File:Larabanga Mosque05.jpg

English: The Famous Larabanga Mosque

The Larabanga mosque is one of the oldest mosques in West Africa and is the oldest mosque in Ghana.

Story of the Larabanga Mosque

After Ndewura Jakpa died, and Ibrahim decided to remain in the Gonja kingdom, he realized that as an Islamic spiritual leader, or Imam, he needed a Koran. At this time there were only seven korans in existence, all of them written by hand and bound into no less than sixty Hinzibs each and kept wrapped bulkily in many blankets and stored in large calabash bowls far away in Mecca. Ibrahim decided to consult an old Dhen Zuo man who was a remaining resident of Zuriyir and he learned of the Mystic stone which was already known as a holy spot to the residents of Zuriyir. Ibrahim went to the Mystic Stone and prayed hard for a Koran to be brought to Larabanga and it is said that his prayers were rewarded when one of the original seven Koran from Mecca was delivered to him from the heavens. This Koran is preserved in the village today by a caretaker and it is brought out for special prayers each year during the Fire Festival when the new Muslim calendar year is celebrated. Many people converge at Larabanga from far and wide to attend these readings outside the ancient mosque.

THE STORY OF LARABANGA

The arrival of the first Kamaras to Ghana

The leader of the Gonjas, Ndewura Jakpa, called the first Kamaras to Ghana because he was attempting to conquer the vast lands but was facing great difficulties. Ibrahim and another Kamara, by the name of Fatawu Murkpe, were called to spiritually assist Ndewura Jakpa in his fight. Specifically, Ndewura Hakpa was having trouble conquering Kango, an ancient town in what is present day Cote de Ivoire, and so Ibrahim and Fatawu Murkpe wrote some charms which allowed the Gonjas to conquer Kango. This made the Gonjas so happy with the Kamaras that they were given a special place in Gonja administration. Today, Kamaras continue to play a special religious role in Gonja administration where they are often called to assist the Gonjas as administrators of Islamic law, prayer leaders and conflict mediators. Furthermore, even today, when the Gonjas greet the Kamara people they add "Kongote" to their greeting which means 'Kango is finished,' to refer to the Kamara's role in the conquest of Kango.

The settling of Larabanga

Ndewura Jakpa met his death by a spear in a battle after he crossed the White Volta river against the advice of Ibrahim, which is why still today the Gonja lands end at the White Volta river. As Ndewura Jakpa was dying he told Ibrahim, who was too old to travel back to his home in Saudi Arabia, that he could settle anywhere on the conquered lands. Ibrahim was at Mystic Stone offering some prayers when he took a spear and threw it high into the sky, declaring that wherever it should land would become his home. The spear landed on the high fertile ground at "Zuriyir," a place that had been settled by the Dhen Zuo people and later abandoned by previous invaders from the north. "Yirikpani" or "the landing of the spear," is the name still used within Larabanga to describe the section of its community living around the mosque. Ibrahim then took a wife from the Mamprusi region just north of Mole National Park and their descendants became the people who make up the community of Larabanga today.