A mosque is a place of worship for Muslims. Here you will find details and locations of where to find mosques in Zambia. Mosques have increased in number in the past years if you are a Muslim looking for a place to worship, begin your search here. There are over 60 registered Islamic organisations in Zambia. Most of these organisations are controlled by either Muslims of Asian origin or Yaos from Malawi and Mozambique. The most prominent and well-organised organisations are run by Asian Muslims. There is also the Islamic Council of Zambia which is the mother body for all Islamic organisations. The Council was constituted by a government with the aim to coordinate the Islamic organisations.
Mosques are sacred spaces for practitioners of Islam worldwide. Architectural features that define a mosque, include minarets, prayer halls, and the minbar,
For Islam, the place of worship is the mosque. Not only a place for praying, but it's also the centre of the community and where many wonderful pieces of Islamic art have been created.
Mosques are the heart of Islamic life. They serve for prayers, for events during Islam's holiest month of Ramadan, as centres for education and information, places for social welfare, and also for dispute settlement. The iman is the religious leader of the mosque and the person who leads the prayers. Mosques are as old as Islam. With the expansion of Islam, mosques started to be built in new territories including Zambia
The most important room of a mosque is the prayer hall. It can be either covered by a roof supported by many columns or covered by a large dome. This room is often decorated with religious calligraphy and is usually free from furniture, to help fit more people. Mosques should be large enough to fit the entire male population of the community, which can be many people.
The minaret is a tall tower, commonly located in a corner of the mosque. Some mosques have more than one. The minaret is used for calling to prayer.
The mihrab is a niche on the wall that indicates the direction towards Mecca. It's usually semicircular and all Muslims inside the mosque align towards the mihrab for prayer.
The minbar is an elevated platform inside the prayer room that the leader of the congregation uses to deliver speeches. It consists of the actual platform and a ladder to access it.