Building an Icon: The Kerk Street Mosque

WORDS Yasmin Mayat and Brendan Hart PHOTOS Courtesy of Muhammad Mayet Architects, Yasmin Mayat and Brendan Hart, Johannesburg Heritage Foundation 

Architects Yasmin Mayat and Brendan Hart continue our series on some of South Africa’s most recognisable structures. They take a closer look at a building that has been at the centre of the Muslim community for more than a century – the Kerk Street mosque in downtown Johannesburg.

The Basics

The Juma’ah Masjid (or the Kerk Street Mosque, as it is known) is Johannesburg’s oldest mosque. It’s operated from its current location in the city centre since the 1890s. The building is the work of the South African practice Muhammad Mayet Architects and Egyptian architect Abdel-Wahed El-Wakil, and is a finely crafted example of Islamic architecture. It is the historic heart of the Johannesburg Muslim community, despite forced removals under apartheid that moved much of the Muslim population out of the city and, more recently, the growing number of newer and larger mosques that have been constructed across Joburg.

Not many people know that…

The Muslim community was persecuted in early Johannesburg by the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek (ZAR) government, and then under British colonial rule, restricting its participation in the economic life of the city. The location of the mosque and the Muslim community, at the time on the outskirts of the young mining town, was representative of this. In true Johannesburg fashion, the current mosque is the third generation of building constructed on the site.

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The original wood-and-iron mosque was replaced in 1918 by a more permanent brick structure. This building was typical of mosques in Johannesburg, and the then- Transvaal – a small brick structure with a corrugated-iron roof, decorative plasterwork and parapets, as well as four reduced minarets. It reflected the largely Gujarati Indian identity of the Muslim community at the time, and was the work of the now little-known Malay builder Gamien Badr Boomgaard and his son. The duo constructed
a number of these simple early mosques in the city.

The building was controversial because…

The 1918 mosque was demolished in 1989 to allow for the construction of the much larger current building. This was a controversial move at the time, and was opposed by several heritage organisations. In the end, the community motivated for the new build, saying that a mosque should be seen as a living building that functions for its community rather than just a relic of the past. In the late ’80s, it was bold to construct such a large, community-funded building. We like to think of it as an act of faith and optimism in a future post-apartheid South Africa by the Johannesburg Muslim community.

We love it because…

The sight of it reflected against the glazed walls of the office buildings next door or framed by the massive arches of FNB’s Bank City is an absolute and unexpected joy. The current building is a subtle work of art – a balance between tradition and modern architecture. Hand-crafted, both internally and externally, the structure is made entirely of mass brickwork, which can be seen in the vaulted, double-volume prayer hall. It is decorated with hand-carved plaster and timberwork by North African craftsmen, which adds to it being an expression of constructed love.

A hidden special moment is…

The way in which the building orientates itself. While it is situated in accordance with the Johannesburg city grid, internally, the spaces have been rotated to face 13 degrees east, towards Mecca. You aren’t instantly aware of this – but if you look carefully, you can see it in the varying depths of the windows and the delicate triangular iron balcony that faces the street. The balcony is reminiscent of traditional latticed jali screens found in Islamic architecture, as well as – possibly inadvertently – the early Victorian cast-ironwork that would have been found historically in this part of the city. It is the most decorative element of the building envelope, and the only external element that’s orientated towards Mecca – a visual reminder of the spiritual purpose of the building.

Why the building matters…

Despite being surrounded by high-rise offices and FNB’s Bank City, the mosque is still a vibrant place of worship. After some initial resistance, it has been completely embraced as an important part of the heritage and identity of Johannesburg. The city’s Muslim community has grown and evolved since the 1980s, and is now incredibly diverse and increasingly significant in the economic and social life of the city. The Juma’ah Masjid shows that the initial optimism of its construction was not unfounded – and that beautifully crafted and considered architecture should be the foundation of any city or community.

Read more stories in our Building an Icon series. Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.