Malabo Mosque facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Religion |
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|---|---|
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Location | |
| Location | Malabo, Bioko Norte, Equatorial Guinea |
 Location in Equatorial Guinea
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| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | mosque |
| Funded by | Constancia Mangue |
| Date established | 21 July 2015 |
| Construction cost | 2 billion Central African CFA francs |
| Capacity | 2,000 |
The Malabo Mosque (also known as the Malabo Central Mosque) is a very important mosque in Malabo, the capital city of Equatorial Guinea. It is the biggest mosque in the country. Up to 2,000 people can pray there at one time.
History
Long ago, in the early 1900s, Muslim people from the Hausa group came from Cameroon and Nigeria. They built a mosque in Malabo. These traders sold things like traditional African masks to European settlers. They also brought medicines from Nigeria for the plantation managers.
The first mosque they built became very old and was falling apart. So, it was taken down. A temporary mosque was then set up in the northern part of Malabo.
In 2014, something big happened. The First Lady of Equatorial Guinea, Constancia Mangue, decided to pay for a brand new mosque. This new mosque cost a lot of money, about 3 million euros.
On July 21, 2015, the Malabo Mosque officially opened. The President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, was there with his wife. Two vice presidents also attended the opening. Important guests from other countries came too. These included the Prime Minister of Egypt and the President of the Comoros.
The Ministry of Awqaf from Egypt helped by sending imams (religious leaders) and preachers to the mosque. This was part of Egypt's effort to share the teachings of Islam. The main religious leader of the Muslim community in Equatorial Guinea, Pedro Benigno Matute Tang, thanked everyone at the ceremony.
President Obiang gave a speech at the opening. He said the mosque would be a "beacon of coexistence." This means it would be a place where people of different beliefs could live together peacefully. He also said that Islam is not a religion of "terror, discrimination, or extremism."
In 2020, there was a special event at the mosque. Two young Muslims from Equatorial Guinea won prizes. They received Samsung products in a contest. This contest was held to encourage young people to read and study.
See also
- Islam in Equatorial Guinea
- You can find more information about the Malabo Mosque for kids in Spanish here: Mezquita de Malabo para niños
