the Friday mosque of Kiponda

The Ijamaa mosque is large by the standards of Stonetown. There are at least 30 mosques in this old quarters of Zanzibar and this is one of the oldest.


the Ijumaa Mosque sits in the narrow alleys of Kiponda, Stonetown, Zanzibar, Tanzania



façade of the Ijumaa Mosque



the elaborately carved wooden door of Ijumaa Mosque


Known in Kiswahili as Msikiti Ya Ijumaa Mizingani, it was originally built by Sunni immigrants from Faza in 1831. Like most of the mosques in Zanzibar, it was simple and unpretentious. It underwent several renovations and expansions notably in the 1850s and the 1950s. In 1994, the Ijumaa Mosque was refurbished in a more modern arabesque style with geometric arches and ramparts with funds from Arabic states. A marker in the mosque proclaims it as the burial place of famous Muslim scholars in Zanzibar.


an old gas lamp converted to electric



a small cube of a building right across the mosque



Arabic markers in marble



rampart shadows of the mosque

whiling the time away at the Chake Chake airport in Pemba

By nature, airports are made for waiting. You queue to check in, sit out for the boarding call and endure whatever delays that eventually come your way. That is why, despite the sheer weight of my camera and lenses – I gather my shoulder bag must be at least 5kg heavy – I lug them all with me wherever I go.


Pemba fruit stall outside Chake Chake airport



for sale: roasted cashew



signboards of hotel choices just outside the airport


My stay in Chake Chake airport in Pemba was in reality brief. It was less than an hour in fact but watching time go by with my lens was an interesting observation of culture. Outside the airport, vendors of local mangoes that are known to be sweet and cheap were making brisk sales. Dala dala buses ferried the occasional passenger.


a public dala dala bus from China



The minaret is a giveaway for the mosque that is otherwise heralded as “Africa Muslims Agency”

Inside the airport, nothing much transpires either. The waiting room is the typical open-air hall seen in many small airports in Africa. There is a cafeteria selling the prerequisite soda (all Coke products in various forms), smokes and nibbles. Access outside, into the runway, is easy. The small gate is unguarded and no one stops you if you wanted to take a breather. I wasn’t the first one who took the opportunity to roam outside. Was not the last one either.



the solitary waiting lounge of Chake Chake airport



the runway view, as seen from the waiting lounge



the Zan Air plane that was to be our ride to Zanzibar



detail of the stairs that lead to the airport roof deck

To go: Chake Chake is the de facto capital of Pemba Island and it is where the local airport is.

Photographing mosques in Bima

part 3 of continuing series in photographing mosques
part 1: Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines
part 2: Asia and Africa

Lying in the West Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia, Bima is in the eastern seaboard of the island of Sumbawa. Arid and almost looking red during summer, Bima is not much of a happening place. Once the domain of the sultanate of the same name, it is out of commercialized tourism’s way, save for perhaps the heady surfer dreaming of catching the waves in its almost famous if not empty surf breaks. Even then, these beach destinations are not in Bima but in the neighboring regency of Dompu.

Bima does have a reputation of Muslim religiosity, not of militancy but of conservatism. I had some spare time in my short visit in this town and took the opportunity to photograph three of its mosques.

Masjid Uswatun Hasanah

As in any downtown mosques in Indonesia, this one is right at the roadside, cutting any possible angle. I decided to shoot the minaret at a widest angle of my 18-55mm kit lens. There’s the ubiquitous electric line but the trees still managed to frame the tower amidst the heavy cumulus clouds.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/4.0, 18mm, ISO 100


To add more interest, I waited for a horse-drawn cart or cedomo to pass by. It was early in the morning and there was little traffic. The road was too narrow and cedomo came too close for comfort but I still got the shot.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/400s, f/4.0, 18mm, ISO 100


Masjid Sultan Muhammad Salahuddin

This mosque is dedicated to sultanate of Bima and appears to be one of the largest in town. I repeated the same horse cart-framing in the former sultan’s mosque. The facade looks aseptic and it needed some life.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/400s, f/5.0, 18mm, ISO 100


Masjid Nurul Yasin

The mosque was photogenically colorful, in cream and green. Too bad that the building was being renovated. A scaffolding was covering the facade. The power cables were alslo all over the place. The only plausible I got was to crouch low and shoot up. The triangular framing emphasizes the wide angle and still played up the beautiful colors. Not the best but you’ve got to learn to work with the elements.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/400s, f/5.0, 18mm, ISO 100, +2/3EV

Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Lahir Bathin!

(Happy Holidays, Forgive my sins and the sins of the world)

This greeting is the felicitation once often hears in Indonesia and the rest of the Malay world, exchanged by all Muslims in commemoration of the end of the 1-month Ramadan fasting. That will be tomorrow, October 1, the Eid ul-Fitr or Eid il-Fitr, which is probably the most celebrated Eid in the Muslim world.

