Habibia Sufi Masjid

The Habibia complex in Doornhoogte (or Thornhill Estate, as it was officially named) is the first mosque and madrassah set of buildings on the Cape Flats. It is the largest (and busiest) Islamic centre in South Africa. The institution, commonly referred to as 'Habibia', 'Habibia College', 'Habibiyyah', 'Habibiyyah College' or simply 'the College', consists of, among other things, a large mosque, four educational establishments, the Imam's house, a caretaker's home, a large hall, an orphanage, a bookshop and a car park. It also has a pretty garden. Habibia has few peers architecturally. Included between the nursery school and the mosque, is a shrine that holds the holy grave of Maulana 'Abd al Latif the son of Muhammad Yusuf, the son of Qadi 'Abd al Rahman. Hadhrat Goolam Mohammed Sufi Saheb al-Qadiri al-Chisti al-Nizami al-Hafithi al-Habibi al-Siddiqi (d. 1911) and 'Sayedie' (d. 1916, as Maulana 'Abd al Latif is known) were the initial inspirations behind the construction of the complex.