The largest mosque in Europe was inaugurated in the Chechen Republic on Friday during an event that was attended by numerous representatives of heads of Muslim countries and senior scholars.
Secretary General of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen hoped that all mosques would always be beacons of moderation and platforms to combat extremism and terrorism.
The marble-decorated building, which is named after the Prophet Mohammed, can hold more than 30,000 people and was described by the Chechen authorities as the “largest and most beautiful” mosque in Europe.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said the mosque, which is located in Shali – a town near to the regional capital of Grozny – was “unique in its design and majestic in its size and beauty”.
At Kadyrov’s request, Muslim World League chief Mahammad al-Issa delivered the first ever Friday sermon at the mosque.
Dubbed “the pride of Muslims,” the mosque was built in the Islamic architectural style. It is composed of two floors and can accommodate 20,000 worshippers inside the building and 100,000 in its external yard.
