A resource to support teaching and learning through buildings and places
Brick Lane Mosque
• 1743 Built as a French Protestant Church.
• 1819 Methodist Chapel.
• 1898 Spitalfields Great Synagogue.
• 1976 The Brick Lane Jamme Masjid.
“The building that houses the Jamme Masjid, as has often been remarked, represents the history of successive communities of immigrants into London; from this point of view it may be called one of the most remarkable and evocative buildings in the area and one of London’s architectural and historic treasures”
Inwood 1998, 869 & Nairn 1966, 168.
Venue Type:
Heritage site, Sacred space
Related teaching activities
Key stage 2 ICT, 1-2 lessons
Exchanging and sharing information
Make a floor plan of Brick Lane Mosque using software. Choose a second place of worship and compare the floor plans of the two.
Key stage 3 art & design, 1 lesson
Explore and create (2.1a)
The image of a flower is used by Islamic artists and often appears in the walls, tiles and rugs that adorn mosques. Create a design based on this symbol that could be used in a local mosque.
Key stage 3 citizenship, 1 lesson
2.2 Advocacy and representation
Mosques are places of prayer and centres for the local community. As a group, think about the buildings and places in your local area that are used to bring people together for recreation or education.
Key stage 3 English, 1 lesson
En3 Writing
The mosque building has a sundial on the front of it with a Latin inscription, Umbra Sumus which means 'we are shadows'. Write a story or a poem with this as its title.
Key stage 3 religious studies, 1 lesson
Learning about religion
Mosques are some of the world’s most richly decorated buildings. Using online research and the Brick Lane mosque as a starting point, make a list of the features that make these ornate buildings so distinctive.
