Glasgow Central Mosque

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The front of the mosque

The mosque on the banks of the River Clyde

Glasgow Central Mosque is the largest mosque in Scotland, and one of the largest in the United Kingdom. it was formally opened in 1984 by H E. Abdullah Omar Naseef, the Secretary General of the Muslim World League.

The Muslim population of Scotland number some 50,000 and comprises mainly Arabs, Pakistanis, Turks, African, Malays and Indian Muslims. The mosque also services many foreign students attending Glasgow's prestigious universities and provides a focus for the Muslim community. At present there are three Imams, Maulana Abdul-Ghafoor, Maulana Habib-ur-Rahman and Maulana Umair.

1 The Mosque
2 Muslim Cultural and Welfare Centre
3 References
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] The Mosque

The building, which is larger than the Regent Park Mosque (London Central Mosque) in London, is now a landmark of the city of Glasgow. The mosque receives many visitors from home and abroad including school parties, organised groups, visiting Muslims and private individuals anxious to see the building and learn more of Islam as a religion and as a social order.

Located on the south bank of the River Clyde in central Glasgow, the mosque was built in 1983. Built on a four-acre site, the present Mosque is shortly to be enhanced by the new Islamic Centre to be erected on an adjacent four-acre site. The new Islamic Centre will contain a general purpose hall, sports and changing facilities, meeting rooms, library. cafeteria and facilities which will offer educational and sociological guidance to the community at a large.

The mosque was built at a cost of three million pounds. The courtyard of the mosque is in keeping with the traditional Arabesque style. It is enclosed on one of its sides by gardens and on the other by a long façade of arched windows. The main entrance arched with etched glass doors of a floral design. In the courtyard is one of the most noticeable features being the Minaret (tower) where traditionally the Muezzin recites the call to prayer stands.

The other more noticeable feature is the dome above the main prayer hall allowing natural light into the building. Inside the mosque is a recess which is called the Mihrab where the Imam stands. The Mihrab points in the direction of Mecca.

Enclosed in a walled garden and with a separate minaret, the mosque combines Islamic architecture with the characteristic Old Red Sandstone material used to build many of Glasgow's buildings. The building, which can accommodate 2500 worshippers, cost around 3 million pounds to build.

[edit] Muslim Cultural and Welfare Centre

The mosque's Islamic centre, built on an adjacent site, provides cultural, religious, and social welfare services to the local Islamic community. The Islamic Centre is now the Central Institution for the Muslim community and this is the largest community centre in Strathclyde.

This centre provides services not only for Muslim elderly people, adults, youths and children, it also serves the non-Muslim community groups of various ages, and educationists from various institutions. Its servcies are to meet the needs of the people living in the area as well as the whole of the Strathclyde region.

Address

Glasgow Central Mosque and Islamic Centre, 1 Mosque Avenue, Glasgow, G5 9TA.