Dondoli Mosque

Dondoli Mosque is a 19th-century earthen mosque in the Dondoli community of Wa, the capital of Ghana's Upper West Region. It is also known as the Old Dondoli Central Mosque and was formerly called Karimafa Mosque. It belongs to the Sudano-Sahelian building tradition, the mud-brick architecture of the western Sahel, and is listed by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board among the ancient mosques of northern Ghana. Visit Ghana, the Ghana Tourism Authority's platform, likewise lists the ancient Sudanese mosques at Nakore and Dondoli among the mosques of Wa.

The mosque is reported to be in partial ruins and abandoned. It was reportedly built by Karimafa, a man who migrated from Mali to Wa, and it was counted among only nine mud mosques remaining in Ghana. Its design reflects a shared architectural tradition with mosques in Kong and Côte d'Ivoire, and with structures in Ghana such as the Nakore Mosque and the Wa Naa Palace. The mud construction uses thick walls and supports, which leaves limited interior space for worshippers.

For a visitor, the interest here is architectural and historical rather than recreational. The building sits in a dense residential neighbourhood and is reached through narrow, winding alleyways; it is hard to find, and its lack of visibility has likely hurt its chances of restoration as a historic and tourist attraction. Google Arts & Culture describes it as on the outskirts of Wa.

The ancient mosques of northern Ghana serve as Friday prayer grounds and places of pilgrimage for Muslim communities in Ghana. GMMB states that it participates actively in programmes of the World Monuments Fund, CRATerre, ENSAG, UNESCO, NGOs and individuals for the restoration of these mosques, with communities playing a great role in restoration.

Practical details are limited. No opening hours, entry fees, guided-tour arrangements or visitor facilities are documented in the available sources, and the published coordinates are feature coordinates for the mosque rather than a confirmed visitor entrance. Because the building is in partial ruins and lies within a living neighbourhood, travellers should treat access as unconfirmed and plan around the absence of published visitor information.