The sixth mosque visited was the Nizamiye Turkish Mosque in Midrand. Midrand, historically has not had a lot of Muslims residing within it. However, the development of various commercial and residential complexes has seen an influx of Muslims into the area both currently and certainly in the years to come.
The architecture of the mosque follows the traditional Muslim architecture which includes a dome and minaret with a strong Turkish ethos. The mosque complex includes an Islamic School, mini museum and a restaurant facility and is considered the largest Islamic complex in the southern hemisphere. The Mosque is easily visible when commuting via the Gautrain and travelling on the M1 North and South. When one enteres the complex, the only words to describe the experience is WoW, in terms of the size of its minarets, its beautiful architecture, mosaics and attention to detail. I also arrived at this Mosque close to Asr time and observed a lot of people from other cities in South Africa and other countries visiting simply to observe the uniqueness, beauty and sheer size of the Mosque. i also observed many people along with there families assembling to break fast in the beautiful gardens in the complex. Some of the people I spoke to indicated that they are here for Iftaar and will leave after Taraweeh. The actual prayer area covered by Musalahs is not that huge in relation to the visible external size of the complex, but when one factors the courtyard outside, the basement and surrounding areas it could easily accomdate a few thousand worshippers. The atmosphere within the mosque is equally electrifying to its beauty. I also observed that the building was acoustically well designed in that a recitation made at the front is off the same volume throughout. It is definately worth a visit for all Johannesburgers and out of town folk.