Glasgow is home to the largest South Asian and Muslim community in Scotland. It is home to Scotland’s first Purpose built mosque, Glasgow Central Mosque in the Gorbals which opened in 1984 and the first purpose built Gurdwara, Guru Granth Sahib Sikh Sabha which opened its doors in 2013. The old Gorbals has had a long association with the South Asian community, with many of the businesses supplying to the Punjabi pedlar community.

The GlaswegAsians exhibition was a joint collaboration between Colourful Heritage and Glasgow Museums to create a dedicated permanent exhibition featuring both community and museums exhibits on display highlighting the achievements of Glasgow’s South Asian community.

Colourful Heritage have collated some of the fantastic Heritage hotspots in Glasgow for you to come and see when visiting. Take a look, and become lost in the rich South Asian heritage found in every corner of “The Dear Green Place”.

Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is one of Scotland’s largest free museum visitor attractions. It was built using the profits of the 1888 exhibition and opened in 1901. Today, it is Scotland’s most visited tourist attraction and houses an impressive art and artefact collection.

Kelvingrove is home to the magnificent Henry Lamb painting of Driver, Abdul Ghani from Force K6 who were stationed in the Highlands of Scotland during World War 2. Joanna Meacock, Curator of Art at Glasgow Museums shares her knowledge about the Henry Lamb painting of Force K6 Driver, Abdul Ghani which hangs at Kelvingrove Art Galleries, Glasgow. Watch the video here!

Force K6 were an all Muslim Punjabi regiment that fought in WW2 and Ghani was just one of about 4,000 Indian soldiers who came to Britain, having been evacuated from Dunkirk following Germany’s invasion of France and Belgium.. Find more about the fascinating Force K6 in our very own podcast!

The National Library at Kelvin Hall, located on Argyle Street, is one of the largest exhibition centres in Britain. It houses digital books, manuscripts, maps films and more!

The National Library holds Scotland’s national collection of moving images – over 2,800 clips and full-length films. These range from advertisements, documentaries and even regional broadcasts. Explore their archives for a variety of unique video footage of South Asians in Scotland.

Moreover, if you think you have any videos or images you could contribute to the Library, you are able to donate and expand their collection! You could archive your heritage for generations to come!

Come along to the Gallery of Modern Art in central Glasgow to see some of the pieces of artwork on display by Glaswegian Rabia Choudhry including a neon sign of her dads name ‘Mazhar’ which is a neon tribute to the first generation of Asian shopkeepers in Glasgow.

The Gallery was opened in 1996, housed in a “neoclassical” building in Royal Exchange Square in the heart of Glasgow city centre. It was actually built in 1778 as the townhouse of William Cunninghame of Lainshaw, a wealthy Glasgow Tobacco Lord.

The Gallery is free to enter, and opening times can be found on their website! We would definitely recommend making a visit to this stunning museum!

Have a fun filled day visiting the Riverside, Museum of Transport designed by the late Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid DBE RA at a cost of £74m. This zinc-clad building houses over 3000 objects initially housed at the City’s Museum of Transport. Zaha was a British Iraqi architect, artist and designer, recognised globally for her stunning designs.

Explore some Pakistani truck art, featured on a rickshaw and also take a trip down memory lane by watching fascinating footage of an award-winning short film featuring some of the city’s South Asians who worked on the buses as conductors and drivers as well as see the buses and trams they worked on. The short clip “Journeys to Glasgow” was awarded the MUSIL award in 2013. Watch it here!

In 2025 a new exhibition called ‘The Lascars – Forgotten Seafarers’ was launched at Glasgow’s Riverside Museum. It highlights the often-overlooked history of lascars — South Asian mariners, mainly Muslim mariners who worked on British merchant ships and were a visible presence on the River Clyde. The display explores their lives in Glasgow, from the distinctive cultural provisions made for them, such as dedicated facilities and hostels, to the broader context of colonial labour and maritime trade. The exhibition is part of Scotland’s Lascar Heritage, a community-led research project developed by Glasgow Life Museums in partnership with the Bangladesh Association Glasgow and young people from the Our Shared Cultural Heritage initiative. The overall project was inspired by the cast iron plaque bearing Bangla script thought to have been made in Glasgow. The plaque was founded by Dr Robert Prescott, an internationally renowned maritime historian who discovered this plaque (see link above for plaque image) during renovation work at Stobcross Quay, Glasgow Harbour in the 1990s. He later donated it to Glasgow Museums. 

