Auwal Masjid

The Auwal Masjid in the Bo-Kaap neighborhood features a simple, whitewashed exterior and a small, understated minaret. Established in seventeen ninety-four, it is the first mosque built in South Africa. Tuan Guru, a political exile from the Indonesian archipelago, founded the masjid while living under colonial restrictions. He spent his years in captivity writing a complete copy of the Quran from memory. His handwritten manuscript still rests inside the building, serving as a quiet witness to the faith he established here.