METRO MANILA | Inside Manila’s Golden Mosque in Quiapo

Friday, October 14, 2011

Group of Muslims Congregating Inside Manila's Golden Mosque

It was starting to drizzle as I passed the ornate gates of the largest Muslim mosque in Manila.

I thought back to the afternoons when usually I catch a glimpse of Quiapo's shining mosque through a jeepney window with the lowering sunrays glinting on its gleaming dome. This house of worship for our Muslim brothers had always intrigued me, and I can't believe that I'm actually about to visit and photograph it.The Manila Golden MosqueDubbed as The Golden Mosque or Masjid Al-Dahab in Arabic, its name originated from the huge gold dome that sits on top of its rafters.  But besides that, it seemed everything else inside the mosque is also painted in yellow gold.

The mosque has quite an interesting history, being originally built in 1976 by the former First Lady Imelda Marcos to accommodate then Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi's failed visit to the country. Despite missing its intended host, it now serves as the Manila's center of Islamic faith.

Mosaic Wall at the Far End of Manila's Mosque

Before entering, we were required to remove our shoes; for females, shawls are obligatory as their heads should be completely covered. Sleeveless shirts, shorts and skirts are also not allowed.

I really have no idea what an inside of a mosque looks like, and I was quite surprised to find it bare of pews or benches that are typical of Christian churches. What it has are multitudes of columns; lots and lots of columns. And located on the foot of these are Korans that the faithful uses in their prayers. Religious Literature Inside Quiapo MosqueThe Muslims have a different way of worshipping than us Christians.

They usually pray five times a day and do so by facing Mecca, which they consider to be the holiest place on Earth. They recite a series of prayers; standing, bowing, prostrating and sitting. Well it's obviously more complicated than my simple description as I've observed inside their temple.
The Manila Golden MosqueMosques or masjids as they call them are more than houses for prayers too. Here the community gathers for information dissemination, education and dispute settlements.

The architecture of the Golden Mosque is very much in keeping with typical Arabic architecture; pointed arches, multitudes of columns, gilded finishes, ornate iron works, colorful mosaic walls, domes and minarets. It was as if I was suddenly transported to the southern islands of our country.
Gates of the Manila Golden MosqueWe spent more than hour at the mosque; thoroughly documenting the structure, photographing the kids playing nearby and some were even lucky to photograph the school out back that teaches Arabic to the community. 

The Golden Mosque of Quiapo may not have been impressive as the mosques I've seen on books and postcards, but being inside it was a rich cross-cultural experience that made me appreciate the spiritual side of our Muslim brethren.
Interior of the Manila Golden Mosque

Manila Golden Mosque and Cultural Center
Address: Globo De Oro Street, Quiapo, Manila
Contact Number: (0928) 465-5552 | (0917) 950-1925

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51 comments

  1. LestatOctober 14, 2011 at 8:09 PM

    wow. salamat sa pagdala sa min sa loob ng mosque. ;->

    love love that pic of the ornate wall with a kid. sakto!

    ReplyDelete
  2. francesbeanOctober 14, 2011 at 8:43 PM

    beautiful photos.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Batang LakwatseroOctober 15, 2011 at 6:01 AM

    ang astig.. nakapasok ka na sa isang mosque. ngayon ko lang nalaman yung history nito, amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. doiOctober 15, 2011 at 9:24 AM

    "The Golden Mosque of Quiapo may not have been impressive as the mosques I've seen on books and postcards"

    yet you managed to make it look impressive and grandeur sa mga mata ko at napa wow ako lalo! thanks for bringing us inside this mosque Chris :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Kim ReyesOctober 15, 2011 at 10:03 AM

    Ang ganda naman! *inggit*

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousOctober 15, 2011 at 12:30 PM

    ganda! did you go there with a Muslim friend? did you have to ask permission to take photos? gusto ko rin pumunta!

    thanks for letting us take a peek inside the daily life of our Muslim friends...

    ReplyDelete
  7. JeromeOctober 15, 2011 at 2:33 PM

    ang ganda! wow! ito na talaga yung inggit ko lagpas PBcom Towers na lol.