This work also resulted in a richly illustrated book, Scotland’s Lascar Heritage: Investigating the Lives of South Asian Mariners, published by Glasgow Museums. Drawing on new research, personal narratives, art, poetry and historical interpretation, the book brings together diverse perspectives on the experiences of lascars and their connections with Scotland and Bangladesh. The project, which includes film, theatre and community events alongside the publication, has been recognised with awards for its contribution to local history and cultural heritage. 

You can visit Riverside Museum and many of these sights using the City’s Sightseeing Glasgow buses tour and experience Glasgow’s double decker buses as did the South Asian conductors and drivers did when they worked there during the 70’s and 80’s. 

Arrange a visit to the Mitchell Library, the largest public library in Scotland to view the UK’s first Muslim Councillor, Bashir Maan’s archive containing personal photographs and documents. The Mitchell Library was initially established in Ingram Street in 1877 by Stephen Mitchell, a tobacco producer. The completed building, however, was opened by Lord Rosebery on 16 October 1911. The library now holds approximately 1,213,000 volumes!

The Bashir Maan Archive was established by Colourful Heritage in 2014 in partnership with Glasgow Life. It is named after Mr Bashir Maan CBE, a trailbrazing political figure in Glasgow who became Britain’s first Muslim elected to public office in 1970. The archive contains photographs and documents from as far back as the 1930s which are contributed by various members of the community and can be accessed via Mitchell Library. Learn more about the Bashir Maan Archive here!

Take a trip to St. Mungo’s Museum of Religious Life and Art which houses sculptures of Islamic Calligraphy, religious art including a magnificent Islamic prayer rug made in Turkey in the 1600s as well as statues of Hindu Deities.

A Hindu bridal suit is also on display and the Scottish Gallery displays the beautiful ‘Sharing of Faiths Banner’, celebrating the multi-faith city of Glasgow as it is today.

The museum was constructed in 1989 in Cathedral Square, Glasgow and officially opened in 1993. It also boasts a Zen garden, stained glass and more! We would definitely recommend visiting if you have an interest in religion and art from around the world. 

The Burrell Collection is an art collection, situated within the scenic grounds of Pollok Country Park in the southside of Glasgow. Explore the Islamic Carpet Displays at the newly refurbished Burrell Collection, now open. Featured is a fragment of a carpet (called the Grotesque Animal Carpet) made for the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s durbar, his reception hall from the late 16^th century Lahore!

He was fascinated by jungle animals and birds so it features many animals climbing out each other’s mouths in a playful manner. Can you spot what they are?

Also featured is a stunning Persian rug, named the Wagner Garden Carpet from early 17th century Iran! Several other prayer mats and Islamic rugs including a beautiful Mughal Period pile carpet from Lahore dated 1670-1700 is also on display. You can also purchase a new book called ‘Introducing Islamic Carpets’ written by Glasgow Museums Dr. Nooran Gillani.

To see further Islamic carpets on display click here.

Also featured are a collection of Iranian wall tiles with Qur’anic verses from a Muslim Martyrs shrine in Iran dated 1263 and some Islamic blue and white pottery including dishes, bowls and vases that were made using a new technique invented by Iraqi potters in 600. Swipe the images to take a look at some of these artefacts! [Credit: Omar Choudhry]

Better still explore the Burrel Collection for yourself to see some of the other South Asian and Islamic heritage artefacts on display.

Sir William Burrell, a wealthy Glaswegian shipping magnate and art collector, gathered these pieces of art over many years, and donated it to the City of Glasgow Corporation in 1944. Interestingly, the donation was made on the condition that the art was housed in a location at least 16 miles from the City Centre, to show the works to their greatest advantage, and to avoid the damaging effects of air pollution in the City.

Visit the Tramway situated in the heart of Pollokshields, the hub of the South Asian clothe shops and carry outs and explore the ‘Hidden Gardens’ green space. Originally a tram depot this was later converted into a space for the South Asian Glasgow Mela during the 1990’s. It now serves as a space for a variety of short-term exhibitions.

