We Went Inside England’s Oldest Mosque | Britain’s Best Mosques EP 2

We Went Inside England’s Oldest Mosque in Woking, Surrey In Episode 2 of Britain’s Best Mosques, we got exclusive access to visit the Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking, Surrey — England’s oldest purpose-built mosque and a Grade I listed building with a unique place in British, Muslim, and South Asian history. During the First World War, over one million soldiers from British India, including Muslims from regions that are today Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, served in the British Army. Woking played a significant role during this period, including providing religious facilities and the establishment of a Muslim burial ground to honour Muslim servicemen who died while serving in Britain. Built in 1889, the Shah Jahan Mosque was commissioned by Dr Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner and funded by Shah Jahan Begum of Bhopal. Long before large Muslim communities existed in Britain, the mosque served students, visitors, and scholars, becoming a centre of early Islamic life in the UK. This episode explores the following: • Why Woking became the birthplace of Islam’s physical presence in Britain • The mosque’s distinctive Indo-Saracenic architecture • Its role as a centre for early British Muslims and converts • Its connections to Muslim history, including present-day Pakistan • How the mosque intersects with global history during the world wars Today, the Shah Jahan Mosque stands as a reminder that Islam has been part of Britain’s story for well over a century. Britain’s Best Mosque documents the most important, beautiful, and historically significant mosques across the UK. Music Credit: F I N - [Free Islamic Nasheeds] Is An YouTube Channel Were We'll Upload Best Copyright-Free (Halal) Music & Nasheeds, For Content Creators. Subscribe for future episodes. #peace #islam #islamic #islamicvideo #islamicstatus #islamicreminder #pakistan #india #bangladesh Chapters below ⬇️ 00:00 England’s Oldest Mosque 01:05 Why Woking, Surrey? 02:30 The First Purpose-Built Mosque in Britain 04:10 Architecture of the Shah Jahan Mosque 06:05 Early Muslims in Britain 08:10 The Woking Muslim Mission 10:20 British India, the World Wars, and Muslim Soldiers 13:05 The Muslim Burial Ground, Woking 15:10 South Asia and the Pakistan Connection 17:20 The Mosque Today 19:10 Why This History Still Matters