Description of the attraction
The Mashid al-Dahab, or Golden Mosque, located in the Manila district of Kuiapo, is considered the largest mosque in the capital of the Philippines. It got its name from a huge dome covered with gold. The mosque was built in 1976 specifically for the visit to the country of the President of Libya, Mauammar Gaddafi, who was supposed to act as an intermediary between the Philippine government and Muslim separatists from the island of Mindanao. The construction was carried out under the personal supervision of the then First Lady Imelda Marcos. However, almost at the last moment, the visit of the Libyan leader was canceled.
Today, the mosque is a sacred site for the Muslims of Manila, who live primarily in the Quiapo and Binondo areas. The mosque is especially crowded on Fridays during the midday sermon "juma" - up to 3 thousand worshipers can fit inside. Despite such popular popularity, the minaret of the Golden Mosque is completely covered with rust, and the dome is partially. True, work on the restoration of the mosque is scheduled for the near future.
Interestingly, in Manila, Friday is considered "Kuiapo Day", since on this day, in addition to the Muslim Juma, a Mass is held in the Golden Mosque in honor of the Black Jesus of Nazareth in the Kuiapo Church, located just a few hundred meters from the mosque. Therefore, motorists are not advised to enter the area on the last working day of the week.
Islam was once the most widespread religion in the Philippines, until in 1570 Miguel Lopez de Legazpi overthrew the Muslim Sultan Raju Suleiman and proclaimed Manila the capital of the Spanish colony. Today, only the Golden Mosque reminds of the past dominance of Islam in the Philippine Islands.
