Updated
June 25, 2001
Gambia
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Mosque &
Catholic Cathedral
Banjul Area
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There are a number of sites of religious interest, but the two most worthy of a visit are the King Fahad Mosque, with its tall sleek minarets and the very understated Roman Catholic Cathedral, a relic of the colonial past at the corner of Picton and Hagan Streets
You can easily walk to the Central Mosque but is easiest approached by taxi, it is situated at the northern end of Box Bar Road. It was built in 1988 and replaced the 1930 Mosque that still exists on Mosque Road.
It is the size and proportions of the building that really make it a Gambian spectacle and quiet as it is during the normal week it is very busy during the Friday prayer sessions. It you visit and the Mosque is open, remember to remove your shoes and ladies should cover their heads with a scarf.
The Catholic Cathedral is very different, built as a catholic mission this is a complex of buildings always attended by someone, so even though the Cathedral may be locked you can generally gain admission.
The inside of this galleried building takes you right back to the days of peaceful reflection you get in any christian church just about anywhere in the world. The timber ceiling is interesting but it is the overwhelming sense of colonial days that most impressed me.
This makes a cool interlude in the middle of the hot bustle of Banjul.
