Mosquée de la Divinité

The Mosquée de la Divinité stands on the cliffs of Ouakam, facing the Atlantic on the western corniche, and it is one of the most photographed buildings on the Dakar coast. Its white walls, green and red details and twin minarets stand out against the sea, particularly in late afternoon light.

The story behind it is unusual. According to its history, Mouhamed Seyni Guèye, known as Sangabi, saw the mosque in a dream in 1973: a luminous model descended from the sky and came to rest at the bay of Ouakam. He drew up the plans by hand in a notebook. The first stone was laid in January 1992, work began that May, and the mosque was inaugurated on 1 October 1997. It was built by volunteers of the Naby Allah movement, with little machinery and without state or foreign funding. The one major addition to the original design is a suspended reinforced concrete dome weighing more than 80 tonnes, proposed by the architect Cheikh Ngom to protect the opening from rain. Sangabi, born in 1926, died in March 2007, almost ten years after the mosque he had imagined was inaugurated. Its colours are white, green and red, and it sits directly on the cliffs above the ocean.

For most visitors the experience is the building in its setting rather than a long interior visit. You can view and photograph it from the corniche and the shore below. The mosque is an active place of worship, and an annual prayer gathering is held there in December, so check whether visitors can enter on the day and avoid prayer times.

Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered; women should bring a scarf to cover their hair, and shoes are removed before entering prayer areas. Ask before photographing people. A short visit of 20 to 30 minutes is usually enough, though the coastline invites a longer walk.

Ouakam is a former Lebou village that is now part of western Dakar, and the mosque is a short taxi ride from the African Renaissance Monument and the Phare des Mamelles, both on the hills just inland. Combine all three in a half day, then continue north to the beaches and seafood restaurants of Ngor and Les Almadies for lunch or sunset.