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Ghana Portal |
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Near to
Mole Park This whitewashed mud built Sahelian Mosque contains an ancient copy of the Qur'an and is said to date from near the same date. I have read that the structure is Sudanese architecture. Locals say that it was constructed in 1421, but a national museum in Accra puts the construction date as 1643-75 by Imam Bramah. No one really knows, the Accra dating is said to be based upon dating the copy of the Qur'an. It was probably built at the height of the trans-Saharan trade. There are ancient mud built mosques along a trade route running through northern Ghana, that survive, no date is known for them either. According to locals the founder was passing through the area, and decided to throw his spear into the air and sleep where it fell, I didn't ask why?, in the night he had a dream or vision, and found the foundations already in place the following morning, and that while being built it also masterly increased in height each night, the suggestion is that Allah helped to build it. The founder of the mosque is reputed to have been buried next to one of the entrances and be where the large baobad tree now stands. At a point in the year they eat the levees that grow on this tree. It has four entrances each with small doors, and each for a different type of person a) men, b) women, c) chief and Eman, d) Mula. It has a limited number of seats and when services are held here on Fridays most gather around the outside and hear the proceedings over a loudspeaker. I was told that 200 could get inside, and that 4,000, made up of 12 clans gather around. I cannot see how you could get 200 people inside this structure.
Every year in the rains, part of the mosque is washed away and then has to be reconstructed and repainted. Reports vary from visitors having a great experience, to being highly intimidated by groups of would be guides. So I have reservations in suggesting that people visit, unless they have a guide or local driver with them. I visited, having stayed the night before at
Mole Park The
mystery stone
There is a move to develop more tourism here, and it is said the most southerly town with mud huts with flat roofs, so that you can stay in and sleep on the roof. It is also said to put on drumming and dancing displays in the evenings as well as providing bicycle hire. I haven't verified any of this. We have a fuller and more
varied set of photographs in the
Larabanga Mosque
Photo Gallery
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