| Building name | Ar-Rahman Mosque |
|---|---|
| Native name | 마스지드 알라흐만 |
| Location | Iranian embassy, Pyongyang |
| Country | North Korea |
| Coordinates | 39.03600460123327°N 125.78588954889042°E |
| Religious affiliation | Shia Islam |
| Status | Mosque |
| Functional status | Active |
| Funded by | Government of Iran |
| Architecture style | Iranian architecture |
The Ar-Rahman Mosque (Korean: 마스지드 알라흐만; MR: maseujideu allaheuman; Persian: مسجد الرحمن) is a mosque in Pyongyang, North Korea. The mosque is situated on the grounds of the Iranian embassy, and is considered the country's first and only mosque.[1]
Overview
Embassy staff from other Islamic countries in North Korea, including Sunnis, visit the mosque for worship.[2] The mosque hosts Friday prayers attended by Muslim embassy staff from various countries regardless of sect.[3][4][5] The mosque has hosted high-profile guests such as Ali Khamenei, who visited in May 1989. In 2020, staff from multiple embassies in Pyongyang gathered at the Ar-Rahman Mosque to celebrate Eid al-Fitr.[6]
Though other Islamic-majority nations, including Egypt, Palestine and Syria, maintain embassies in North Korea, none of these embassies are known to have mosques on their premises. This lack of mosques in North Korea is attributed to the state's religious policies, and it distinguishes North Korea as one of the only countries with a Shia mosque and no Sunni mosques, along with Armenia (which also has only one mosque, the Blue Mosque in Yerevan).[7]
See also
References
- ^ 조선일보 (2021-05-15). "“앗살람 알레이쿰”…평양에도 이슬람 사원 있다" (in Korean). 조선일보. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
- ^ Husarski, Roman (2024-06-14), "North Korean God(s)", Pursuing Sustainable Urban Development in North Korea, 1 ed., London: Routledge, pp. 34–47, doi:10.4324/9781003372035-5. ISBN 978-1-003-37203-5, retrieved 2026-03-05
- ^ "The first and the only mosque in North they say its for the staff but there are some rumors that some people goKorea". Muslim Press. Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
- ^ O'Carroll, Chad (22 January 2013). "Iran Build's Pyongyang's First Mosque". NK News. Archived 2013-01-23 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- ^ "Iran Build’s Pyongyang’s First Mosque | NK News – North Korea News". www.nknews.org. Archived 2013-01-23 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2026-04-02.
- ^ O'Carroll, Chad (2021-05-18). "Inside North Korea's only mosque during Eid al-Fitr". NK News. Archived 2026-04-03 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2025-08-09.
- ^ "Google Earth and the DPRK: Pyongyang Mosque, Kobangsan, and new hospital". North Korean Economy Watch. Archived 2013-01-27 at the Wayback Machine.