India’s Earliest Mosque

Tucked away in the small town of Methala (Kodungallur municipality) north of Kochi, is a two-storied mosque with tiled sloping roofs, typical of the local architecture here. It isn’t opulent and does not look very old, thanks to a fresh coat of paint it sports, but what makes this quaint little mosque so unique, is that many believe this is the oldest mosque in India. Dating back to around 629 CE, this mosque could well have been built in the lifetime of Prophet Mohammad himself!

The claim that this is indeed the ‘oldest mosque in India’ is hard to verify, as the mosque has been renovated several times over the centuries. Only the inner core of the mosque and its original roof with stylized sharp edges, give any indication that this structure could have been standing here since the 7th century CE, as claimed.