1794
Dorp Street
The first mosque
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The Auwal Masjid dates to 1794. On Dorp Street, in a property bought by Coridon van Ceylon, a free Black Muslim, South Africa’s first mosque took shape. Tuan Guru became its first imam.
A place for the congregation
Coridon van Ceylon bought the Dorp Street property. Tuan Guru, held on Robben Island from 1780 to 1793, led the congregation as its first imam. His handwritten Qur’an is kept at the mosque.
Worship before legal protection
The mosque was founded ten years before religious freedom was proclaimed on 25 July 1804. Muslim congregational life was already established on Dorp Street before the law protected it. The mosque is open around prayer times; confirm access before setting out.
The people behind the building
Two people made the mosque: Coridon van Ceylon, who provided the site, and Tuan Guru, who led the congregation.
From the page to the place
Plan a visit
Auwal Masjid
39 Dorp Street, Bo-Kaap
Auwal Masjid on Dorp Street is central to the story of Muslim Cape Town. Its early congregation and Tuan Guru’s role as its first imam connect the building with the community’s struggle to sustain worship and learning. His handwritten Qur’an gives that history a surviving object, but the mosque’s continuing life matters just as much as its age.
Visiting detailsConfirm access and opening times before setting out.