La Poste de Côte d'Ivoire Kong Mosque

 

LA POSTE de COTE D' IVOIRE in 1974 released a First Day Cover stamp of The Kong Mosque or Grand Mosque of Kong, also called Missiriba.It was built in neo-Sudanese style, using mud and logs; it is the oldest symbol of the Islamisation of the populations of the northern Ivory Coast and has maintained its function as a place of prayer and assembly until today.

The exact year the foundation of the mosque was laid is not certain, but some texts reveal that the Kingdom of Kong had several mosques including the Grand Mosque.

The Grand Mosque was destroyed by Samory Touré around 1897 to prevent it from falling into the hands of the French; the mosque became the emblem of his resistance to colonization and was later rebuilt.