The day will definitely be marked by revelry, feast and personal splurge. Families reunite and people flock back to their villages much like the Chinese do during the Lunar New Year, or the Christians do during Christmas. Gifts will be exchanged, food will be shared and goodies will be given away. The event is also marked by alms-giving and personal introspection.

To all my Muslim friends in the world, Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Lahir Batin! Eid Mubarak!

Here are pictures celebrating the culture of Islam.


Canon PowerShot S40, 1/1000s, f/5.6, 7.1mm
Masjid Agung Surabaya, the biggest mosque in Java, Indonesia; March 15, 2007



Canon PowerShot S40, 1/1000s, f/5.0, 8.6mm
Masjid Al Markaz Al Islami Jenderal Muhammad Yusuf, Makassar, South Sulawesi, the biggest mosque in East Indonesia; July 31, 2008



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/125s, f/7.1, 18mm, ISO 400
Girls playing in Stonetown, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Note the one in front with henna “tattoo”, a traditional ornamentation for the Eid; November 8, 2005



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/400s, f/10, 49mm, ISO 100
the House of Wonders, a famous Omani palace in Stonetown, Zanzibar, Tanzania, November 8, 2005



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/320s, f/5.6, 55mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV
the vintas or traditional Muslim boat sails, now a symbol of Zamboanga City, the Philippines, March 26, 2006



Canon EOS 350D, 1/10s, f/5.6, 41mm, ISO 800
Jembatan Merah, Surabaya, Indonesia, February 3, 2007. The ladies are wearing traditional hijab, or Muslim headscarves.



Canon EOS 350D, 1/25s, f/5.0, 61mm, ISO400, +1/3EV
another view of Masjid Agung, Surabaya, Indonesia, as seen through a blue-tinted window of the car; March 15, 2007

Photographing mosques: Asia and Africa

Ask any Catholic and an overwhelming majority have not entered a mosque. For Filipinos in particular, the exposure would be slim as not only is the Philippines predominantly Christian (80%), the some 5% of the population who profess the religion of Islam are concentrated in the southern part of Mindanao.

I probably would not have ventured into a mosque were it not for my frequent travels. As a photo hobbyist, I am fascinated by the architecture and grace of mosques. Motifs feature repetitive and rhythmic patterns, radiating and concentric structures and even Arabic calligraphy. In replacement of the human form common in Christian art but as a rule forbidden in Islam, geometric forms come into play, suggesting the shapes of nature, like leaves and flowers and on occasion animals specifically birds. Architectural attractions closely identified to mosque include domes, vaults, courtyards and minarets.

While mosques are open to any practicing Muslims, some do allow visitors. Most of the photos are exterior shots though as often, time is not on my side when I pass by these mosques. Whatever interior shots I have of the few mosques I have entered, I am sharing them below. Hopefully someday, I will be able to take more.

Masjid Muhammad Cheng Hoo, Surabaya, Indonesia

As there are Chinese churches, there are also Chinese mosques. Sino-Islamic architecture are distinct from traditional dome and minaret design. Think of pagodas and Chinese scroll paintings.

One gorgeous example is the Masjid Muhammad Cheng Hoo in Surabaya. Established to commemorate the arrival of Chinese Muslims who sailed from Mainland China to Java several centuries ago, the mosque has to be seen to be appreciated.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1.3s, f/4.5, 18mm, ISO 400
Masjid Muhammad Cheng Hoo, Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia
phototip: night exposures are dramatic… be careful of bleeding.

When I visited the mosque last year, it was during nighttime. Fortunately, the watchmen still allowed us in and here is a glimpse of geometrically sharp interiors.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 0.5s, f/4.5, 18mm, ISO 400
Masjid Muhammad Cheng Hoo, Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia


Masjid Abdul Gaffoor, Singapore

From the outside, one thing is clear with the Masjid Abdul Gaffoor. This mosque has walls and minarets embellished with a plethora of celestial bodies. Crescents shot up profusely from the minarets around the central dome.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/1000s, f/4.5, 110mm, ISO 100, +1.0EV
Masjid Abdul Gaffoor, Little India, Singapore
phototip: Focus on the extraordinary, that which makes the architecture unique. In the case of this mosque, it is the profusion of crescents adorning the roofline. Getting them in one shot is difficult. I had to overexpose the shot by 3 stops (a full 1 EV) to provide the contrast and drown the noon sky a bright white.


