مسجد Anssar Afghanisches Kulturzentrum Maihan E.v.

Between the old neighbourhoods of Offenbach, a city just east of Frankfurt in the German state of Hesse, the Anssar Moschee combined with the Afghanisches Kulturzentrum Maihan welcomes worshippers from the Afghan community of the Rhine Main region along with neighbours from many other backgrounds. Offenbach has been home to Afghan Muslim families since the 1980s, when political upheaval in Afghanistan sent waves of refugees into Germany, many of whom settled in the Frankfurt metropolitan area and rebuilt their lives in professions ranging from medicine and engineering to small retail and logistics. The cultural centre functions as both a masjid and an Afghan heritage meeting place, hosting concerts of traditional music, Dari and Pashto language classes, and community gatherings.

The name Anssar, spelled in the German registry with double letters, is drawn from the Arabic word Ansar, meaning helpers, the honoured title given by the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, to the Muslims of Madinah who welcomed and supported the emigrants arriving from Makkah. The Ansar, may God be pleased with them, stood as a model of generosity and hospitality for the entire Muslim community, and a mosque bearing this name in a city of migrants carries an obvious and moving resonance.

The building occupies a converted civic structure carefully adapted for worship, with a modest prayer hall on the ground floor, a women's gallery, a wudu area, teaching rooms, and a kitchen used during Ramadan iftars and Eid celebrations. The prayer hall is finished with green carpet bearing geometric prayer line medallions, a mihrab framed by simple calligraphy, and bookshelves holding the Qur'an in Arabic, Dari, Pashto, and German. Images of the blessed haram at Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah hang respectfully near the entrance.

Friday khutbahs are delivered in Dari with summaries in Pashto or German depending on the congregation that day, addressing themes of faith, patience, and community responsibility. Visitors exploring Frankfurt, the Offenbach leather museum, or the nearby Main river parks will find here a welcoming congregation, precise daily prayer times listed on this page, and the gracious hospitality for which Afghan communities have long been known across the wider Muslim world.