The lucky thirteenth stop on our journey was the Houghton Mosque. This Mosque, commenced construction when I first moved to Johannesburg and was billed as being a gift to Muslims of South Africa from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Between the time I moved to Johannesburg, it must have taken about 3-5 years for the Mosque to be completed.
At the same time I am also aware of another Mosque around the corner also being completed. The reasons for this lenghty period, or why are there two Mosques around the corner from each other in an area where there isnt many Muslims, I am unsure but the good news is that there are two Mosques in Houghton. For those who dont know, Houghton is probably "Thee Address" in Johannesburg. Mandelas House is in the same area and to buy a decent house will definately set you back big time. The Mosque is extremely beautiful but has a simple feel to it both inside and out and has high degree of middle eastern architecture and ethos. It is a difficult point to explain. One has to see it for themself. The Mosque is also high visible on the M1 Highway, one of the busiest highways in the country. This will no doubt serve to enhance an awareness of the presence of Islam in the country. When I first entered the Mosque, I assisted the Muazzin carry a whole pack of toilet paper across the courtyard setup to its storage, this allowed me to observe people without engaging with them. The Mosque clearly had a family atmosphere present, with everyone seeming to know everyone. The majority of peolpe I engaged with were local Indian Muslims living in the area, but also engaged with many people from Arab and other North African countries. It is definately worth the visit to see the size of the Mosque and its unique architecture.