Zinder Mosque

Zinder Mosque
Location
Municipality	Zinder
Country	Niger
Geographic coordinates	13°47′39″N 9°00′04″E
Architecture
Type	mosque
Destroyed	3 September 2024
Materials	mudbrick

Zinder Mosque was a mudbrick mosque in Zinder, Niger. Located in the Birni neighborhood of Zinder, it was one of Niger's oldest mosques and a significant cultural and religious site in Zinder. The mosque was destroyed on 3 September 2024, due to severe flooding in the central-eastern region of Niger.

History

Constructed in the mid-19th century, Zinder Mosque was an iconic structure for the local community. It was built using banco, a traditional mixture of mud and straw. For centuries, worshippers from various regions journeyed to the mosque for Friday prayers and during Islamic holidays. According to Niger's Ministry of Tourism, the mosque was the second-most visited in Niger, following the UNESCO-listed Agadez Mosque.^[1][2] Cracks were reported in some areas, but we could not intervene due to the rains," a local ministry official explained following the mosque's collapse.^[3]

Destruction

On 3 September 2024, intense rainfall caused the mosque to collapse. The region had been experiencing heavy rains for the past three months. Videos of the mosque's destruction were widely circulated on social media.^[1]

See also

• Sudano-Sahelian architecture
• List of mosques in Africa
• Djinguereber Mosque

References

1. "Au Niger, des pluies diluviennes provoquent l'effondrement de la mosquée de Zinder". Jeune Afrique (in French). Retrieved 2024-09-16.
2. "Niger Ups Flood Toll To 273 As Historic Mosque Destroyed". Barrons. September 4, 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
3. "Historic mosque in Niger destroyed by torrential rains". TRT World. September 4, 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-16.