Mosque of the Companions

The Mosque of the Companions, also known as the Ras Medre Mosque, is an open-air mosque in Massawa, Eritrea, located on a small island off the Red Sea coast. According to local tradition, the mosque dates from the early 7th century CE and is believed by some to be the first mosque in Africa.

History

Local Muslims generally believe that Massawa, particularly the small island known as Ras Medr off the city's coast, was the place where the Companions of the Islamic prophet Muhammad landed in Africa when they fled persecution by non-Muslims in the Hejazi city of Mecca, present-day Saudi Arabia. According to Richard J. Reid, the mosque may have been constructed in the 620s or 630s by members of Muhammad's family among this group.
The present-day site consists of an open-air prayer area with a free-standing stone structure that consists of a mihrab and an attached minbar that resembles a miniature minaret. This latter feature is very similar to one found in the nearby Mosque of Sheikh Hammali, built in the Ottoman period, which suggests that the structure also dates from this period or later.