Islam Holy Sites

The holiest site in Islam, home of the Kaaba, and the destination for Hajj pilgrimage.

The second holiest mosque in Islam, containing the tomb of Prophet Muhammad.

India's most important Muslim shrine, visited by people of all faiths.

The largest mosque in the world by area, housing the tomb of the eighth Shia Imam.

The oldest mosque in North Africa and the fourth holiest site in Islam, founded in 670 CE.

The world's oldest operating university, founded by a woman in 859 CE.

The tomb of Imam Ali, the first Shia Imam and fourth Caliph, in Najaf.

One of the oldest stone settlements in West Africa with ancient Islamic heritage.

One of Iran's oldest mosques, a masterpiece of Islamic architecture on Isfahan's grand square.

The fourth holiest city of Islam, with 82 mosques within ancient walls in eastern Ethiopia.

The shrine of Imam Husayn in Karbala, site of the pivotal Battle of Karbala in 680 CE.

One of the oldest mosques in the world, said to have been built during Prophet Muhammad's lifetime.

The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb's grand mosque in Lahore, one of the most iconic in the Islamic world.

Historic mosques in UNESCO-listed Stone Town, reflecting centuries of Swahili Islamic civilization.

One of the oldest and largest mosques in the world, containing a shrine to John the Baptist.

The third holiest mosque in Islam, where Prophet Muhammad led all prophets in prayer.

A 9th-century Abbasid mosque famous for its massive spiral minaret, the Malwiya Tower.

The shrine of Sufi saint Ali Hujwiri, the most visited Sufi shrine in South Asia.

Morocco's holiest town, containing the tomb of the founder of the first Moroccan dynasty.

The mausoleum of Rumi, the great Sufi poet, and former lodge of the Whirling Dervishes.

A UNESCO-listed 13th-century fort with integrated mosque in Oman's interior.

A UNESCO-listed Timurid mausoleum in Turkestan, a major Sufi pilgrimage destination.

The 'Manhattan of the Desert,' a 16th-century mud-brick skyscraper city with historic mosques.

The iconic golden-domed shrine over the rock from which Muhammad ascended to heaven.

Tashkent's spiritual center, housing one of the world's oldest Quran manuscripts.

The tomb of Fatimah bint Musa in Qom, one of Iran's holiest Shia shrines.

A UNESCO World Heritage desert mosque and Islam's legendary 'seventh holy city.'

One of the finest public squares in the Islamic world, framed by three grand madrasas.

The principal mosque of Kazan, rebuilt within the UNESCO-listed Kremlin as a symbol of Tatar heritage.

A UNESCO-listed 15th-century mosque city built by Khan Jahan Ali in the Sundarbans region.

Marrakech's iconic 12th-century mosque whose minaret inspired the Giralda in Seville.

The most sacred Islamic cemetery, containing the graves of the Prophet's family and companions.

A mosque near Qom believed to have been built on the orders of the hidden Twelfth Imam.

The shrine of the founder of Fes, considered the most important saint's tomb in the city.

The oldest Swahili settlement in East Africa, a living Islamic town and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A UNESCO site of medieval mausoleums and the tallest pre-modern minaret in Central Asia.

Ruins of a medieval Swahili sultanate with the Great Mosque, one of the oldest in East Africa.

The cave on the Mountain of Light where Prophet Muhammad received the first Quranic revelation.

The first mosque built in Islam, founded by Prophet Muhammad upon his arrival in Medina.

Istanbul's holiest mosque, built at the reputed burial place of the Prophet Muhammad's standard-bearer.

A stunning avenue of mausoleums in Samarkand, known as the 'Street of the Living King.'

The world's oldest university and one of Islam's most important centers of learning.

The oldest known mosque in the UAE, a small mud-brick structure dating to the 15th century.

A UNESCO-listed island with some of the oldest mosques in southern Africa, reflecting Swahili Islamic heritage.

The largest mud-brick structure in the world and a masterpiece of Sudano-Sahelian architecture.

The most important of Marrakech's Seven Saints shrines, patron saint of the blind.

A reconstructed 13th-century mosque on the Caspian shore, one of the spiritual symbols of Baku.

A major Sufi pilgrimage site honoring a 13th-century Islamic saint in the Bale region.

A UNESCO-listed desert oasis town known as the 'Pearl of the Sahara.'

The sacred mountain where pilgrims gather for the most important day of Hajj.

Tunis's great mosque and one of Islam's oldest universities, founded in 737 CE.

One of the holiest Muslim shrines, built at the tomb of Prophet Muhammad's foster mother near Larnaca.

The oldest mosque in the Maldives, built of coral stone in 1658 with exquisite lacquer work.

A major Shia shrine near Damascus, believed to house the tomb of Zaynab bint Ali.

A major Shia shrine in Samarra housing the tombs of the tenth and eleventh Imams.

