• Mosques in Côte d’Ivoire

Some of the most important mosques in Abidjan are: The Treichville Mosque, the Cocody Mosque and the Plateau Mosque.

Côte d’Ivoire ancient mosques are unique in shape and structure. The mosque in Kong is the most fascinating. Built of mud, it displays a number of conical columns with wooden beams protruding out of them. The architecture is called ‘Sudanic’. The wooden protrusions from the walls serve as footholds for the workers who frequently repair the walls after rains. Recently, a modern mosque has been built in Abidjan, the Riviera mosque and it seems to be influenced by the mosques in Middle East. The mosque of octagonal minarets in the city of Bouake is yet another example of diversity in mosque architecture in Cote D’Ivoire. The onion domes over the minarets resemble the domes of Kremlin buildings.

• Islam in Côte d’Ivoire

Muslims make up about 38.6% of the population of thte country. Most Ivoirian Muslims are Sunni, following the Maliki version of Islamic law. Sufism, involving the organization of mystical brotherhoods (Tariqa) for the purification and spread of Islam, is also widespread, laced with indigenous beliefs and practices. The four major Sufi brotherhoods are all represented, although the Qadiriya, founded in the eleventh century, and the Tidjaniya, founded in the eighteenth century, are most popular. The Qadiriya is prevalent in the west, and the Tidjaniya, in the east. The other two major Islamic brotherhoods have few adherents in Côte d’Ivoire. The Ahmadiyya movement is also present.