Masjid Al-Dahab (or the Manila Golden Mosque and Cultural Center; ) is situated in the predominantly

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

section of the Quiapo district in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

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, and is considered the largest

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

Metro Manila Metropolitan Manila (often shortened as Metro Manila; fil, Kalakhang Maynila), officially the National Capital Region (NCR; fil, link=no, Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), is the capital region, seat of government and one of three List of metrop ...

Background

The Golden Mosque acquired its name for its gold-painted dome as well as for its location in Globo de Oro Street. Under the supervision of Philippine's then-First Lady

Imelda Marcos Imelda Romualdez Marcos (; born Imelda Remedios Visitacion Trinidad Romualdez; July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician who served as the First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986, wielding significant political power during the dictator ...

, construction began on August 4, 1976, for the visit of

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President

Muammar al-Gaddafi Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi, . Due to the lack of standardization of transcribing written and regionally pronounced Arabic, Gaddafi's name has been romanized in various ways. A 1986 column by ''The Straight Dope'' lists 32 spellin ...

, although his visit was cancelled. It was funded through foreign donations, notably from Libya and

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. It now serves many in Manila's Muslim community and is especially full during Jumuah prayers on a Friday. The mosque can accommodate up to 22,000 worshippers. The mosque incorporates a mixture of foreign and local influences. Its dome and erstwhile minaret are patterned after Middle Eastern structures whereas its geometric designs borrow much from the colors and variations of ethnic Maranao, Maguindanao, and Tausug art. The curved lines are based on the serpent motifs in Maranao art. The mosque used to exhibit stained glass panels by artist Antonio Dumlao. The glass panels are now at the

Far Eastern University Far Eastern University (Filipino language, Filipino: ''Pamantasan ng Malayong Silanganan''), also referred to by its acronym FEU, is a Private university, private non-sectarian Liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Manila, Philippines ...

. According to the mosque administrators, the minaret was torn down due to problems in structural integrity at the time of then-Mayor

Lito Atienza Jose "Lito" Livioko Atienza Jr. (; born August 10, 1941) is a Filipino politician. He served as a Party-list Representative for Buhay from 2013 to 2022, and was a House Deputy Speaker from 2020 to 2022. He served as the Secretary of Environment ...

. There were already plans to rebuild the minaret as donations from all over the world are pouring in to reach the target of . The measurement of its dome is in diameter and in height.

Transportation

The mosque is accessible within walking distance south east of Carriedo Station of Manila LRT Line 1. It is also accessible to jeepneys, buses, and

UV Express UV Express (formerly known as FX, Metered Taxi, and GT Express) is a license to operate utility vehicles, particularly vans, as an alternative mode of public transportation in the Philippines. The term also refers to the vehicles themselves. This ...

plying the

Quezon Boulevard Quezon Boulevard is a short stretch of highway in Manila, Philippines running north–south through the district of Quiapo. It is a six- to ten-lane divided boulevard designated as a component of National Route 170 (N170) of the Philippine hi ...

Rizal Avenue Rizal Avenue, also known as Avenida or Avenida Rizal, is one of Manila's main thoroughfares running from its Santa Cruz and Quiapo districts to the Bonifacio Monument (Monumento) Circle in Caloocan. Named after the national hero José Rizal ...

, and Carlos Palanca Sr. Street (Echague) routes.

References

External links

* „Golden Mosque“, Globo de Oro str., Quiapo, Manila
Pinoy Travel Blog
2006.
Vistapinas: Golden Mosque
Mosques in Metro Manila Buildings and structures in Quiapo, Manila Mosques completed in 1976 {{Asia-mosque-stub

Background

Transportation

See also

References

External links