A dazzling white marble mosque in Abu Dhabi, one of the world's largest and most opulent.

The mosque where the direction of Islamic prayer was changed from Jerusalem to Mecca.

A UNESCO fort guarding the ruins of an 18th-century pearling town with historic mosques.

The shrine of the Sufi saint who brought Islam to Sylhet, the most visited Sufi shrine in Bangladesh.

A dazzling mirrored mausoleum in Shiraz housing the tomb of two sons of the seventh Shia Imam.

The holiest city of the Mouride brotherhood and site of West Africa's largest annual pilgrimage.

A monumental mosque built by Tamerlane in Samarkand, once the largest in Central Asia.

One of Afghanistan's oldest and grandest mosques, renowned for its intricate tilework.

The tomb of the founder of Morocco's current ruling Alaouite dynasty at the edge of the Sahara.

A UNESCO-listed valley of five fortified Ibadi Islamic towns in the Algerian Sahara.

A UNESCO-listed ancient Saharan trading city and center of Islamic learning.

A major Shia mosque in Baghdad housing the tombs of the seventh and ninth Imams.

A 17th-century Mughal mosque in Thatta renowned for its acoustics and tilework, built without pillars.

Pakistan's national mosque and one of the largest in the world, set against the Margalla Hills.

The largest mosque in Africa, built dramatically over the Atlantic Ocean.

The cave where Prophet Muhammad hid from his Meccan pursuers during the Hijra migration.

A vast tent city where millions of Hajj pilgrims perform the symbolic stoning of the devil.

A pre-Islamic fortification with a mosque, dramatically set against the Al Hajar Mountains.

A cluster of mosques at the site of the Battle of the Trench, a pivotal defense of Medina.

A UNESCO-listed 18th-century palace with stunning shebeke windows and religious murals.

The shrine of the beloved Sufi saint in Sehwan Sharif, a center of ecstatic devotion in Sindh.

The remnant of an 11th-century minaret from the Karakhanid capital of Balasagun.

An underground mosque carved into a remote cliff in western Kazakhstan, a Sufi pilgrimage site.

The principal mosque of Sarajevo and one of the finest examples of Ottoman architecture in the Balkans.

One of the oldest mosques in West Africa, built in the Sudano-Sahelian style.

A stunning blue-tiled mosque believed by many to house the tomb of Imam Ali.

Dubai's oldest neighborhood with historic mosques and traditional wind-tower architecture.

The UNESCO-listed mud-brick tomb of Askia Muhammad, founder of the Songhai Empire, in Gao.

Oman's principal mosque, a masterpiece of modern Islamic architecture in Muscat.

Qatar's national mosque and largest house of worship, a symbol of modern Qatari identity.

The Privy Chamber of Topkapi Palace houses Islam's most sacred relics, including the Prophet's mantle and sword.

The third-largest mosque in the world, with the tallest minaret ever built, completed in 2019.

A stunning Dervish monastery built into a cliff face at the source of the Buna River.

The largest mosque in Central Asia, a gleaming white structure in Kazakhstan's capital.

A masterpiece of Safavid architecture on Isfahan's Naqsh-e Jahan Square, famed for its dome.

The principal mosque of Djibouti City and a symbol of the nation's Islamic identity.

A 12th-century minaret in Bukhara so magnificent that Genghis Khan spared it from destruction.

The legendary mosques of Timbuktu, once the center of Islamic learning in West Africa.

The main mosque of Mali's capital, a center of Islamic worship and community life.

The largest mosque in the Maldives, with its iconic golden dome dominating the Malé skyline.

A magnificent 15th-century Ottoman mosque dominating the old fortress area of Skopje.

Historic mosques on the Island of Mozambique dating to the Swahili trading era.

A stunningly decorated Mughal-era mosque in Old Dhaka, adorned with blue star-patterned tiles.

A mosque within the world's largest water village, reflecting Brunei's centuries-old stilt-house civilization.

The largest mosque in the South Caucasus, a modern architectural landmark in Baku.

A striking Sudano-Sahelian mud-brick mosque with the tallest minaret of its kind.

The grand mosque in Kaolack, center of the Niassène branch of the Tijaniyya brotherhood.

One of the grandest and oldest mosques in Malaysia, the state mosque of Kedah.

The largest mosque in Accra and a focal point for Ghana's Muslim community.

A reconstructed 9th-century Islamic palace and fortress in southern Tajikistan.

Kuwait's largest mosque, an architectural landmark covering 45,000 square meters.

Bahrain's largest mosque, notable for its fiberglass dome and welcoming interfaith approach.

The central mosque of Dushanbe and the largest in Tajikistan.

An Umayyad palace near Jericho with the 'Tree of Life' — one of the world's greatest floor mosaics.

A sacred site in the Judean Desert venerated as the tomb of the Prophet Moses.

