Mosque of the Divinity: the mosque born of a dream, set on the ocean’s edge at Ouakam

You do not discover the Mosque of the Divinity by stepping out of a taxi: you discover it from above, from the Ouakam cliff, or from below, from the sand of the cove, its two minarets rising to face the Atlantic. Take the time to choose your viewpoint, because this is a place you earn with your eyes before you earn it with your feet. And remember, as you approach, that it is not a monument: it is a living mosque, born, according to the tradition of its faithful, of a dream in 1973, and built with their own hands. Come as a respectful visitor, and it will tell you far more than a postcard.

At a glance

Resident or visitor: two ways of looking at the same cove

If you live in Senegal, you have probably glimpsed it a hundred times while driving along the Corniche, between two traffic jams, without ever stopping. Do it on a Saturday morning: park at the top, walk down to the cove, look at the pirogues hauled up on the sand and the minarets in the low-angled light. You will rediscover a place you thought you knew. And if friends or family from abroad come to visit, you are the one who will brief them on the etiquette: what to wear, when to come, how to stay discreet.

If you are passing through, do not try to “do” the mosque in five minutes between the Monument and Les Almadies. Think of the view from the cliff and from the beach as the visit itself. Dress accordingly from the morning, shoulders and knees covered, come outside prayer times, and never take entry into the prayer hall for granted: accounts from travellers and guides differ on this point, and the answer can only be had on site, from those in charge of the mosque.

A mosque born of a dream

The vision of 1973

The story, as the faithful pass it on, begins in 1973. Mohamed Gorgui Seyni Guèye, often called Mohamed Seyni Guèye, recounted seeing in a dream a luminous mosque in the sky, and being told to follow it to see where it would come to rest. It came to rest, the story goes, in the bay of Ouakam, on the edge of the ocean. For his community, the mosque is therefore not first and foremost an architect’s project, but a revelation that had to be given form.

This story belongs to the religious tradition of the community that carried the project. We report it as such, with the respect due to a belief, without comment: it is what gives the place its meaning, and it is what you will hear if someone tells you about it in Ouakam.

Nearly twenty years of waiting, five years of building

Between the vision and the first trowel, nearly two decades went by. Building began in 1992, and the mosque was completed on 1 October 1997, after about five years of work. To carry out the project, the founder teamed up with the architect Cheikh Ngom.

What stands out in the story of this building project is its collective dimension. According to the community’s account, the mosque was built largely by volunteer worshippers and funded by their contributions: a building site on the edge of a swell-battered cliff, which the people of Ouakam still speak of with pride.

A landmark of the Corniche

Since its completion, the Mosque of the Divinity has become one of the images of the Corniche Ouest, alongside the Mamelles Lighthouse and, later, the African Renaissance Monument. It hosts daily prayers and the major religious festivals, and also draws visitors from all over the city for its silhouette and its setting.

Our take: look at it as the work of a community more than as a building. A few kilometres from the Great Mosque of Dakar, the fruit of diplomacy between states, the Mosque of the Divinity tells another story, that of a faith that builds for itself.

Key facts & figures

Getting there & official fees

The mosque stands in the commune of Ouakam, below the Corniche Ouest, in the cove where fishermen haul up their pirogues. From the Plateau, follow the Corniche westwards: allow from 20 minutes to almost an hour depending on traffic. From Les Almadies or Ngor, the journey is shorter. By taxi, “mosquée de la Divinité” or “mosquée d’Ouakam, côté mer” is enough; agree the fare before getting in. From the road, you reach the cove on foot by the path down: wear sturdy shoes, as the slope is steep in places.

Official fees: no official entry charge is published. The mosque is a place of worship, not a ticketed site. If someone asks you for an “entry fee” nearby, stay courteous and cautious; a donation towards upkeep, if suggested by those in charge of the mosque, remains entirely voluntary.

Times: the mosque lives to the rhythm of the five daily prayers, whose times shift with the sun over the year. Check our prayer times in Dakar page and aim for a slot well away from any of them. On Fridays, the great midday prayer brings the faithful together: it is not the time to visit.