the Sultan Mosque, Singapore

Back in August 2006, I was having a wonderful dinner meet with Singapore flickr friends in a place called Zam Zam at Arab St. The Muslim restaurant just happened to be across the Sultan Mosque so we had plenty of time to shoot the mosque after sundown. Some mosques, I think, are perfect for night photography. Such is the case of the Sultan Mosque with its beautiful golden dome.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 20s, f/18, 18mm, ISO 100, -1/3EV
Sultan Mosque, Arab St, Singapore


Masjif Nurul Huda, Bali, Indonesia

This is mosque is probably an early 20th century structure right in the heart of Klungkung regency. We stopped over this mosque one afternoon to take a toilet break. Mosque toilets are open to everybody and are known to have clean running water. This one takes the cake: every one of the 12-15 cubicles in the men's and women's rooms have 2 taps of fully running water that just stream down the drain! I hope they get their source from a river somewhere or else that's a wasteful use of a resource.


Canon PowerShot S40, 1/400s, f/8.0, 8.6mm
Masjif Nurul Huda, Klungkung, Bali, Indonesia


Masjid Raya, Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

This is a fairly new mosque that was made by the initiative and benefaction of the current vice president of Indonesia. Reputed to be the richest man of the country who made his fortune in holdings from real estate to forestry, Hj Jusuf Kalla made sure that this mosque stands out in lime and soft yellow. The exterior and interior furnishings are said to have come from Turkey.


Canon PowerShot S40, 1/500s, f5, 7.1mm
Masjid Raya, Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
phototip: Use noontime sun to make the marble gleam.


Masjid al Markaz, Maros, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Indonesians love to express their faith by building mosques. This one in Maros, a town south of Makassar, was just a skelelon last June 2005 but when I took the photo in October of the same year, it looked almost finished. In primary yellow and red, the architecture is stunning. The tiles are said to have come from Australia.


Canon PowerShot S40, 1/800s, f5, 14.7mm
Masjid al Markaz, Maros, South Sulawesi, Indonesia


Masjid Agung Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia

This is a truly eye-catching mosque by the ~10km Gresik-Surabaya toll highway connecting Surabaya and the Juanda Airport. Its construction started around 1993 but was finished in about 8 years. It is so big and so blue. The mosaic, the tiles and the minaret are visually arresting.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/125s, f8.0, 17.5mm
Masjid Agung Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia
phototip: If possible, do not crop minarets! Unfortunately, I was traveling in a speeding car when I took this.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/125s, f/5.0, 37mm, ISO 400, +1/3EV
Masjid Agung Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia


the Mosque du Nord of Diego Suarez, Madagascar, East Africa

In Madagascar, about half of the population are Christians who are concentrated in the central highlands and half are Muslim who are mostly in the coast. You therefore see a lot of small quaint mosques in the northeast city of Diego Suarez. The Mosque du Nord in beach of Ramena in the Emerald Bay is particularly small. Not only is it built on the sand, it sits on such a parched and arid landscape which could only be described as unforgiving.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/80s, f/10, 40mm, ISO 100
the Mosque du Nord, Ramena Beach, Diego Suarez (Antsiranana), NE Madagascar



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/250s, f/10, 30mm, ISO 100
the Mosque du Nord, Ramena Beach, Diego Suarez (Antsiranana), NE Madagascar

Photographing Philippine Mosques

In the 14th century, there was no Philippine nation, at least not in the political concept of a united archipelago of 7,107 islands under one government. What were extant were settlements and states called barangays, self-sustaining mostly but nonetheless trading on a regular basis with the Chinese, the Arabs and the Javanese. Islam was but a product of the cultural exchange with neighborhood islands that are now part of Malaysia and Indonesia in particular and Moghul India by extension.

Islam went far north in Luzon, even establishing a stronghold in Manila, although most of the islands remained animist with some elements of Hinduism and Buddhism. The fabric of history changed however when the Spanish came in 1521 and the subsequent imperialistic push of the Spaniards in the later part of the century became such a success that Islam’s hold in the country slipped. Today, Filipino Muslims comprise only about 5% of the population and are concentrated in the southern part of Mindanao.

The Muslim tradition in the South is understandably rich. In the 19th century, the power of the Islamic sultanate of Sulu was of significant import that its sovereignty extended as far as Sabah which it actually owned. Ethnologically, Muslim Philippines is not a single society but highly diverse. There are three main groups, the Maguindanao, the Maranaos and the Tausugs. Other subgroups are smaller and are marked by a different language and unique indigenous cultures, like the Samals and Badjaos of Sulu and the Yakans of Basilan.

Diverse they may be, these groups are united, firmly and inexorably, by religion. In this context, it became an exciting venture for me to photographically document the one identifiable symbol of the Islamic religion –the mosque or the holy place of worship.

