Bagamoyo mosque (Tanzania)
The Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Mosque in Bagamoyo
Contents
Background
The Khoja Shia Ithna Asheri Mosque in Bagamoyo was built in the year 1889. Once a thriving town, Bagamoyo was an important port entry in Eastern Africa coast, the Khoja Shia Ithnaasheri community from Kutch and Kathiawad landed in Bagamoyo like in Kilwa, Lamu and Zanzibar over a century ago, the Bagamoyo Mosque was built in 1889 to cater for the growing population of our community, there is also a Kabrastan nearby where several community members are buried. Many of our community members in around 1905 started to move out from Bagamoyo to Dar es Salaam and other places, by late 1960s, there were only two to three families of Khoja Shia Ithnaasheris who remained in Bagamoyo.
Development of the City
For the past 10 to 15 years Bagamoyo is gradually developing with several industries being established and more tourist hotels along the sea shore have come up, with these developments, land value in prime areas is also increasing. The road from Dar es Salaam to Bagamoyo has been upgraded and is fully tarmac thus travel time to Bagamoyo has reduced.
Bagamoyo Mosque
Above are some of the photographs of Bagamoyo Mosque, the renovations of the praying area was donated for the benefit of Marhum Akber A. Tejani by his son Mohamedraza Tejani. May Allah (SWT) grant Marhum Akber A. Tejani and his wife Marhuma Rubab bai Tejani maghferat and the thawab of this noble work, Ameen.
Once every year community members from Dar-es-Salaam Jamaat travel to Bagamoyo in large numbers by bus and cars during the month of Muharram/Safar for majlis of Shohad-e-Kerbala, this tradition was resumed in early 1970’s by the Ithna Asheri Union Volunteer Corps (IUVC) after a lapse of many years.
Ithna Asheri Union Volunteer Corps (IUVC)
IUVC was formed under Ithna-Asheri Union in 1971; the founder members and pioneers of IUVC were Marhum Murtaza Pyarali Dewji, Marhum Akber Mussa G Dhalla, Br. Mohsin A. Nathani, Br. Aunali K. Khalfan, Br. Hassan Aliraza Nathani and Br. Munis Saleh Bhalloo Chandoo. It is heartening to see that IUVC is still operating with the same motto and are actively involved in offering various services to the community, and are also involved in social services to the underprivileged, orphans and the sick people outside the community.
The three elders of our community in Dar es Salaam who encouraged and supported IUVC to resume the Bagamoyo annual majlis in the early 70s; were Marhum Amir bhai Kanji, Marhum Amir bhai Walji and Marhum Jaffer bhai Dhirani. May Allah (SWT) grant them maghferat and elevate their status, Ameen.
Standing from left to right: Marhum Murtazabhai P Dewji, Marhum Gulamhusseinbhai Saleh Allarakhia, Marhum Muslimbhai Mohamed Jivraj, Asgerbhai Mohamedhussein Tejani, Murtazabhai A Suleiman, Marhum Kassamalibhai Haji (Babu Kasu), Mohamedalibhai J.M. Jaffer, (not identified), Marhum Shabbirbhai Fatehali Jessa.
Sitting from left to right: Alirazabhai M Bhanji, Marhum Gulamabbasbhai Sumar (Bachulo), Murtazabhai Jivraj (Murtaza Kerbala), Marhum Yusufbhai Mussa G. Dhalla, Mohamedbhai Bachu (Shobot), Marhum Akberbhai Mussa G. Dhalla.
Please let us remember all IUVC Voluteers who have passed away and all the Marhumeens for their maghferat and bless their souls with Sura-e-Fateha.
Reference:
Secretariat
Africa Federation Archives Section
1st April 2016 (22 Jamadi –ul-Aakhar 1437 AH)
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/5496132269473a782cfb7b798/files/BAGAMOYO_JAMAAT_1979_2_2_.pdf
