Mosquée de Tsingoni, Mosque in Tsingoni, Mayotte, France.

The Mosquée de Tsingoni is a mosque in Tsingoni, Mayotte, built of grey stone with a minaret added in 1991. The minaret has a panel of orange-red tiles, bands of white pierced latticework, and white corner strips with curved finials. The original 16th-century prayer hall, absorbed by later extensions, retains its sculpted coral mihrab.

Built in 1538 under Sultan Ali ben Mohamed's direction, this mosque shows a long tradition of religious practice at the site. Archaeological finds suggest that worship activities were happening here as far back as the 1300s.

Tsingoni was the capital of a Shirazi sultanate from 1460–1470, and the mosque served as its royal mosque, known throughout the Comoros. The carved coral mihrab, ordered in 1538 by Sultan Ali ben Mohamed, called Haïssa, remains the focal point of prayer. Two richly decorated mausoleums in the western cemetery hold members of Haïssa's family and resemble tombs in the Lamu archipelago of Kenya.

The mosque follows prayer times that shape when visitors can enter, so it's helpful to check timing in advance. Showing respect for active worship is important when planning your visit.

The mihrab showing the direction toward Mecca is one of the oldest preserved Islamic architectural features in French territory. This detail from the 1500s draws particular attention from scholars studying Islamic buildings in the region.