I have been lucky to be a frequent visitor to the Sulu archipelago and these photographs specifically center on the mosques in Tawi-Tawi, the southernmost province in the country. These gems are definitively lesser seen by the majority of the Filipinos, but no less outstanding for their distillation of the Islamic esthetics.


Mosque of Makhdum, Simunul Island, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines

Islam was introduced in the Philippines by the Arabian missionary Sheik Karin UI Makhdum. He built the the first Muslim mosque in 1380 A.D. in the small island of Simunul just across Bongao, the capital of Tawi-Tawi. Primarily fashioned of logs, the mosque in Tubig Indangan expanded as the population and the popularity of the religion grew.

Since its foundation, it still is a functioning mosque. Today, the mosque of Makhdum is a national monument and is an acknowledged mecca of the Philippine and Asian Muslim religious. Every Friday is a busy affair where scholars, students and the faithful gather as a community of believers.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/6.3, 34mm, ISO 100
the mosque of Makhdum, Tubig Indangan, Simunul Island, Tawi-Tawi province, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, the Philippines




Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/1000s, f/5.6, 18mm, ISO 100, -1/3 EV
full view of the mosque in of Makhdum, Tubig Indangan, Simunul Island, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines


The Sheik Makhdum continues to enjoy local mythical status. His legend includes that of a powerful imam who can lift 3-foot diameter pillars. His remains is being claimed to have been buried by two separate islands, one of which is Simunul of course. Both graveyards are claimed to be “growing” or “rising” to this day.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/160s, f/5.6, 25mm, ISO 800, -1/3 EV
one of four remaining pillars inside the mosque of Makhdum, Tubig Indangan, Simunul Island, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines


the Makhdum Memorial, Sibutu island, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines

The “other” claimant as the burial place of the Sheikh is Sibutu island, a municipality that used to be part of Sitangkai, the last set of islands that is nearer to Sabah, Malaysia than the main island of Mindanao itself. In Sibutu now stands a colorful and still unfinished memorial in honor of the Sheikh. Behind the memorial is the graveyard of the Sheikh which is just a plain marked mound of dirt.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/800s, f/5.6, 18mm, ISO 100
Makhdum memorial, Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines

the Mosques of Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines

Probably the biggest mosque in Sibutu is the one in Tandubanak. Sporting a pink and green motif, it stands proudly alongside the narrow and singular road that bisects the island. Without any wide angle lens, it is difficult to capture the full breadth of the beautiful mosque so the next best alternative is to show how stately it stands out against the wooden houses of stilts that are typical of Tawi-Tawi.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/100s, f/11, 55mm, ISO 100
the Masjid of Tandubanak in Sibutu island, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines


Sibutu is a poor municipality. Its main source of livelihood is the open seas, most importantly seaweed cultivation, as well as the more traditional fishing. The economic constriction of the community does not preclude the people from sprucing up their mosques. Below is a mosque in Ligayen with its dome made of hammered GI sheets. The paint is flaking but the crescent stands proud as always.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/1000s, f/4.0, 75mm, ISO 100
the dome of the mosque of Ligayen, Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines


Masjid Haji Imam, Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines

Sitangkai is an anomaly even in Muslim Philippines. The 25,000 people or so living in Sitangki chose not to live in the speck of the island but rather on a network of house of stilts on the reef, connected by walkways and manmade causeways. The main population belong to the Samal and the Badjaos, both of whom find it unimaginable to live on “enchanted” and “wild” land (kappat). The island is where you can find though the graveyards, the military detachment, the schools and of course, the main mosque of Haji Imam, the oldest in Sitangkai. It features four tall minarets and a golden dome.



Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/100s, f/5.6, 18mm, ISO 100, -1/3 EV
Masjid Haji Imam, Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines




Canon EOS 350D Digital, 6.0s, f/5.6, 300mm, ISO 100
the golden dome of Masjid Haji Imam, Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines


Musholla in the Capitol, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi

To cap the tour of mosques of the province of Tawi-Tawi, I will end in its capital in Bongao. Being part of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Tawi-Tawi has a provincial capitol building that has a musholla (Muslim prayer room) in its topmost foor. Flanked with watchtower minarets at the corners, the capitol is located on the hill overlooking the entire poblacion (town center).


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 1/1250s, f/5.6, 37mm, ISO 400
a corner minaret at the Provincial Capitol of Bongao, the capital of Tawi-Tawi province, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, the Philippines

The musholla’s interior is modern and sparse. Its walls and floors are made of hardwood. As in mosques, this one has no furnitures. In the picture below, you can only see a clock, a Koran bookstand and several sajada prayer carpets.


Canon EOS 350D Digital, 0.4s, f/5.6, 18mm, ISO 400
the musholla at the Bongao Capitol, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, the Philippines