Thread by @BaytAlFann

From Spain to Azerbaijan, to Germany to Bosnia, Europe has some of the finest mosques.

The presence of Islam in Europe is not a new phenomenon, with Muslims residing in the continent as early as the 8th century.

Here are 24 mosques across Europe #JummahMubarak

A thread…

1/ Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque, Mostar, Bosnia

Dates back to 1617 & features numerous multicolored windows, a minaret with a lookout spot & a courtyard with several tombs. Although the original Ottoman mosque was heavily damaged during the attacks of the 1990s it has been restored

2/ The Shah Jahan Mosque, Woking, England

This is the first purpose built mosque that was built in the UK.

It was built in 1889 by Dr Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner, an orientalist of Jewish descent from Hungary. Money was donated by Begum Shah Jahan, the Nawab Begum of Bhopal.

3/ The Bibi-Heybat Mosque, Baku, Azerbaijan

The existing structure, built in the 1990s, is a recreation of the mosque with the same name built in the 13th century by Shirvanshah Farrukhzad II Ibn Ahsitan II, which was completely destroyed by the Bolsheviks in 1936

4/ Essalam Mosque, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Built in 2010, Essalam is the largest 'Islamic church' in the Netherlands and the whole of Western Europe - accommodating 3,000 worshippers.

5/ Cologne Central Mosque, Germany

Built in 2009 it is the largest & grandest mosque in Germany. Cologne mosque is now regarded as a symbol of integration and symbol of the birth of German mosque architecture. The mosque is mainly characterized by the large dome.

6/ Cambridge Central Mosque, Cambridge, England

Completed in 2019. Europe’s first eco-sustainable mosque, its design incorporates local architecture, Islamic motifs & the use of timber to create interwoven pillars, with a glistening dome

7/ Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Built in the 16th century, it is the largest historical mosque in Bosnia & Herzegovina & one of the most representative Ottoman structures in the Balkans Gazi Husrev-bey Mosque is a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture

8/ Blue Mosque, Yerevan, Armenia

Commissioned by Huseyn Ali Khan, the khan of the Iranian Erivan Khanate & completed in 1766. It was the largest of the eight mosques of Yerevan in the 19th century & is the only active mosque in Armenia today. It is renowned for its blue

9/ The Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque, Gibraltar

Also known as the King Fahd bin Abdulaziz al-Saud Mosque or the Mosque of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. It is located at Europa Point in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, a peninsula connected to southern Spain.

10/ Central Mosque of St. Petersburg, Russia

When opened in 1913, it was the largest mosque in Europe outside Turkey, its minarets 49 meters in height and the dome is 39 meters high. It can accommodate up to 5000 worshippers & is renowned for its beautiful blue tiles

11/ Küçük Pasha Hasan Mosque, Chania, Island of Crete, Greece

The building was originally constructed as a mosque after the conquest of Chania by Ottoman Empire in 1645 to honor Küçük Hasan Pasha. After the Greco-Turkish population exchange in 1923 the mosque ceased to function.

12/ The Ebu Bekër Mosque, Shkodër, Albania

Built from 1994-1995 on the site of the old Fushë Çela Mosque, which was destroyed during the communist era, with funding from Saudi entrepreneur Sheikh Zamil Abdullah Al-Zamil. It is named after Abu Bakr, the first Rashidun caliph.

13/ The Ar-Rahma Mosque, Kyiv, Ukraine

The biggest mosque in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. It was completed in 2011 and can accommodate 3000 worshippers.

The first attempt to build a mosque in Kyiv was in 1897 when a house was used as a place of prayer.

14/ The Mosque of Rome, Italy

situated in Parioli, Rome, it is the largest mosque in the western world with an area of 30,000 m² and can accommodate more than 12,000 people. The building is located in the Acqua Acetosa area, at the foot of the Monti Parioli, north of the city.

15/ The Malmö Mosque, Sweden

The second oldest mosque in Sweden. It is located in Jägersro villastad, a neighbourhood in Husie, Malmö. It was inaugurated on 20 April 1984 and is administered by the organization Islamic Center

16/ The Defterdar Mosque, Greece

Situated in Eleftherias’ square. The Financial Minister (Defterdar) of the Ottoman Empire Ibrahim Efendi built it at the end of the 18th century. It is a two-storey edifice of the same style and probably of the same time as the Lozia Mosque.

17/ The Great Mosque of Córdoba, Spain

Known locally as Mezquita-Catedral, it is one of the oldest structures still standing from the time Muslims ruled Al-Andalus (Muslim Iberia including most of Spain, Portugal, and a small section of Southern France) in the late 8th century.

18/ Selimiye Mosque, Nicosia, Cyprus

The standout feature is that it looks like a Christian cathedral – as that’s what it was built as. It was originally called the Cathedral of Saint Sophia, when the Ottomans besieged Nicosia in 1570 the cathedral was converted into a mosque.

19/ The Grand Mosque of Constanța, Romania

Commissioned in 1910 by Romanian King Carol I. Construction began on 24 June 1910 finished in 1912. The mosque is referred to by Constanța's Islamic community as the King's Mosque.

20/ Dzhumaya Mosque, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Its Turkish name is Hüdavendigâr Camii or Cuma Camii. The mosque is located in the centre of Plovdiv & was built in 1363–1364 on the site of the Sveta Petka Tarnovska Cathedral Church after the conquest of Plovdiv by the Ottoman army.

21/ The Zagreb Mosque, Zagreb, Croatia

The largest mosque in Croatia. The Islamic Secondary School "Dr. Ahmed Smajlović" and a cultural centre operate within the mosque. The construction began in 1981 and finished in 1987.

22/ Westermoskee or Ayasofya Camii, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Situated on the bank of the canalized river Schinkel in the Chassébuurt in De Baarsjes in the borough of Amsterdam-West. With a capacity of 1700 people, it is the largest mosque in the Netherlands

23/ The Great Mosque of Paris, France

The architecture & garden of the Mosque is inspired by the Alhambra in Grenada; the patio is surrounded by finely sculpted arches. The mosque was built to pay tribute to the 100,000 Muslim fighters who died for France in the First World War.

24/ The Mosque of Cristo de la Luz, Toledo, Spain

It has remained nearly unchanged since its construction in 999 & is the only remaining former Moorish Mosque in the city. Originally named the Mezquita Bab-al-Mardum, it is located near the 14th century Puerta del Sol.