Seoul Central Mosque: Korea’s First Mosque
The construction of the Seoul Central Masjid (서울 중앙성원) started in 1974 on a piece of land donated by the Korean Government. This is the first mosque built in Korea, other mosques followed in Incheon, Daegu, Busan,… The construction of this first mosque was funded by many Islamic countries and officially opened in 1976.
ISLAM IN SOUTH KOREA
Islam is a minority religion in Korea and according the Korea Muslim Federation only 100 000 Muslims in South Korea. The Korean government is trying to increase the number of Muslim visitors by making restaurants and accommodations Muslim-friendly; by Halal certificates for certain restaurants and by building prayer rooms.
The majority of the Muslim community is located in the Itaewon area as this is also where most of the foreign food marts and halal restaurants are located.
VISITING THE MOSQUE
The mosque has two different prayer halls, the big hall that is only allowed for men and the smaller woman prayer hall. Woman should make sure to be fully covered up before entering. Long skirts and shawls can be borrowed at the entrance. During Seoul prayer time (Friday lunch time), the Seoul Central Mosque, non-Muslim tourists can not enter the building, but can still walk around outside.
WANT TO VISIT?
From Itaewon station it’s just a short 7 minutes walk up the hill to reach the mosque. On the main road, leading to the mosque you can find many foreign markets, shops and restaurants with Indian, Halal and Turkish food.
Address: 732-21, Hannam2-dong, Yongsan-gu,Seoul-si 서울특별시 용산구 우사단로10길 39 (한남동)
HALAL FOOD IN SEOUL
In the Itaewon are you can find many Halal restaurants certified by the Korea Muslim Federation. Click here to see a list of recommended halal restaurants in Seoul!
