Grand Mosque of Conakry

The Grand Mosque of Conakry, also called the Fayçal Mosque, is the largest mosque in Sub-Saharan Africa and the fourth largest in Africa. It stands in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, east of the Botanical Garden and beside the Donka Hospital. It opened in 1982.

It was built under Guinea's first president, Ahmed Sékou Touré, with money from King Fahd of Saudi Arabia. It is known for its golden dome and four tall minarets, which dominate the city. French sources call it the largest mosque in Guinea and one of the largest in West Africa.

How big is it?

The mosque has room for 2,500 women on the upper level and 10,000 men below. Another 12,500 people can pray on its large esplanade, the open square in front. That adds up to about 25,000 worshippers.

French Wikipedia gives a smaller capacity of 13,000 seats, which probably counts only the inside, so numbers depend on what is counted.

Heroes in the garden

The gardens hold the Camayenne Mausoleum, where heroes of Guinea are buried. They include the national hero Samori Touré, who led resistance in the 19th century, the first president Sékou Touré and Alfa Yaya.

The mausoleum makes the mosque grounds a place of national memory as well as of prayer.

Care and community

The mosque has struggled with a lack of maintenance, running water and electricity, even after a large donation of 20 billion Guinean francs from Saudi Arabia in 2003.

It has also been a place where the community gathers at difficult moments: in 2009 mourners came to the esplanade after the 28 September violence in the city.

On the globe

The model shows the mosque with its golden dome and four tall minarets.