The Grand Mosque in Cotabato City

GRAND MOSQUE

I only learned of this place from fellow travelers blogsites and I got curious. According to the people around it, the Grand Mosques was a gift from Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam. No wonder It resembled the great mosques I saw in Brunei.

To get to this place, find your way to the highway fronting the Husky Terminal. Hire a habal-habal (motorbike). For two people, cost would be around 80 pesos (2$) while in my case I paid 150 pesos (3.5$) for a round trip. The trip would be along a 5km well-paved road. If your driver is conversant, you can ask many questions and even ask him to be your photographer.

Upon reaching the Grand Mosque, take time to not only have photos by the front but actually go around the periphery. Do wear decent long pants when in here. Be courageous enough to talk to the people in the mosque. I was lucky to have a conversation with the caretaker who took me around the mosque and told me stories about it. He says the best time to visit here and a photo is around 4 in the afternoon.

A good place to visit when in Cotabato City, well maintained and you can feel how the people love their city. the sad part is that it is far from the hi-way thats why you need to have a vehicle or hire motorcycle to be able to go there.