Preserving and Sharing Our Heritage — Building Our Historical Records

Archive post. Issued by SAMNET on 24 September 2025, Heritage Day. Published here as part of SAMNET’s archive. The guidance is a standing one — see the National Mosque Open Day pages for the current campaign.

One of the gaps in many of our communities is that we do not record our history for future generations.

Part of that work is preserving our past and recording our present, so that it becomes history for those who come after. Without it we lose a vital part of our heritage and our knowledge — and we lose the ability to show others what we have contributed to this country and to the world.

South Africa’s and Africa’s Muslims are woven into the fabric of our countries’ politics, freedom struggles, social development, art and literature, knowledge and education — and that contribution extends well beyond our borders. We should be sharing and celebrating it with our fellow citizens, our neighbours, our visitors and the world.

Photographs and video

Photographic records matter because they capture the visual evolution of a space over time — something nobody notices while it is happening. Video adds sound to the image, and captures what people thought and felt.

Written records

We recommend every Musjid keep a visitors’ book, built up over years.

Beyond that: preserve books, community records such as marriage registers, architectural documents, posters, booklets and speeches. These are a historical record not only for the community but for South Africa and for humanity.

Artefacts

Physical items of historical value need care and preservation — which may mean safe, climate-controlled display. A crafted mimbar or an asaa, and smaller things too: incense burners, frames, clocks. Maintaining them has to be a priority before, not after, they deteriorate.

Everything old was once new

Even a new Musjid, Madressah or Uloom will one day be old. The history worth having in fifty years is the record being made now — which means the preservation should start now, not when the building becomes notable.

Our heritage is part of the spaces we live, work and socialise in. Let us share it.

Salaamedia interview.

Contact SAMNET on info@samnet.co.za or WhatsApp 084 333 3979.

DSAC Bursaries for Heritage-Related Studies · What Can We Learn About Waqf Properties in South Africa? · Why Mosque Open Days Are Important

Shared by the South African Muslim Network (SAMNET) in the interest of preserving, recording, sharing and celebrating the heritage of Muslims in South Africa, and encouraging participation in National Mosque Open Day.