- Mosque of Rome
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Mosque of Rome 
Basic information Location Rome
ItalyAffiliation Islam Architectural description Architect(s) Paolo Portoghesi, Vittorio Gigliotti, Sami Mousawi and Nino Tozzo Architectural type Mosque Completed 1994 Specifications Capacity 12,000 Minaret(s) 1 Minaret height 43m The Mosque of Rome (Italian: Moschea di Roma, with an area of 30,000 m², is the largest mosque in Western Europe and can accommodate twelve thousand people, though other estimates show the Baitul Futuh Mosque, London to be larger.
It is located in the Acqua Acetosa area, at the foot of the Monti Parioli, north of the city. As well as being the city's mosque it is the seat of the Centro Culturale Islamico d'Italia (the Italian Islamic Cultural Centre).In addition to being a meeting place for religious activities, it provides cultural and social services variously connecting Shia and Sunni Muslims. It also holds wedding ceremonies, funeral services, exegesis, conventions, and other related events.
Contents
Construction
The mosque was jointly founded by the exiled Prince Muhammad Hasan of Afghanistan and his wife, Princess Razia Begum [1] and was financed by Faisal of Saudi Arabia, head of the Saudi royal family, as well as Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. The project was designed and directed by Paolo Portoghesi, Vittorio Gigliotti and Sami Mousawi.
Its construction took more than ten years: the Roman City Council donated the land in 1974, but the first stone was not laid for another ten years, in 1984 (1405 AH), in the presence of then President of the Italian Republic Sandro Pertini, with its inauguration on June 21, 1995.
Architecture
The structure is well integrated in the surrounding green area, from which it emerges without contrast, perfectly matching the mix between modern structural design and omnipresent curves (the large one knows it of prayer recalls a forest undoubtedly - or an oasis, with its columns to three steles),use of the light in order to create a meditative climate, and use of materials that generate colours typically roman, like travertino and cotto. Decorative, and discreet apparatus in the amplitude of the space that contains, is constituted from invetriate of light colors. The repeated Koranic topic is "Allah-u akbar".
Organization
The current Imam of the mosque is the Egyptian Ala' al-Din Muhammad Isma'il al-Ghobashi; Abd Allah Ridwan is in charge of the Cultural Center, to which the management of the complex is entrusted. Former Imams include:
- 1983–1993: Muhammad Nur al-Din Isma'il
- 1993–2006: Mahmud Hammad Shwayta
See also
Notes
- This article originated as a translation of Moschea di Roma, its counterpart from the Italian Wikipdedia.
- ^ Buyers, Christopher (August 2009). "The Barakzai Dynasty - Nasser-Zia, Rahmani, Ziai, Ziyai - Genealogy". Royal Ark website. Christopher Buyers. http://www.4dw.net/royalark/Afghanistan/barak12.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
References
- Coppa Alessandra, La moschea di Roma di Paolo Portoghesi, Federico Motta Editore, 2003. ISBN 8871793757
External links
- Mosque of Rome (Italian)
Coordinates: 41°56′05″N 12°29′43″E / 41.934769°N 12.495221°E
Categories:- Wikipedia articles needing cleanup after translation
- Places of worship in Rome
- Islam in Italy
- Mosques in Italy
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