State Historical Society of Iowa

Mother Mosque of America in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, October 1950

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Mother Mosque of America, also once known as Moslem Temple, was the first and is the oldest surviving mosque in the United States. The photo was taken in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on October, 1950
Courtesy of State Historical Society of Iowa, October 1950

Description 

This photograph is of the Mother Mosque of America, also once known as Moslem Temple and the Rose of Fraternity Lodge. This building is the first and the oldest surviving mosque in the United States. The photo was taken in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in October 1950.

Source-Dependent Questions

  • This is a photograph of the first and the oldest surviving mosque in the United States. What might be the significance of the name "Mother Mosque" be? Why "Mother?"
  • What do you notice about this picture that makes Mother Mosque unique compared to other buildings of worship you have seen in Iowa?
  • Why might Muslims in the United States, and in particular Iowa, choose Iowa as the location for the first mosque in the United States?
  • Why do you think this building is significant enough to list on the National Registry of Historical Places?