Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri visits Central Adelaide Mosque

Liaquat Ali

Canberra: Pakistani High Commissioner to Australia Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri this week visited the Central Adelaide Mosque.

“A blessing to visit and pray at The Central Adelaide Mosque in #Adelaide, #SouthAustralia. It is the oldest permanent mosque in Australia built in 1888–1889, with its four distinctive minarets added in 1903. #Multiculturalism truly lies at the heart of Australian society,” he said on the social media platform X.

The Central Adelaide Mosque, also known as Adelaide City Mosque or Adelaide Mosque, was formerly known as the Afghan Chapel.

Located in Little Gilbert Street in the south-west corner of the Adelaide city centre, the mosque was originally built to accommodate the spiritual needs of “Afghan” cameleers and traders coming in after working in South Australia’s northern regions.

After the congregation dwindled and the mosque fell into disrepair in the early 20th century, it took on a new lease of life with post-World War II Muslim migration, and has since been thriving.