Center for Islamic Studies CIS
The Awareness Through Mosque Tour (ATMT) program spearheaded by the Centre for Islamic Studies (CIS) will commence from early February this year, Insha Allah. The pilot project will commence at Wekanda Mosque, Slave Island, to be followed by the Red Mosque (Sammankot Mosque) also known as Jamiul Alfar in the Pettah area of Colombo and Masjidul Abrar, the oldest existing mosque in the island, located in the Maradana area of Beruwala.
ATMT at Wekanda Mosque will commence with an Open Mosque Day on a weekly basis (Saturdays) in the mornings (9.30-11.30 am) and evenings (4.00 pm-6.00 pm). At a later stage the mosque should be able to accommodate casual tourists once a pool of qualified tour guides are trained for the purpose, so that they could be present as and when needed.
To reflect the traditional Malay culture of the area, batik sarongs and songko headgear for gents and baju kurung with selendang for ladies will be made available for visitors to wear before they enter the mosque. Free literature will also be provided, including A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam and Pocket Guide Book on Muhammad .
The prospect of twinning Wekanda Mosque with a well known ATMT Mosque in Malaysia has also been discussed so that ideas and experiences could be shared between the two mosques.
