Today marks 100 years since the foundation stone of Nairobi’s Jamia Mosque was laid, a moment that began the transformation of a simple vision into one of East Africa’s most iconic religious and architectural landmarks.
Over the past century, the mosque has not only stood as a house of worship but also as a symbol of foresight, resilience, and unity for the Muslim community in Kenya and beyond.
Jamia Mosque, Nairobi’s iconic landmark and one of the largest mosques in East Africa, carries a rich history that stretches back more than a century.
The vision for Jamia Mosque was conceived in 1902 when Maulana Sayed Abdullah Shah, a respected religious leader, approached the colonial government for land on which to build a mosque. Held in high regard, he was granted permission to choose any site he wished.
When presented with a map of Nairobi, he placed his finger squarely in the middle—then little more than uninhabited swampland. Questioned about his unusual choice, he responded with foresight: the site would one day become the center of a great city.
Today, Jamia Mosque stands at the very heart of Nairobi’s bustling Central Business District, a testament to his vision.
Although the mosque was founded in 1902, construction did not begin until 1925. The delay stemmed partly from an edict that prohibited Indians and Arabs from owning land in Nairobi, as well as financial constraints.
To raise funds, the Anjuman Islamia Muslim Association launched a wide appeal across East Africa between September 1925 and December 1927, with contributions also arriving from as far away as the Muslim community in Durban, South Africa.
In 1916, Anjuman Islamia acquired an additional plot adjacent to the original 1902 site, where a temporary mosque was already operational. This expansion gave the community two adjoining plots for the future Jamia Mosque, which was initially known as Muslim Mosque Nairobi.
The association commissioned Scottish architect William Landels to design the new mosque. Drawing inspiration from sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Mughal architecture, Landels modeled the design on the grand mosques of Emperor Shah Jehan in Delhi and Emperor Aurangzeb in Lahore.
The Municipal Council raised objections over the height of the minarets, forcing them to be reduced, yet the mosque still emerged as the tallest landmark in Nairobi at the time.
The foundation of Jamia Mosque was laid in a series of significant ceremonies. On August 2, 1925, Maulana Abdul Momin, the Imam of the newly built Jamia Mosque Muthurwa, led the ground-breaking.
Contractor Munshi Mauladad was honored with digging the foundations. A few weeks later, on September 7, 1925, Maulana Sayed Abdullah Shah laid the foundation stone. On March 23, 1926, Sultan Muhammad Shah Aga Khan III placed the mosque’s skewback stone, further cementing its stature as a monumental project for the Muslim community.
Construction was a painstaking undertaking. Stones were imported from India through the port of Mombasa, then transported by rail to Nairobi. From the station, Indian railway workers carried each block on their shoulders to the construction site.
The workforce labored under the difficult conditions of colonial segregation and the hazards of wild animals, which were known to roam near the site.
After eight years of effort, the mosque was completed in 1933. It was officially opened on Friday, August 18 of that year, in a grand ceremony attended by thousands of Muslims—Punjabis, Arabs, Swahilis, Somalis, Nubis, and others—who marched in procession from the Indian National Bank, now the Kenya National Archives, to the new mosque some 750 meters away.
The inauguration was led by Sayyid Khalifa bin Harub, the Sultan of Zanzibar, who declared the mosque open for prayers. The celebrations continued for two days, featuring speeches, sermons, prayers, and poetry in Urdu, Arabic, and Swahili.
At its completion, Jamia Mosque was not only the tallest building in Nairobi but also the largest mosque in East Africa. Over the past half century, it has been expanded at least twice to accommodate Nairobi’s growing Muslim population. Today, it stands as both a place of worship and a living monument to the faith, resilience, and foresight of the community that built it.
