Central Mosque of Ouidah
Mosquée centrale de Ouidah
A mosque built by Afro-Brazilian returnees, descendants of freed slaves who came back to Africa. Its baroque-style facade makes it a landmark of Ouidah's “Afro-Brazilian” architecture.
Ouidah Central Mosque is a rare “Brazilian-style” mosque on the West African coast. From the 19th century, freed slaves who returned from Brazil and their descendants (the Agudá people) brought Portuguese-Brazilian baroque architecture back to Ouidah. The mosque’s painted gables, pilasters and window decorations look more like a colonial-era church. It sits on the western side of the town center, about a five-minute walk from Chacha Square. You can photograph the exterior outside prayer times. To go inside, you need the permission of the administrators. Dress modestly, and women should bring a headscarf.
Opening hours
Exterior viewable all day; entry by permission only
Nearby sights
- Place Chacha (Place des Enchères)
- Temple of Pythons, Ouidah
- Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Ouidah
- Villa Ajavon – Fondation Zinsou Museum of Contemporary Art
- Ouidah Museum of History
- Sacred Forest of Kpassè
- Route des Esclaves & Door of No Return, Ouidah