South Bay Islamic Association Headquarters and Central Mosque

The headquarters and central mosque of the South Bay Islamic Association (SBIA), founded 1978, is located in a converted American Legion building in downtown San Jose. The mosque, in that location since 1981, was the first in the South Bay area. The Mission Style building has stucco walls and a red tile roof, with no outward elements of Islamic architecture. The building is entered through a flight of steps leading to a lobby and assembly area, and then the prayer hall. A small library sits off the entrance.In the prayer hall, a floor-to-ceiling wooden structure built into the corner of the space serves as the qibla wall, with a mihrab and a niche for the minbar. The women's prayer space is separated from the men's by a wall with one-way mirrors. A kitchen and restrooms are located in the basement. Source:Saddat, Zuhair. "South Bay Islamic Association (San Jose)". 30 Mosques in 30 Nights blog. August 13, 2011, accessed March 6, 2015. http://bayareamosques.blogspot.com/2011/08/south-bay-islamic-association-san-jose.html.South Bay Islamic Association. "History." Accessed March 6, 2015. http://sbia.info/history/.