    ReplyDelete
  8. fbalgosOctober 15, 2011 at 4:39 PM

    WOW!!! asteeg! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. joniphilippinesOctober 15, 2011 at 6:13 PM

    ang bangis talaga ni sir Christian oh! panalo na naman photography

    ReplyDelete
  10. thepinaysolobackpackerOctober 15, 2011 at 7:08 PM

    i read somewhere na naksama ang mosque ng manila sa mag most beautiful mosques in the world, it was written in a muslim blog somewhere. ganda ng mga anggulo mu tlga. dame mung fans Christian, kaya mag facebook ka na daw. haha

    ReplyDelete
  11. KuraOctober 15, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    thanks for touring us around. hindi ako magsasawang sabihin kung gano ka kagaling kumuha. Bravo! Hindi pa rin ako nakakapasok ng Mosque. I thought only Muslims are allowed in there.

    ReplyDelete
  12. JaimeOctober 15, 2011 at 9:39 PM

    thanks pre, nakasama kita dito sa event na ito. . . . . karangalan ko makasama kita, set tayo ng photowalk =)

    ReplyDelete
  13. CachoOctober 16, 2011 at 5:24 PM

    Ganda, adding this as part of my itinerary of places i need to see when i visit manila again :-D

    ReplyDelete
  14. Christian | Lakad PilipinasOctober 16, 2011 at 10:53 PM

    Lestat
    Yes, my fave too! Sayang I should have sent that as my entry for the photowalk :P

    Francesbean, Kim, Supertikoy, Simurgh, Joniphilippines
    Thanks po!

    Batang Lakwatsero
    Kakagulat na si Imelda pala nagpagawa nung mosque at para kay Gadaffi pala yun hehe

    Doi
    Salamat naman Doi!

    Happysole
    We have the go signal of one of their elders, our walk leaders talked to them prior to our visit :)

    Gael
    Wow talaga nakasama sya? Nice! Something we Filipinos can be proud of.
    Haha yaw ko talaga mag FB ih. :P

    Malditang "Kura"cha
    Nagpaalam muna kami bago pumasok :)

    Jaime
    Congrats ulit pre for bagging the 1st place! Newbie pala ha hehe
    Tara photowalk sa Malabon Navotas hehe

    Cacho
    Just make sure na may guide ka pre para sureshot na makakapasok ka dun sa temple sir :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. chinoOctober 21, 2011 at 8:31 AM

    Ang galing naman . Ikaw na talaga =_)

    ReplyDelete
  16. AdminOctober 24, 2011 at 3:22 AM

    i remember our latest visit to istanbul's blue mosque...this one is also beautiful!

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    ReplyDelete
  17. Christian | LAKAD PilipinasOctober 13, 2012 at 3:24 PM

    Chino
    Thanks :)

    Redruby
    I have really yet to set foot on the most beautiful mosques in our country which are located in Mindanao :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. AnonymousFebruary 13, 2013 at 1:59 PM

    Dear brothers,
    I am from international Conference of Islamic Scholars, need an email address of Dr. Arab C. Agusm Ph.D.

    Thanks,
    Muhammad

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Christian | Lakad PilipinasFebruary 13, 2013 at 2:41 PM

      Hi Muhammad, unfortunately I don't have his contact number. I suggest you contact the mosque directly

      Delete
  19. AnonymousApril 1, 2013 at 12:03 AM

    Hi, may I request for the phone number or mobile numbe of golden mosque & CULTURAL CENETER ALONG GLOBO DE ORO STREET QUIAPO MANILA for my marriage with my muslim fiancee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Christian | Lakad PilipinasMay 10, 2013 at 1:37 PM

      Sorry but I don't have their number, you might try going there directly. :)

      Delete
  20. AnonymousAugust 1, 2013 at 11:28 AM

    Hi,
    Can you just go there anytime? We would want to go with my friends this Sunday, August 4.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Christian | Lakad PilipinasAugust 10, 2013 at 12:42 PM

      Sorry for the late reply, yes I think you can go there anytime. Just be respectful of the place and their customs

      Delete
  21. UnknownJanuary 18, 2014 at 9:20 AM

    Haay! As usual they're always stunning. Na explain ko na.

