Ecofriendly Houghton mosque opens doors
Visitors welcome to learn more about Islam
THE 10-storey minarets of the newly opened mosque in West Street in Houghton, Johannesburg, pierce the sky, marking its magnificent presence.
The mosque, which has yet to be formally named, is one of South Africa’s places of worship that have been designed to be green. It opened its doors for its first azaan (call to prayer) on May 30.
The Houghton Muslim Jamaat Trust’s executive board members, Emraan Dasoo and Mohammed Ali Seedat, said the mosque took four years to complete and cost just more than R50-million. The project was funded by the trust and the government of Saudi Arabia.
“The mosque — which is the first phase of this development — can accommodate 2 000 worshippers, which includes facilities for 300 female worshippers.
“The second phase, the Islamic Centre, will be built on the neighbouring property. Both buildings will eventually become one,” said Seedat.
The Islamic Centre will house the library, auditorium, conference facilities and a madrasa (a college for Islamic instructions) classes.
The mosque’s courtyard has a retractable glass roof. It was designed and constructed in Germany, said Dasoo.
“The architects, Egyptian-born Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil and Muhammed Mayet, who is based in Johannesburg, designed the mosque to be green, meaning it is ecofriendly.
“It has insulated walls and many skylights, reducing the need for extra lighting. The wooden doors and mimbar [pulpit] are handcrafted.
“Most of the materials were sourced in Italy, India, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, Germany and elsewhere in Europe,” said Dasoo.
The Jamaat trustees decided to build this mosque as a legacy for future generations.
“Over the years, more Muslims have moved to Houghton. We built this mosque because there are currently 500 Muslim families living in the neighbourhood and surrounding areas.
“Our vision was to have a place of worship for our grandchildren — a religious institution that will be around long after we are gone.
“We hope this mosque is used for interfaith ceremonies and religious dialogues. We want to break the stereotypes that people have about Muslims.
“We welcome people to come here and learn more about Islam and Muslims,” said Dasoo.
The date for the official opening ceremony of the mosque would be announced once local and Saudi Arabian dignitaries had confirmed their attendance, said Seedat.