The Arba'a Rukun Mosque — its name means "Four Pillars" in Arabic — was built in 1268 AD and is one of the oldest surviving mosques in sub-Saharan Africa. It stands in the Shangani district of Hamarweyne, the old Arab-era quarter of Mogadishu, where coral-stone buildings and narrow lanes survive despite the destruction of the civil war. The mosque's architecture reflects the Swahili Coast tradition, using local coral stone construction in forms that echo the mosque-building traditions of the Arabian Peninsula.
The building survived the civil war with structural damage rather than demolition, and restoration work has been undertaken in recent years. It remains an active mosque and a place of living religious practice, not merely a heritage monument. Access for non-Muslim visitors requires liaison with local contacts and appropriate timing — visiting independently or without local guidance is not advisable given the security situation in the surrounding district.