A Visit to the Fazl Mosque
For this week’s blog we include a short piece written by our Director, Alison Ohta, regarding her recent visit to the Fazl Mosque in London for its centenary celebrations:
The Centenary of the Fazl Mosque: A Century of Faith and Peace
On 3rd October 2026, the Fazl Mosque in Southfields, South London, the oldest purpose-built mosque in London, celebrated its historic centenary. Commissioned by the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, the purchase of the land and the mosque’s construction (totalling £6,223 at the time) were funded entirely by voluntary donations. Many of these came from Ahmadi Muslim women in Qadian, India, who sold their personal jewellery and valuables with the knowledge that they would never travel to England to see the finished building in their lifetimes.
The mosque was designed by the renowned British landscape architect, Thomas Mawson. Completed in July 1926, the structure uniquely fuses Mughal architectural traditions with 1920s British Art Deco and classicism, featuring a distinct green dome and painted stucco facade. Recognizing its unique architectural and cultural significance, Historic England designated it a Grade II listed heritage site in 2018.
Throughout the century, the Fazl Mosque has attracted many important visitors. Notable guests include: Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, who famously made a keynote address in the mosque’s gardens in the 1930s that influenced his decision to return to India and lead the independence movement; Crown Prince Faisal and Crown Prince Saud who later became rulers of Saudi Arabia; Sir Denison Ross, the first director of SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) and Vice-President and Director of the Royal Asiatic Society.
The milestone was formally commemorated under the banner “Fazl Mosque: Beacon of Peace,” with congregational prayers, speeches from local and national politicians, and a dinner. The event featured a keynote address from the current worldwide head of the community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, as well as congratulatory messages sent by King Charles III and the Prime Minister. To celebrate, the community also launched local humanitarian initiatives, pledging thousands of free meals to the homeless and voluntary hours to help the local community.
If you are interested in the history and evolvement of the mosque and would like to explore further, the Ahmadiyya Muslim community has a webpage which features some historical photographs and news cuttings of the structure: https://ahmadiyyauk.org/1926Centenary
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The room is available for £400 per calendar month, inclusive of all bills. For booking enquiries please contact our Outreach and Communications Officer, Evelyn Dodds, at emd@royalasiaticsociety.org.