Islam in Guinea

Sundiata Keita (c. 1217 – c. 1255), the founder of the Mali Empire (which encompassed part of present-day Guinea as well as other modern nations), was not a Muslim, but by 1300, his successors were.

[3] Fouta Djallon, a highland region of Guinea, has been a stronghold of Islam since the late 17th century.

[6] After Guinea achieved independence from France in 1958, Ahmed Sékou Touré, its Marxist first president, sought to reduce Islam's influence, but as his popularity declined, in the 1970s he worked "to co-opt Muslim institutions to legitimize his rule.

"[1] Touré had the Grand Mosque built in the capital city of Conakry, with funding from Saudi King Fahd;[7] it opened in 1982.

[8] The compulsory education curriculum does not include religious studies, but there are numerous Islamic schools throughout the country, particularly in Fouta Djallon.