    ReplyDelete
  22. AnonymousFebruary 25, 2014 at 3:01 PM

    Beautiful work. And respectful and u show your interest in their culture. Bravo.=)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Joe AdrianNovember 26, 2015 at 9:50 AM

    Chris, do you see any women section in the mosque? I will be in Manila this Friday 27th Nov and I want to join the Friday prayer there but I bring my MOm along with me, I wonder is there any women section or room for women (my mom will not do praying-so i wonder is there a waiting room for my mom) Thank you very much brother!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lakad PilipinasNovember 3, 2016 at 11:46 AM

      Hi Joe, I'm not really sure if there's a woman section along the mosque grounds.

      Delete
  24. Sam - NY USAOctober 26, 2016 at 11:21 PM

    Wow lots of good info. and very good coverage of the mosque and its features.
    It sure is an magnificent addition to this place

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lakad PilipinasNovember 3, 2016 at 11:47 AM

      Thanks Sam! The mosque is a unique feature of Manila :)

      Delete
  25. UnknownNovember 14, 2016 at 11:03 AM

    Awesome pics. I will definitely try to join Friday prayer (Jumuah) there on my visit to Manila next month. Salamat po :)

    ReplyDelete
  26. AngieOctober 13, 2017 at 10:05 AM

    Hello Chris, may I please know your contact person in Golden Mosque? Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lakad PilipinasOctober 25, 2017 at 4:33 PM

      Hi Angie, I really didn't have any contact person when I went there.

      Delete
  27. UnknownJanuary 24, 2018 at 9:05 AM

    can i have your contact number please...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lakad PilipinasJune 25, 2018 at 1:35 PM

      Hi, sorry I don't work in the mosque. You may contact the numbers I posted at the end of the article.

      Delete
  28. UnknownApril 14, 2018 at 5:32 PM

    I'm planning to get married there and you anass caught my attention after reading your comments here we already talked to someone there and we already plan our day of marriage and now I doubt if we gonna married there or not

    ReplyDelete
  29. Fahad ChowdhuryMay 9, 2018 at 10:18 PM

    Hi, are there any contact information available?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lakad PilipinasJune 25, 2018 at 1:36 PM

      Hi Fahad, I posted the Manila mosque contact number at the end of the post

      Delete
  30. UnknownOctober 7, 2018 at 2:09 AM

    i am Egyptian work in Saudi Arabia want to come to manila to married a Filipina girl she work in Saudi Arabia and already converted to Islam 6 months ago what Documents you need from me and her

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lakad PilipinasNovember 27, 2018 at 11:05 AM

      Hi, please contact the Quiapo Mosque direct for marriage questions. Thanks!

      Delete
    2. UnknownSeptember 22, 2020 at 5:14 PM


      Assamulaikum. I am an Imam of Manila Golden Mosque. We do all processes including documents in Islamic marriage. If you needed an assistance in Islam. Kindly contact me in my WhatsApp +639451777695. Barakallahu fikh.

      Delete
  31. AishaAsifApril 18, 2019 at 4:08 PM

    Hve a nice day,cn i ask how and what requirments 2 bring thr for converting muslim?thank u🙂

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lakad PilipinasAugust 6, 2019 at 5:47 PM

      Hi, please contact them directly for the requirements in converting into their religion.

      Delete
  32. ZubairJune 4, 2019 at 11:31 PM

    Asaalamualikum at what time tommorrow eid prayer

    ReplyDelete
  33. AnonymousAugust 4, 2019 at 1:49 AM

    Is that true sir?
    Bcz I and my Malay boyfriend planning to get married at quiapo mosque this month August 23

    ReplyDelete
  34. Lakad PilipinasAugust 6, 2019 at 5:49 PM

    Hi, please update us how your marriage at the Quiapo mosque goes.

    ReplyDelete
  35. UnknownSeptember 22, 2020 at 5:13 PM


    Assamulaikum. I am an Imam of Manila Golden Mosque. We do all processes including documents in Islamic marriage. If you needed an assistance in Islam. Kindly contact me in my WhatsApp +639451777695. Barakallahu fikh.

    ReplyDelete
  36. AnonymousMarch 21, 2022 at 1:01 PM

    Who can I contact for converting and marriage purposes?

    ReplyDelete

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