Tramway’s mission is “to enrich and inspire our communities by providing ambitious, innovative and culturally relevant contemporary visual art and performance”. With their variety of year-round performances, art and acts, we would definitely recommend looking at their schedule to see if anything catches your eye!

Visit one of the oldest public spaces within Glasgow, located within the grounds of Glasgow Green, The Peoples Palace. It features artefacts related to people’s social history including the 2014 Commonwealth Games held in Glasgow as well as some photographs of weddings within the South Asian community.

At the opening of the People’s Palace,  Lord Rosebery described it as: “A palace of pleasure and imagination around which the people may place their affections and which may give them a home on which their memory may rest”. He declared the building “Open to the people for ever and ever”, hence the name “The People’s Palace”.

We would highly recommend paying the palace a visit for a pinch of South Asian heritage, mixed with stunning architecture and views!

The Glasgow Museums Resource Centre in Darnley also holds several Indian and Pakistani items in storage. These include a very large carved wooden door from the entrance to a village home from Sargodha dating back to 1880 amongst other furniture and jewellery. You can arrange a tour, talk or visit them by booking in advance, and it is free on entry as well!

Glasgow Museums hold a substantial collection of South Asian objects and over 2000 Islamic Art objects which are either exhibited in one of their museums or held within their stores for future exhibitions. These can be accessed either online or by arranging a viewing by clicking here.

Take a tour of Scotland’s first purpose-built mosque, Glasgow Central Mosque located on the South of the River Clyde within the Gorbals area. It is one of the most recognisable buildings in Glasgow with its distinct gold and green glassed dome. Completed in 1983 at a cost of around £3 million, it was the largest community initiative and funds to support this were raised mainly by Glasgow’s Muslim community.

Watch unique video footage called “That’s the spirit ‘Mosque’”, filmed during its construction in 1980 featuring UK’s first Muslim Councillor, Bashir Maan giving an interview to the media about the beliefs and way of life of Muslims. Learn more about the mosque by watching a video of Maqbool Rasul, owner of Global Video.

Visit and take a tour of the first purpose built Gurdwara, Guru Granth Sahib Sikh Sabha opened its doors in 2013 in the heart of the South Side of Glasgow in Pollokshields, home to the largest South Asian community in Scotland.

Accredited with 4-stars by Visit Scotland, the Gurdwara is fortunate to frequently host many personalities, politicians, community groups and more! You can arrange a visit by contacting them via their website page, or check out the tour format here!

Moreover, you can explore the many halal eating locations in the vibrant area of Pollokshields, as well as clothe shops such as Junaid Jamshed and more!

Take a tour of Scotland’s largest Central Gurdwara – Singh Sabha which houses the largest display of information in Scotland of the Sikh British Indian Army soldiers including World War 2 veteran Naik Gian Singh VC who has family in Scotland.

The Gurdwara was established in 1981 by a group of 20 Sikhs who purchased the existing Berkeley Street building through donations gifted from the Sikh Sangat. To accommodate the growing number of Glasgow’s Sikh population, the New Central Gurdwara Singh Sahba was built on Glasgow’s old Eye Infirmary, an £8.5 million project which proudly sits as Scotland’s largest, purpose built Gurdwara, altering Glasgow’s skyline forever!

Visit the Om Hindu Mandir at Belle Place where a number of deities are housed to serve the Hindu community.

The history of Hindu Mandir Glasgow dates back to 1967, when Hindu women got together and started Bhajan/Kirtan between their homes. Soon after, they began collecting funds with the intention of setting up a place of worship for the Hindu community.

With these funds the building at Great George Street was purchased in 1971 and the first Hindu Mandir was established in the city of Glasgow. The Hindu Mandir took its final shape and inaugurated on 23 July 2006.

If you are a football fan why not visit Rangers Football Club in Ibrox where Egyptian Mohamed Latif played his only Scottish League match for Rangers during the 1935/36 season, against the Edinburgh team, Hibernian F.C.

Mohamed Latif was a fantastic footballer, and helped Egypt qualify for the 1934 World Cup, scoring multiple goals in the qualifying rounds.

