Adelaide Mosque

The Adelaide Mosque is a striking visual icon, with four brilliant white cylindrical minarets reaching high into the sky atop the historical structure. Built in 1888, it is famed for being one of the oldest mosques in Australia, and provides a place of worship for the Islamic community in Adelaide and surrounding areas.

Islam was first introduced to Australia in the 1860s with an influx of cameleers who worked training camel teams and handling imported stock. In 1865, Thomas Elder brought 124 camels and 31 handlers to South Australia, creating a strong Islamic presence within Adelaide and spurring the necessity of the construction of the Adelaide Mosque to become the centre of that community.

The Adelaide Mosque attracts Muslims from as far afield as Broken Hill and Kalgoorlie at least once a year for Eid, marking the end of the Fast of Ramadan. Some stay for the duration of Ramadan, which is the Islamic month of fasting from sunrise to sunset that is intended to teach practicing believers the virtues of patience and humility.

In 1890, two years after the Adelaide Mosque was built, it was said to have had over 80 people present to observe the festival. These days the mosque sees a much larger gathering on a far more regular basis.