The Uganda National Mosque, formerly called the Gaddafi National Mosque, is to the city of Kampala what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris and the Statue of Liberty to New York. Located in the old city on Kampala Hill, the giant 12-acre facility serves as the headquarters of Islam in Uganda.
Construction of the mosque began in 2004, after the unfinished Old Kampala National Mosque from the 1970s was demolished. Completed in 2008, the mosque can accommodate some 35,000 worshippers, but double the number pack in during Ramadan and other Islamic holidays.
Foreign visitors—even non-Muslims—are welcome to visit the inside of the mosque, but they’re required to pay a small fee. The mosque maintains a staff of guides who offer tours of the interior.
Practical Info
When visiting the Uganda National Mosque, women should wear loose-fitting clothing that covers the arms and legs, as well as a scarf to cover the head. Men must wear pants and a sleeved shirt.
