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In 2007, there were over 5,000Muslims residing inPuerto Rico, representing about 0.1% of the population.[1][2] The early Muslim community largely consisted mainly ofPalestinian andJordanian immigrants who arrived between 1958 and 1962. At the time, the vast majority of Puerto Rico's Muslims lived inCaguas[3] – a city in the island's central region located south ofSan Juan – where they operated restaurants, jewelry stores and clothing outlets. A storefrontmosque on Calle Padre Colón in theRío Piedras district ofSan Juan served the entire religious community on theisland during earlier years, however, today there are mosques and Islamic centers inAguadilla,Arecibo,Hatillo,Ponce,Vega Alta, and San Juan.[4] The American Muslim Association of North America (AMANA) also has an office inCayey.
Muslims first appeared in Puerto Rico in the 16th century when so-calledMoriscos served as adventurers, traders, or enslaved laborers during theSpanish colonization of the Americas.[5] Enslaved Muslims fromWest Africa were also transported to the island during the same period. Although the number of Muslims living in Puerto Rico was probably significant, these early communities didn't survive and were soon converted to Catholicism or other more syncreticAfrican diasporic faiths.[5]
Recently, there has been an increasing number of converts to Islam.[5]
This is a list of notablemosques (Arabic:Masjid,Spanish:Mezquita) in Puerto Rico, including Islamic places of worship that do not qualify as traditional mosques.
| Name | Image | Location | Year | Group[a] | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centro Islámico de Ponce |  | Ponce | [6] | ||
| Río Piedras Mosque |  | San Juan | 1981 | First mosque established in Puerto Rico. The mosque has a capacity of 200 men and 40 women and is located next to theUniversity of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus.[7] | |
| Al-Faruq Mosque |  | Vega Alta | 1992 | Largest mosque in Puerto Rico, with a capacity of 1,200 men and 120 women.[7] | |
| Masjid Montehiedra |  | San Juan | 2007 | The mosque has a capacity of 400 men and 50 women. Features an Islamic weekend school.[7] | |
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