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Click to view map Coordinates: | The first mosque on this site was a wood and iron building built in 1906. This was replaced in 1918 with an attractive square, two-storey building with a three-tiered minaret on each corner (see Jumu'ah Masjid (Jooma Masgid) Mosque, Kerk Street Mosque (Second)). In the 1980s it became too small for the Muslim community and they approached the National Monuments Council to have it replaced. The NMC was reluctant but eventually gave in and the building was demolished in 1989 to be replaced with the current one completed in 1991. Kerk Street Mosque in Johannesburg consists of 1,2 million bricks. The very large structure required a period of rest for settlement of the structural brickwork comprising many brick vaults, arches and other compressive structures before plastering and decoration could begin. The photographs above were taken during construction, the beautiful brickwork has since been plastered by master craftsman especially trained and skilled in the traditions of decorative gypsum plaster All truncated references not fully cited below are those of Joanna Walker's original text and cited in full in the 'Bibliography' entry of the Lexicon. Books that reference Jumu'ah Masjid - Kerk Street Mosque
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