Non-Muslims: the exterior, the view from the cliff and the beach can be enjoyed freely. As for the interior, sources do not agree: some say it is not open to non-Muslims, others that it depends on the time and on the agreement of those in charge. Do not force anything: if you are invited to come closer, do so in modest clothing, in silence, with your shoes off where you are asked; if you are told no, the view from the cove will already tell you the essentials.

What to see

The silhouette from the cliff. Before going down, stop at the top: this is where you understand the site, the mosque set between rock and water, its two minarets standing sentinel facing the open sea.

The minarets from the beach. Once on the sand, look up: the two minarets, around 45 metres tall, tower over the cove. Photograph them with no one in the foreground; it is the most respectful image.

The fishermen’s cove. At the foot of the mosque, Ouakam life goes on: painted pirogues, nets being mended, boats returning from fishing. Always ask before photographing anyone.

The mosque seen from the sea. This is the viewpoint few visitors know: from a boat running along the Corniche, the mosque stands out against the cliff, with the lighthouse and the Monument above. Sea trips along the Dakar coast pass in front of it.

Nearby

The mosque is the low point of a loop you can do in half a day. Above it, on one of the two Mamelles hills, the African Renaissance Monument offers the widest panorama of the city, with an entry charge payable on site. On the other hill, the older Mamelles Lighthouse looks out towards Les Almadies and the open sea. To the north, the Pointe des Almadies closes off the peninsula and offers the sunset, followed by Ngor, its beach and Ngor Island. Off the Corniche, the Madeleine Islands are visited by sea.

Towards the centre, the Great Mosque of Dakar, inaugurated in 1964 between the Plateau and the Médina, completes your discovery of the capital’s great mosques. To plan your stay, rely on our ideal 3-day Dakar itinerary and our Dakar page.

The right time

The best slot for a visitor is mid-morning on a weekday, between two prayers: the cove is busy with fishermen, the light is still soft and traffic on the Corniche is flowing. In the late afternoon, the sun goes down facing the mosque and gilds its façades; it is the time for the finest photos from the cliff, as long as you leave before the evening prayer.

Times to avoid as a visitor: Fridays from late morning to mid-afternoon, the days of Tabaski (Eid al-Adha), Korité (Eid al-Fitr) and Tamkharit (Ashura), and evenings during Ramadan, when the mosque belongs entirely to the faithful. As for the seasons, November–May brings clear skies and pleasant walking; winter also brings the fine swells that have made the Ouakam wave famous. During the rainy season (hivernage), July to October, the heat is heavy and the path down can become slippery after a storm.

Practical tips

• Clothing. Shoulders, arms and knees covered, for men and women alike; women should bring a headscarf if they approach the prayer areas. Beachwear is not appropriate near the mosque, even if you are going for a swim afterwards: change once you are there.
• Shoes. Shoes come off before the prayer areas; for the path down to the cove, sturdy closed shoes are better than flip-flops.
• Photos. The architecture can be photographed freely from the cliff and the beach. Never photograph worshippers at prayer, and ask before taking a portrait of a fisherman or a local resident. No drones without permission.
• Behaviour. Keep your voice low, your phone on silent, no food or drink in the immediate surroundings, and never walk in front of someone who is praying.
• The sea. The cove is not a supervised swimming spot by default: the wave breaks over reef and rocks. Follow the signs and instructions, and leave the surf to experienced surfers or to a supervised lesson.
• Touts. People may offer to guide you around the area; if you have already booked a tour, a polite no is enough.
• Accessibility. The view from the Corniche is accessible to everyone; the path down to the cove, sloping and sometimes uneven, is tricky for people with reduced mobility.

Book an activity here with QFS

The Mosque of the Divinity comes into its own with someone who knows Ouakam: a guide knows when to come, whom to speak to and how to connect the place to the history of the Lebou village and the Mamelles. You will find these walks among our guided cultural tours, often combined with the Monument, the lighthouse and the Corniche. To see it from the sea, take a look at our boat cruises & boat hire and our boat trips (sunset, islands & sport fishing) along the coast. And if the Ouakam wave tempts you, start with our surf lessons & camps, which choose the spot according to your level and the day’s swell.

You pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day of the activity. The mosque has no published official entry charge; if your walk includes the Monument or the Mamelles Lighthouse, their entry charges are official fees, payable on site and not included in the price. If you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off depending on the activity (the exact rate is shown on each listing).

Frequently asked questions