Türkiye Hails 130 Years of Shitta-Bey Mosque as Symbol of Deep Ties With Nigeria

At a Lagos ceremony, the Turkish envoy highlights Ottoman links to West Africa and the enduring legacy of the mosque’s founder, Muhammed Shitta

Counsellor for Religious Services of the Turkish Embassy, Hüseyin Ortaç, has attended the special event marking the 130th anniversary of the establishment of the Shitta-Bey Mosque on behalf of Ambassador-designate Mehmet Poroy in Lagos.

The mosque, inaugurated with the participation of a representative of Sultan Abdulhamid II, stands as a symbol of deep cultural ties between Türkiye and Nigeria.

Founder of the mosque, Muhammed Shitta, was conferred the title of “Bey” by the Sultan, which is still used by his descendants.

(Büyükelçiliğimiz Din Hizmetleri Müşaviri Hüseyin Ortaç, Büyükelçi Mehmet Poroy’u temsilen, Shitta-Bey Camii’nin açılışının 130. yıl dönümü münasebetiyle Lagos’ta düzenlenen etkinliğe katıldı.

Sultan II. Abdülhamid’in bir temsilcisinin katılımıyla açılışı gerçekleştirilen cami, ülkemiz ile Nijerya arasındaki derin kültürel bağlara işaret ediyor.

Caminin banisi Muhammed Shitta’ya Sultan Abdülhamid tarafından “Bey” unvanı verilmiş olup, bu unvan halen Shitta’nın torunları tarafından kullanılıyor.) Copied.

Completed in 1894, the Shitta-Bey Mosque is one of Lagos’ oldest and most iconic Islamic monuments, designed by Brazilian architect João Baptista da Costa, the mosque’s Afro-Brazilian style reflects the cultural fusion of returning freed slaves from Brazil and the local Yoruba Muslim population. It was commissioned by Muhammed Shitta, a prominent Lagosian businessman and philanthropist, and opened in a grand ceremony attended by Abdullah Quilliam, the first British convert to Islam and envoy of Sultan Abdulhamid II of the Ottoman Empire. The Sultan later conferred on Shitta the Ottoman honorific title of “Bey”, making him a symbolic bridge between West Africa and the Ottoman world.

The mosque’s history stands as a testament to Lagos’ vibrant 19th-century Muslim community and its transcontinental connections. As a heritage site, Shitta-Bey Mosque has endured as a centre for Islamic learning and worship, drawing visitors for its architectural elegance and historical significance. Its restoration and celebration underlines the enduring cultural and spiritual ties between Türkiye and Nigeria, linking Ottoman-era diplomacy to contemporary cultural exchange.

SPONSORED

SPONSORED

SPONSORED