A mosque is a place of worship where Muslims gather to pray, especially the Friday prayer, as well as to recite the Qur'an and learn about religion. The mosque holds a sacred status and is the house of Allah on earth. It is built with features such as a minaret (for calling to prayer) and a mihrab (the place where the imam stands). Prayer in the mosque brings more reward than prayer at home, especially when performed in congregation.
The Bobo-Dioulasso Mosque is a mosque in Bobo-Dioulasso, Houet Province, Hauts-Bassins Region, Burkina Faso.
At the end of the 19th century, the area where the mosque now stands was under the rule of the Sia Kingdom. At that time, the kingdom was in danger due to hostility from the Kénédougou Kingdom. Tieba Traoré, the king of the Kénédougou Kingdom, gathered warriors to march on the capital of Sia. The king of Sia went in search of help to defend his realm. Eventually, he met a local Islamic leader, Almamy Sidiki Sanou, who said he would assist him. As a result, Sanou asked the king of Sia to build a mosque. The attack from the Kénédougou Kingdom was halted when it tried to advance to within 30 kilometres of the Sia capital, and eventually, the Great Mosque of Bobo-Dioulasso was built.
Construction of the mosque began in 1812 and was completed in 1832. Since then, several renovation works have been carried out to expand and repair the mosque. In 1983, a dome roof was built to cover part of the mosque’s courtyard. The mosque is built of mud bricks and timber. It features two large minarets.