The Central Mosque — or, as it is locally known, the Grand Mosque of the Island of Mozambique — is located on Solidarity Street, in the macuti town, near the fish market.
Standing for just over a hundred years, it faces the sea, from where the mainland can be seen. Its walls seem to reflect the same color as the Indian Ocean, that greenish hue which became one of the defining elements of the Cultures of the Indian Ocean exhibition. It was also across the sea that, over time, people came — some to stay and settle, others who today pray within its walls, as I mention in other articles on this site.
The mosque is visited daily by hundreds of people who come to perform their prayers.
It is Friday, the day of the main collective prayer, and the mosque is completely full. I took these photos in August 1996 for the Cultures of the Indian Ocean exhibition, while Francisco Leal recorded the sound of the Salat al-Jumu’ah, which replaces the usual midday prayer on this day.
