Muslim Themed Family Vacation Spots

As school ends and summer quickly approaches, many families are beginning to look forward to a vacation. If your travel and get-away plans are veering toward enjoying the United States or Canada this year, below is a handy list of Muslim themed-travel destinations. These vacation spots are all over the country and are educational, as well as fun.

Museums 

There are at least two museums in the United States that highlight Muslim culture, as well as a Smithsonian museum that lists artifacts of note.

• International Museum of Muslim Cultures – Jackson, Mississippi
• America’s Islamic Heritage Museum – Washington, DC
• National Museum of African American History and Culture – this Smithsonian museum has a number of sections that feature Muslim artifacts and African Muslims in Early America

Art: Islamic art is displayed in art museums across America, often as traveling exhibits or exhibitions in colleges. Some of note include:

• Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery – Yarrow Mamout – Washington, DC
• Metropolitan Museum of Art – Islamic Art Collection – New York
• Cleveland Museum of Art – Islamic Art Collection –Cleveland, Ohio

Points of interest – historical mosques in North America 

Some of the known and not-so-well-known mosques built in the United States are worth the trip. After visiting the mosque, enjoy some of the sites of the surrounding area.

• The Mother Mosque of America (Rose of Fraternity Lodge): Cedar Rapids, Iowa – the oldest building for the purpose of being a mosque in the United States. It was completed in 1934.
• Al-Rashid Mosque: The first mosque built in Canada. It was constructed in Edmonton, Alberta in 1938.
• Islamic Center of Washington, DC: A mosque and Islamic cultural center in Washington, D.C. located on Embassy Row. It opened in 1957. 
• Dearborn Mosque: Dearborn, Michigan – This community started in 1937 and consisted of a large group of Arab immigrants to the United States. 
• Jauharatul-Islam: Phoenix, Arizona- This mosque is the first one in the United States to be built from the ground up (in other words, it is not a renovated building) by African American Muslims. 

Points of interest: Beautifully Built Mosques All Across America. 

Throughout the U.S. and Canada, there are some mosques that have been built that are quite impressive, inside and out. We have listed some in different regions below:

• Diyanet Center of America – Lanham, Maryland
• Islamic Center of Greater Toledo – Perrysburg, Ohio
• Masjid al-Faatir - Chicago, Illinois (founded by Muhammad Ali)
• Dar al-Islam Mosque – Abiquiu, New México
• Al-Farooq Masjid – Atlanta, Georgia
• Assalam Center – Boca Raton, Florida
• East Plano Islamic Center - East Plano, Texas
• Masjid Toronto - Toronto, Canada
• Masjid Al-Salaam - Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Points of interest – Cultural Centers 

These centers contain all you need to enjoy a vacation – arts, history, activities to participate in, tours, and interesting information.

• Muhammad Ali Center: Louisville, Kentucky
• The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center: New York, NY
• Malcolm X Park: 5100 Pine St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This is a tree-shaded city park featuring a playground, covered benches, and paved walking paths.
• Malcolm X Foundation: Omaha. Nebraska 
• Turkish Cultural Center: Artfully designed centers all over America, often worth the trip just to view the elaborate architecture. They have centers in:

• -Houston, TX
  -Chicago, IL
  -Washington, DC
  -Boston, Maryland
  -Pittsburgh, PA
  -New Jersey
  -Long Island, NY
  -Philadelphia, PA
  -Bedford, NH
  -Chapel Hill, NC
  Google “Turkish Cultural Center (Name of City) to find them. 

Tours 

• Muslim History Tour, New York City
• Sapelo Island Tour, Sapelo Island, Georgia: Chicago Walking Tour
• Visit the offices of Sound Vision, Muslim Journal, CAIR. The Chicago area is truly a hub of Muslim activity representing the diversity of Islam.

International bug still have a hold on you?  

You can certainly make plans to span the globe for your family vacation trip. Before you go, check country entry guidelines since different countries are at different levels of containment of the COVID-19 virus. In addition, the guidance for entering countries around the world appears to be ever-changing and evolving, so be flexible with your plans. Below are a few suggestions.

• Umrah – A trip to the holy city of Makkah is always a beautiful experience for the family.  
• Africa – Touba, Senegal
  • An alcohol- and cigarette-free city. In Touba you can tour one of the largest mosques in western Africa. A unique experience in that there are also no restaurants or hotels because when visitors arrive, the locals share their food or homes. 
• Europe – Spain
  • The region offers a number of  historical sites of Moorish Spain, including the Alhambra of Granada,The Great Mosque of Córdoba, Giralda in Seville, and Aljafería in Zaragoza. 
• South America – Brazil
  • Visit the Mesquita Brasil (Mosque Brazil) located in São Paulo city, the oldest mosque in Brazil and one of the oldest mosques in South America or the Mosque of Cuiabá, which is open to tourists and located in the state of Mato Grosso.

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    (05/28/2021)