Al-Noor Masjid Mosque in Hanoi

The only mosque in the North of the country, Al-Noor Masjid (meaning “Mosque of Light”) has been open in the heart of Hanoi City at 12 Hang Luoc Street for over 130 years. It serves as a sacred place of worship for the Vietnamese faithful as well as of any nationality living in the capital.

Its construction dates back to the 19th century with the arrival of Indian traders in Vietnam. They erected in 1885 the Al-Noor Mosque in order to meet their religious needs. Hence the visible imprints of Indian culture in the architecture of the place, especially at the level of the dome and the minaret. The decoration of the mosque, as a whole, remains similar to other typical mosques found around the world.

It was five years later, in 1890, that the Al-Noor Mosque welcomed its first worshippers. Its main entrance faces west, towards Mecca. There is enough prayer space for 200 people inside, even 300 people if you include the courtyard.

Hanoi City has more than 700 Muslims, including members of the diplomatic corps, individuals and businessmen from around 20 countries. At the time of prayer, ambassadors and other faithful are all equal. Those who arrive early go inside, and the rest go to the yard.

The place reserved for the imam who leads the prayer on Friday morning.

Besides the Friday morning prayer, the Imam also directs the customs necessary for a wedding or funeral.

Believers pray five times a day. The most important prayer of the week is on Friday morning. Large rugs are available in the prayer room.

The space in the main hall seems limited on Friday morning. On the shelf are the Korans in different languages, Vietnamese, English and Arabic.

The Qurans in Vietnamese, published by the Religious Publishing House, facilitate the religious practice of Vietnamese in the country. Before, only translations from English were available.

The typical decoration of Islamic culture in the Al-Noor Mosque.

The minaret of the Al-Noor mosque

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