Larabanga

Larabanga

Larabanga is a village located in the West Gonja District, a district in the Savannah Region of Ghana. It is famous for its whitewashed Sahelian mosque. The village is also well known for its Mystic Stone and for its patterned vernacular architecture. The Larabanga Mosque is built in the Sudanese architectural style. Known as the "Mecca of West Africa," it is the oldest mosque in the country and one of the oldest in West Africa. Since its foundation in 1421, it has been restored several times. The World Monuments Fund has been a major contributor to its renovation and has listed it among the 100 most endangered sites. Knowledge of mud-brick conservation has been revived by the restoration work. The mosque contains an ancient Koran, which locals believe was given to the then imam, Yidan Barimah Brama, as a gift from heaven in 1650. This mosque, constructed of West African clay, has two tall towers in a pyramid form, one for a mihrab facing Mecca and forming its eastern façade, and another as a minaret in its north-eastern corner. These are supported by twelve bulbous structures with wooden elements. The mosque is located about 15 kilometers to the north of Damongo and 4 kilometers to the south of the entrance of the Mole National Park.