Palm Tree Mosque, or the Church of Jan van Bougies, or the Dadelboom Mosque, is a former residence and current

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, ...

in Long Street, Cape Town, South Africa. It is the oldest substantially unaltered building in Long Street. Palm Tree Mosque 1943

The building stands on land once owned by Hermanus Smuts, south-west of a block of land granted to him in 1751. The grant was bounded by Long, Leeuwen and Keerom Streets. After his wife died in 1754, portions of the property were sold off. At the time the property had stables on it. It was purchased by one J. M. Vogel and again, after Vogel's death in 1777, by Baron Willem Ferdinand van Reede van Oudtshoorn. In 1782 it was transferred to one of his sons. Successive owners were Daniel Hugo (1785), Daniel Krynauw (1786) and Carel Lodewijk Schot (1787). Schot went bankrupt, but is probably responsible for building the first residence in about 1788. The property was bought by J. P. Roux in 1790. Freed slaves Jan van Bougies and Frans van Bengalen bought the property in 1807 and Jan van Bougies became the sole owner in 1811. Jan and Frans, along with some followers, broke away from the

Auwal Mosque The Auwal Mosque, alternatively spelled Awwal, Owal or Owwal, is a mosque in the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood of Cape Town, South Africa, recognised as the first mosque established in the country. It was constructed in 1794 during the first British oc ...

, when the former failed to succeed as

imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...

. When Jan van Bougies died in 1846, aged 112, he left the property to his wife Samida of the Cape, but specified that it continue to operate as a mosque, the second oldest in Cape Town. The second storey was presumable added after the house had been turned into a mosque some time between 1811 and 1821. There was once a garden in front of the house, in which two

palm trees Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...

grew. Today there is one of the remaining trees, with a new tree planted on the , to replace the one that was blown over by a strong wind. The low sash window and shortened door are not by design; Long Street was raised over the years.

Gallery

File:0000-Palm Tree Mosque-185 Long St-The Cape-s.jpg, Palm Tree Mosque in 1988 File:Palm Tree Mosque.JPG, Palm Tree Mosque in 2012

References

{{reflist, 2 Houses completed in 1788 Mosques in Cape Town Religious buildings and structures completed in 1788 History of Cape Town 1780s establishments in South Africa 1780s establishments in the Dutch Empire 1788 establishments in Africa 18th-century establishments in the Cape Colony 18th-century mosques 18th-century architecture in South Africa