Jummah Mosque

The Jummah Mosque is the main mosque of Port Louis, filling a block between Royal Street, Queen Street and Jummah Mosque Street on the edge of Chinatown. Merchants of the city's Muslim community bought the first plots in 1852, and a small mosque, long known as the Mosque of the Arabs, was consecrated in 1853. It was enlarged between 1878 and 1895 with craftsmen and materials brought from India, and the old prayer hall became the heart of the new building.

The architecture blends Indian, Creole and Islamic styles, with Moorish and Mughal touches. An Indian almond tree that was already on the land in 1852 still grows in the middle of the courtyard, and a marble tomb next to the mosque holds the remains of Jamal Shah, a pir from Kutch in India. The mosque also runs a madrasa.

This is an active place of worship, so dress modestly and be respectful of anyone at prayer. It sits a few minutes' walk from the Central Market and the Caudan Waterfront, and the tourism authority names it among the city's landmark buildings alongside St Louis Cathedral and Kwan Tee Pagoda.