Rangers F.C. itself is the fourth oldest football club in Scotland, and was founded by four teenage boys as they walked through West End Park (now Kelvingrove Park) in March 1872. Rangers is the most successful club in world football in terms of trophies won: the Scottish League title 55 times, a domestic league joint world record, the Scottish Cup 33 times, the Scottish League Cup a record 27 times and the domestic treble on seven occasions, a joint world record shared with rivals Celtic.

You can also book a tour at Celtic Park football stadium in Glasgow – home to Scotland’s first South Asian Indian Muslim Abdul Salim, ‘The Indian Juggler’ who played barefooted football in 1936.

Mohammed (Abdul) Salim from Kolkata (Calcutta) became the first Indian to play professional football anywhere in Europe, a fantastic achievement to have! Moreover, he had to fight a court case for 3 weeks to allow him to play barefoot for Celtic, as he considered this the best way to allow him to curve the ball. You can watch a short video from STV about Abdul here or check out this interview with his son, Abdul Rashid (at 5:31)!

Visit the Scottish football Museum and take a stadium tour at Hampden Park football club where Egyptian born Mustafa Kamel Mansour (also known as ‘The hero who took the Glasgow Cup from Rangers’) played as a goal keeper for Queens Park F.C. during 1937-39.

Born in Cairo in August 1914, Mustafa reportedly turned down an offer of a £5,000 signing on fee from Celtic whilst at Hampden, as he was quite content just playing football and was not interested in money. After returning to Egypt he would regularly return to Scotland in the 50’s to see Queen’s play every couple of seasons.

Mansour became manager for his former club, “Al-Ahly”, before eventually becoming Cabinet Minister for the Egyptian government.

Finish off your day and enjoy a meal at Glasgow’s West End chic restaurant Shish Mahal – where the nation’s favourite Curry – The Chicken Tikka Masala was invented during the 1970’s. 

Today’s restaurant has as its décor theme a stylish contemporary take on classic Asian design motifs, within a colour scheme which manages to be vibrant but not garish – smart, but welcoming.

An iconic and must-try dining destination in Glasgow! Take a look at their menu here!

Dine at Mother India and its related cafes (including Bungalow Café) and discover their history which adorns the walls in the form of old family photographs of the owner. Here you can purchase their recipe book which starts by telling the story of life for many South Asian settlers in Glasgow during the 1950s onwards.

First opened in 1990 by Monir and Smeena Mohammed, Mother India’s ethos is based upon the simple idea of authentic, high quality and delicious Indian home cooking served in a relaxing, welcoming and comfortable dining environment. Book a table via their website, and enjoy fantastic South Asian cuisine!

Enjoy a traditional ‘lassi drink’ and a curry at Glasgow’s first non-alcoholic halal restaurant – The Village Curry House located in the heart of Glasgow.

The Village has been a family run business for 25 years, and prides itself for high quality food, prepared by highly skilled chefs and with the finest of ingredients, alongside professional staff, to ensure you have a fantastic dining experience.

You can check out their photo gallery to see just how delicious their food looks, or make a reservation here!

You can also hop on the Glasgow subway trains and take a whistle stop tour of Glasgow exploring the West End including the Kelvingrove Park where the Glasgow Mela is usually held. The subway was the work place for many of the South Asian community that worked their way up from the ticket office to the role of the Station Master.

The term “mela” comes from Sanskrit, meaning “to meet”. The event initiated in 1990 as part of Glasgow’s celebrations as a European City of Culture, the event is now one of the largest in the country. Visitors are entertained and enthralled by music, dance and interactive arts from across the globe – from Bhangra to Samba! Find more about the Glasgow Mela here, and when the next event is that you can attend!

Visit Glasgow Central Station, located within the heart of Glasgow City Centre where many South Asians arrived over 70 years ago to start their new life and make Glasgow home. It has also been a work place for many within the South Asian community working as guards and in the ticket offices. Take a trip from here to various Scottish destinations and explore the extraordinary beauty of Scotland!

The original station was opened on the 1st August 1879 on the north bank of the River Clyde, however, it was quickly realised that the station could not sustain the high passenger numbers, and so, between 1901 and 1905 the original station was rebuilt. The station was extended over the top of Argyle Street, and thirteen platforms were built.