104 places · 7 areas

Places of the Bangsamoro

Islands and white sand, lakes in the highlands, mosques, falls and the old forts and houses of the sultanates: what is there, how to get there, and what to know before you go.

Ervin Malicdem · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo by Ervin Malicdem, CC BY-SA 4.0. Open the source file.

Beaches 6

Islands 11

Mosques 10

Lakes 5

Falls 5

Mountains 7

Nature 21

Heritage 22

Museums 5

Cities 2

Markets 2

Memory 8

Every place is traced to the pages it came from, and the guide’s own entries are the travel workspace’s. Photos are from Wikimedia Commons or English Wikipedia under free licences, each credited on the photo. 7 areas: Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte and del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Cotabato City and the Special Geographic Area.

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The Islamic Center of Marawi, the city's Grand Mosque

Places · Mosque

Marawi Grand Mosque

Marawi, Lanao del Sur

Also known as Islamic Center of Marawi, Jameo Mindanao Al-Islamie

Bjeweld · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo by Bjeweld, CC BY-SA 4.0. Open the source file.

Overview

Marawi's great mosque, damaged in the 2017 siege and rebuilt by 2021 to hold 20,000 worshippers.

The mosque in Pangarungan Village was begun in the 1950s and finished in 1970, led by the landowner Datu Pangarungan Disalongan with money from local families and foreign donors. Visiting ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation often stopped here.

Militants captured it during the 2017 siege, and it was left heavily damaged. Repairs finished in October 2021 and the building was handed over to the mosque's president and chairman that December.

The rebuilt mosque has three floors and a basement over 9,434 square metres, with room for 20,000 worshippers, which makes it the biggest Islamic place of worship in the Philippines.

Things to do

  1. 01Visit outside prayer times, dressed modestlyCover arms and legs, bring a headscarf if you are a woman, take your shoes off before the prayer hall and avoid Friday midday prayer unless you are attending.
  2. 02See the rebuilt mosqueRebuilt by 2021, the mosque has 3 floors and a basement over 9,434 square metres, holds 20,000 worshippers, and also houses a madrasa and a library.

Food to try

  • Turmeric-yellow kuning rice and grilled chicken pater served on a banana leaf.MaranaoPalapaThe condiment the whole Maranao kitchen is built on — scallion bulb, ginger, chilli, coconut.Photo: Obsidian Soul
  • Piaparan a manok, chicken cooked with turmeric, coconut milk and grated coconut, served on a banana leaf.MaranaoPiaparanChicken or fish cooked in coconut with palapa and turmeric.Photo: Lokalpedia
  • A plate of beef rendang, the slow-cooked spiced beef that Maranao cooks call randang.MaranaoRendangThe slow-cooked dry coconut beef curry, in its Philippine form.Photo: Miansari66
  • MaranaoInatoEveryday Maranao home cooking, served as a set with rice and palapa.

The food is halal. Named eateries come from dated listings, so check they are still open.

Places to stay

Through local contacts, the city tourism office, or MSU. Online listings for Marawi are sparse and not always current.

  • hotel · MarawiRanaw Business HotelBusiness hotel used for MSSD events in Marawi, October 2026Named in 2026
  • hotel · MarawiSamsara Palace Hotel and EventHotel and events venue listed by the Bangsamoro Parliament, July 2026Named in 2026
  • hotel · MarawiSantorini Hotel, Garden Cafe and Events PlaceHotel with a garden cafe and events place, listed by the Bangsamoro Parliament, November 2024Named in 2024
  • resort · MarawiLake View ResortLakeside resort above Lake Lanao; hosted an MPOS livelihood training, May 2024Named in 2024

Each is named in an official or dated source; none could be checked against an accreditation list. No prices: rates change quickly, so confirm and book directly before you go.

Sourcesen.wikipedia.org