The mosque was designed with a focus on Western, Arab, and African contact cultures and was built in a contemporary vibrant form with a beautiful element of interior art.
The mosque is one of Kampala’s most distinctive tourist attractions. It is open to all visitors, regardless of their point of view, political allegiances, cultural identity, ethnicity, or color, among other things. During any of your safari tours around Kampala, don’t forget to stop by the Gaddafi Mosque, which is one of the best places to have a magical experience.
Every year, a large number of visitors from various countries, backgrounds, and religions come to explore the beautiful interior and minaret of the Gaddafi Mosque. Visitors are drawn to this location because it was commissioned as a gift to the Muslim community in Uganda. They want to see if what is written about the mosque truly defines the structure itself.
Visitors to the Mosque will be asked to pay the entrance fees at the front desk before entering the mosque. You will then be accompanied by a professional guide who knows everything about the mosque and will show you around.
Women visitors will be advised to wear loose-fitting clothes that cover their waits and ankles, as well as veils to veil their heads. If you do not have one, you will be provided with one and will be required to return it. Men will dress in long-sleeved shirts and trousers. The guide will take you around the mosque, where you will be able to see the beautiful art and architectural design in the main hall, as well as great scenic views of Kampala’s seven hills.
When is the best time to go to the Gaddafi Mosque?
The Gaddafi Mosque is open to visitors all year, which means that the beautiful Gaddafi Mosque can be visited at any time and on any day of the year. However, the best time to visit is during the dry season, when there is little or no rain in Kampala because exploring the depths of the Gaddafi mosque requires walking around on foot. The dry season lasts from June to August, December to January, and February to February, with only drizzles or no rain.
Accommodation while on a tour of the Gaddafi Mosque
Visitors on Kampala tours can stay at the following lodges: Hotel Africana, Arcadia suites, Golf Corse hotel, Kampala Serena hotel, fairway Hotel, Tristar Hotel, and forest cottages. Among them are Red Chilli Hideaway and Ravens Hotel. The hotels provide comfortable accommodation facilities, free WI-FI internet service, restaurants serving both local and international dishes, and a conducive environment for relaxation. The city of Kampala is cool, and good security is provided, so you can be assured of your safety while on your Kampala city tour.
