Home

Saturday, April 2, 2011

After 500 years - Granada Mosque, Granada

Granada Mosque
One evening in summer 2001, among the many tourists, I was sitting on the bench at Mirador de San Nicolas hoping to get a glimpse of Alhambra at sunset. This is a popular place where people would gather and the gypsies would dance while waiting for the sun to vanish among the red fortress. On a clear day the backdrop of Alhambra, Sierra Nevada is visible. Just next to the square, I found a signboard written in Spanish...a mezquita (mosque) was under construction. 

And in 2005, I was elated to be able to visit the Granada Mosque and performed the jumaah solat here. We stayed in an apartment in the old quarter, AlBaicin. From our roof terrace the muezzin’s azan (call to prayers) could be clearly heard although loud speaker was not allowed. Masyallah, it was a feeling hard to describe…an azan….after 500 years…in Granada! For the Spanish Muslims, it was twenty two years of struggle to materialize their dream after the city authorities continually objected to their proposal. By the grace of Almighty, in summer, July 10th 2003 the first azan was called and this marked a new dawn for Islam in Europe. 


The financiers of this mosque had come from all over the world and my native land was no exception. To our fellow Muslims in Granada…although we are from another part of the world, our feelings are mutual…we share your sorrow, we celebrate your victory and our prayers are always with you.  http://www.granadamosque.com/

Delicious warm bread on sale after Friday prayers
Olive tree in the mosque's garden
A man selling honey outside the mosque



5 comments:

  1. Salaam, I loved the fact that you were able to pray there, and your enthusiasm spills out from your blog. Inshallah I will be going there soon and the mosque sadly, is not mentioned much.
    What was the name of the place that you stayed? I want to experience the adhaan there too.
    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Salam,

      I stayed in one of the apartment near River Darro in Al-Baicin. The adhaan could be heard clearly from the roof terrace of our apartment. I booked from this website:
      http://granadainfo.com/apartments.htm

      There is a bus stop near our apartment and the bus takes us direct to Plaza San Nicolas, where the mosque is. We went to the mosque several times and the best was before Magrib where you would have a splendid view of Alhambra at sunset and then perform Magrib prayers there.
      http://www.mezquitadegranada.com/1/?L=1

      Delete
  2. Jazak Allah khair, Subhan Allah what a way to see granada. We are truly blessed. Thanks for the reply.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SALAM
    do you go to alhambra mosque for salat?
    alhambra is very beautiful mosque.
    do you live in granada?
    how many muslim live in granada?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Salam...we did go for solat at the Granada mosque on Friday. I'm not living in Granada but I happened to have visited this city twice. I have not idea on the size of Muslim population here but looking at the congregational prayer on Friday, I would say that the Muslim population is growing.

      Delete