Ghogha - Oldest Mosque of Islam

Oldest Mosque of Islam

its kibla rukh is in the side of Baitul Mukaddas(Jerusalem).its 1500 years old. The first Arab traders landed at Ghogha, (Bhavangar, Gujrat India) around the early seventh century and built a masjid here. This was the time when Qibla (direction to be faced while offering namaaz,) of the Muslims was Jerusalem instead of Mecca. For a brief period of 16 to 17 months, between 622 and 624 A.D., after Hijra (migration) to Medina, Muhammed and his believers faced Jerusalem while offering Namaaz during 610 to 623 A.D. This ancient masjid, locally known as the Baarwaada Masjid or Juni(Old) Masjid, was built during this period and is one of the oldest masjid in India. Later, Muhammed received Wahi (Revelation) commanding him to change the orientation point from Jerusalem in the north to Mecca in the south. This masjid, therefore, predates all the other masjids in India whose mehrab face Mecca. This ancient masjid also bears the oldest Arabic inscriptions in India. The masjid falls under the care of Barwaada Jammat.