Mohamed Ameen Dabhelia – 2018/03/19

The Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking, England, became the first mosque in Britain to be listed as Grade I by the country’s government.

The move recognizes the mosque’s exceptional history, architecture and cultural importance.

Speaking to Radio Islam, travel-writer Tharik Hussain says the British government has termed the mosque ‘Oriental architecture’.

“It’s also about the symbolic status of the building, the Shah Jahan mosque was the first purpose built masjid in the Northern hemisphere.”

Hussain says has been conducting research on the heritage of the mosque.

“What I found is that the mosque was actually built by Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner who was a Hungarian-Jewish linguist who spent many years in India. He built the mosque as part of his Oriental Institute in the town of Woking.”

Hussain adds that a ship’s captain confirmed the Qibla direction.

“According to an 1889 newspaper report, the captain of a famous British shipping and logistics company was a daily visitor to the construction site in Woking between the hours of 4 pm and 6 pm. This was to take bearings and ensure that the mosque was correctly aligned towards Makkah in Saudi Arabia.”

Hussain says that Woking is also home to the first burial site for Muslim soldiers, now known as the Peace Gardens, and the country’s first-ever general Muslim burial site.