Al Abrar Mosque ( ar, سجد الأبرار), or Masjidul Abrar Jumma Mosque, is a

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, ...

Beruwala Beruwala ( Sinhala:බේරුවල Tamil: பேருவளை) is a large town in Kalutara District, Western Province, Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. The town covers a total area of approximately and is located on the south-west ...

, Sri Lanka, which is claimed to be the first and the oldest mosque in the country. The mosque purportedly dates back to 920 AD, built by Arab merchants who arrived here to trade with locals in spices, ginger and steel en route to China. The mosque, fronted by a large pond, has undergone several extensive reconstructions since it was first built, with little attention paid to preserve any historical aspects of the structure. In 1893 the roof was supported by large round pillars, which were demolished in 1986 when the mosque went through a significant refurbishment and expansion, under the guidance and supervision of

Abdul Bakeer Markar Deshamanya Marhoom Al Haj Mohammed Abdul Bakeer Markar (12 May 1917 – 10 September 1997) was a Sri Lankan politician and civil servant. He was the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka and Governor of the Southern Province. Personal life H ...

, the local member of parliament, representing

, who later went on to become the Speaker of the Parliament and the first

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of the Southern Province. The renovated building was designed by W. J. Neil Alles of Surti and Alles Chartered Architects and built by Alhaj S. M. A. Hameed and M. N. A. Haniffa. The mosque currently has the capacity to accommodate 3,000 devotees. On 8 June 2003 an image of the mosque was included on two commemorative stamps (a

Rs. Rupee is the common name for the currencies of India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Africa, B ...

23 and Rs.4.50), released by the Postal Department to mark the first Arab settlement by the Media, Postal and Telecommunications Minister Imthiaz Bakeer Markar.

References

{{reflist Mosques in Sri Lanka Religious buildings and structures in Kalutara District

See also

References