Habibia Soofie Saheb Badsha Peer Darbaar Musjid (Mosque). As soon as Hazrath Soofie Saheb arrived in Durban in 1895 he bought a piece of land on the northern banks of the Umgeni River in Riverside, a stone’s throw from the Indian Ocean, and built a humble wood and iron house. On this land he chose a spot, where the present Musjid stands, and laid the foundation immediately after Juma Salaah. A few members from the community, including Sayed Fakroodeen, Rooknoodeen and Jhetam were present. The main builder was an Italian.
When the Musjid, was completed, it was also used as a Madressa until 1903, when a Parsee by the name of Rustomjee, at his own expense, built a madressa. An orphanage (Yateemkhana) was then built to house the orphans and destitutes. A portion of the northerly end of the land was used as a cemetery, and adjoining this piece of ground an old age home was built. Next to the orphanage was a kitchen and a place with ablution facilities. At the entrance to the Darbar, a Musafirkhana was built to cater for travellers and wayfarers. An Ashurkhana was also erected here. Durban. KwaZulu Natal. South Africa.
