The Auwal Mosque is the first and oldest mosque built in South Africa. The Auwal mosque was built in 1794 and came into existence in 1798 during the first British occupation of the Cape of Good Hope and was the main religious instituting during the years 1804 until 1850. This mosque is also the first to have practiced most of the Cape Muslim traditions. The Auwal Masjid has always been a symbol of the struggle of Cape Muslims for the recognition of Islam and their freedom to worship. The mosque was built on land belonging to the freed slave Coridon van Ceylon. In 1793 Tuan Guru was released from Robben Island, having served a prison sentence of thirteen years. When he established his first madrasah in 1793, the property, a warehouse, was rented by Coridon of Ceylon, the freed slave of Salie van de Kaap. He then made an application to the Cape authorities for a site in Cape Town for the construction of a masjid, but it was refused. An open-air Jumu ‘ah Saldh [Friday congregational prayers] was then held in a disused quarry in Chiappini Street in Cape Town. Tuan Guru, also known as Imam Abdullah, led
the Cape Muslims in the Salah. According to Achmat van Bengalen. The construction of the Auwal Masjid was made possible through General Craig who, for the first time, permitted Muslims to pray in public in the Cape Colony. The Auwal Masjid, situated in Dorp Street, Cape Town, became the first to be established and is still functioning as the noble founders had intended. It became a centre of Muslim communal activity, regulating and patterning their social and religious life.

The mosque has gone through minor renovations in 1907 and major restorations in 1936. It was the first mosque to hold public prayers, and it was also the location of the first lessons on Cape Muslim customs and Arabic-Africans. It continues to represent to Muslims the acceptance of Islam and the right of slaves to practice their religion freely.

The original structure of the building has been altered over time, and just 2 walls are still present. The Auwal Masjid began as a simple, one-story building with a prayer room. A minbar and ablution -wudu- area were most likely included in the prayer area. Given the problems with religious freedom, the mosque would have had a modest appearance. It consists of a main prayer room, women’s prayer room, courtyard, a library, wudu space and other facilities A second storey was added in the 1990.