One of the oldest and most beautiful mosques in Algeria, built by the Almoravid dynasty in 1136.

Cairo's most visible mosque, dominating the Citadel with its Ottoman-style domes and minarets.

A mosque within the royal palace complex in old Muscat, flanked by Portuguese-era forts.

West Africa's largest mosque, a gift from Saudi Arabia to Guinea.

The holy city of the Tijaniyya Sufi brotherhood in Senegal and site of the annual Gamou festival.

One of the largest mosques in Central Asia, featuring controversial inscriptions from the Ruhnama.

A Crusader-era fortress on the Mediterranean with an integrated mosque, in ancient Sidon.

A prominent mosque in Paramaribo standing beside a synagogue, an iconic image of Surinamese tolerance.

Malaysia's national mosque in Kuala Lumpur, symbolizing the country's Islamic identity.

A stunning royal mausoleum in Rabat housing the tombs of modern Morocco's founding kings.

Nigeria's national mosque in the capital, one of the largest in West Africa.

The oldest mosque in South Africa, built in 1794 in the Bo-Kaap neighborhood of Cape Town.

An 18th-century Zand dynasty mosque in Shiraz with 48 carved pillars and exquisite tilework.

A 65-meter UNESCO-listed minaret in a remote Afghan valley, from the Ghurid dynasty.

A 12th-century Ayyubid castle with integrated mosque, built to defend against Crusader incursions.

The historic citadel and palace of the Sultan of Anjouan.

The largest mosque in Brunei, built to mark the Silver Jubilee of the current Sultan's reign.

A Rationalist-style mosque with an elegant minaret in Asmara's UNESCO cityscape.

One of the oldest mosques in East Africa, dating to the 13th century.

Singapore's most important mosque, a national monument in the historic Kampong Glam district.

The oldest mosque in the Comoros Islands, a center of Sunni Islamic worship.

A stunning mosque in Shiraz famous for its kaleidoscopic stained glass and pink-tiled interior.

The Sufi shrines and weekly dhikr ceremonies in Omdurman, a living tradition of Sudanese mysticism.

Nairobi's most prominent mosque and a landmark of Islamic architecture in East Africa.

One of the most important mosques in northern Nigeria, named after a Sokoto Caliphate leader.

Senegal's largest mosque in the heart of Dakar, a symbol of the nation's Islamic identity.

Dubai's most photographed mosque, built in Fatimid style and open to non-Muslim visitors.

A stunning pink-granite mosque on the Putrajaya lakefront, the principal mosque of Malaysia's administrative capital.

A monumental Sunni mosque in downtown Beirut, inspired by Ottoman architecture.

A uniquely designed mosque with colorful tilework in Qatar's premier cultural center.

Amman's iconic blue-domed mosque, one of the few in Jordan open to non-Muslim visitors.

Mysterious ruins of a medieval Swahili town with mosques and a palace in the Kenyan forest.

A museum in a restored souq showcasing Islamic art, science, and faith spanning 1,400 years.

The oldest and most beautiful mosque in Mauritius, blending Indian and Islamic design.

A remote 12th-century mosque in the High Atlas, the birthplace of the Almohad Empire.

A mosque built by Queen Arwa al-Sulayhi, one of the most powerful women in Islamic history.

A striking Sudanese-style mud-brick mosque in Burkina Faso's second city.

A striking yellow two-story mosque in Kabul, unique for its European-influenced design.

Brunei's most iconic mosque, a lavish symbol of Islamic faith surrounded by an artificial lagoon.

A landmark white mosque on the Red Sea coast, named after the leader of the Arab Revolt.

The largest mosque in Trinidad, a striking landmark reflecting the island's Islamic heritage.

A distinctive black-and-white striped Ottoman-style mosque atop one of Amman's seven hills.

The principal mosque of Ngaoundéré, capital of the Adamawa Region and a center of Fulani Islamic culture.

A grand mosque in Ivory Coast's capital, reflecting the country's Islamic heritage alongside the famous basilica.

Chad's principal mosque in the capital city, a center of Islamic life.

An ornate mosque in Kuwait City known for its elaborate Persian-influenced interior design.

The wooden palace of Sultan Muhammad Thakurufaanu, the national hero who restored Islam to the Maldives.

The global headquarters of the Bektashi Sufi order, a mystical Islamic tradition rooted in Albanian spiritual heritage.

An iconic palace perched on a rock pillar near Sana'a, a symbol of Yemeni Islamic culture.

A historic Sudano-Sahelian mosque in the ancient trading city of Kong, a center of Islamic learning.

Historic mosques of the Futa Jallon highlands, cradle of West African Islamic reform.

The historic palace of the Sultan of Zinder, a center of Islamic authority in Niger.

Tripoli's most ornate Ottoman-era mosque with exquisite tilework and carvings.