The Expansive Old Kampala Mosque
Though it boasts of a 200-year-lifespan, this will be a brief one, albeit a must-read. See, the Old Kampala Mosque is one of the places you must visit whilst out here in the City. For most adventurers in pursuit of religious tourism, it is just right— offering a sophisticated taste of elegance, architecture, and brilliant artistic inscriptions from all the six continents of the world
It should have been up and proud by the time the current Museveni-led government came into power, but the construction of the mosque stalled after Idi Amin Dada fled Uganda following the overthrow of his government in 1979. The politics of it all would be that the president then, Apolo Milton Obote who more Christine-inclined didn’t think this pertinent whilst Idi Dada Amin put it on his radar. Historians tell of how fast it was erected whilst Amin was on the throne and how quickly the construction came to a screeching halt under the Obote government and the others that followed.
But its savior, the fallen Muammar Gaddafi was decades away and would come to its rescue. Aside from offering an impressive history and culture, the house of worship which was named after fallen Libyan President Muammar Gadaffi has a distinctive Minaret that stands at over 100 feet atop old Kampala Hill and 1,210M above sea level. From here, adventurers can get some much-needed fresh air from the hot day plus the most breathtaking 360 degrees of Kampala and the seven Hills of Kampala. No other hill in Kampala offers such.
And yes, today, it is one of the largest mosques in the world and seats up to 15,000 worshipers and can hold another 1,100 in the gallery and over 2,000 in its lower terrace. Its lighting is a beauty to partake in the night, adding to a glorious scene that makes for Kampala’s hills by the night.
Travel Tip
Women need to be prepared to wear a dress and cover all their hair if visiting the Mosque (provided). While exploring the holy sanctuary is free for Ugandans, it comes at a fee of shs10,000 for non-citizens.
