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| London Central Mosque | |
|---|---|
Regent's Park Mosque | |
 Outside view of mosque | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Mosque |
| Leadership | Director General: Dr Ahmad Al Dubayan |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | London,NW8 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
  Location inCentral London | |
| Administration | London Central Mosque Trust Ltd. |
| Geographic coordinates | 51°31′45″N0°09′55″W / 51.529167°N 0.165278°W /51.529167; -0.165278 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Frederick Gibberd |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Islamic Architecture Modern |
| Date established | 1977; 48 years ago (1977) |
| Construction cost | £6.5 million |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 5,400 worshippers |
| Dome(s) | 1 |
| Minaret(s) | 1 |
| Website | |
| www | |
| [1] | |
TheLondon Central Mosque (also known as theRegent's Park Mosque) is anIslamic place of worship located on the edge ofRegent's Park incentral London.
It was designed by SirFrederick Gibberd, completed in 1977,[2] and has a prominent golden dome.[3] The main hall can accommodate over 5,000 male worshippers,[4] withwomen praying on a balcony overlooking the hall. The mosque holds a chandelier and a vast carpet, with very little furniture.
The inside of the dome is decorated withsacred geometry in the Islamic tradition and has small stained glass windows around its base, containing turquoise coloured 16-pointed stars. There is also a small bookshop andhalal café on the premises. The mosque is joined to theIslamic Cultural Centre (ICC) which was officially opened byKing George VI in 1944.[5] The land was donated by George VI to theMuslim community of Britain in return for the donation of land inCairo byKing Farouk of Egypt and Sudan on which to buildan Anglican cathedral.[5]
The mosque is located nearWinfield House, theofficial residence of theUnited States Ambassador, andthe six villas designed by Quinlan Terry, some of which are private residences for Arab royal families.The Islamic calligraphy was completed by Hassan El-Abhar in 1989.
1900–1931 Several efforts were made to build a mosque in London, including one initiated byLord Headley, a convert to Islam.
1937 This project (Nizamia Mosque, later changed to present name) was funded by theNizam ofHyderabad, India, and the foundation stone of themosque was laid on Friday, 4 June 1937, byHHPrince Azam Jah - eldest son ofMir Osman Ali Khan - the last ruler of the largest princely state ofIndia,Hyderabad State.[6][7][8]
1939Lord Lloyd of Dolobran, (1879–1941), then Chairman of theBritish Council, works with a Mosque Committee, comprising various prominent Muslims and Ambassadors in London.
1940 Lord Lloyd, now Secretary of State for the Colonies, sends a memo to the Prime MinisterWinston Churchill, in which he points out, inter-alia "only London contains more [Muslims] than any other European capital but that in our empire which actually contains more Moslems (sic) than Christians it was anomalous and inappropriate that there should be no central place of worship for Mussulmans (sic). The gift, moreover of a site for a mosque would serve as a tribute to the loyalty of the Moslems of the [British] Empire and would have a good effect on Arab countries of the Middle East".[9] The British Government is persuaded to present a site for a mosque in London for the Muslim community of Great Britain. On 24 October the Churchill War Cabinet authorises allocation of £100,000 for acquisition of a mosque site in London.[10] The intent was to enable Muslims in Britain to build a mosque and an Islamic Cultural Centre, so they could conduct affairs pertaining to their faith.[11]
1944The Mosque Committee comprising various prominent Muslim diplomats and Muslim residents in the United Kingdom accepted the gift andThe Islamic Cultural Centre which includes theLondon Central Mosque, was established and officially opened in November by His MajestyKing George VI.[12]
1947The Mosque Committee registered the London Central Mosque Trust Limited as a Trust Corporation in September. At the time, seven representatives from six Muslim countries acted as Trustees.[citation needed]
1954–1967Several designs were considered for the mosque. There were long protracted planning applications to various authorities but the necessary planning approval was not granted.
1969An Open International Competition was held for the design of the building. Over one hundred designs were submitted, from both Muslim and non-Muslim applicants. The design finally selected was by the English architectFrederick Gibberd. His design of The Main Mosque Building Complex can be divided into two elements: The main building consisting of the two prayer halls and three-story wings including an entrance hall, library, reading room, administration offices and the minaret;
£2 Million of funding was donated for the construction of the ICC by His Majesty KingFaisal Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud ofSaudi Arabia.[citation needed] A further donation was provided by SheikhZayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan ruler ofAbu Dhabi and President of theUnited Arab Emirates.[citation needed]
1974Construction work byJohn Laing & Son[13] began early this year with the Main Mosque Building Complex, comprising Men's and Ladies' Main Prayer Halls, Library, Administrative Block and Residential Quarters.
1977Work was completed in July for the total cost of £6.5 million.[3] The first Director of the Islamic Centre was theRaja of Mahmudabad. A special fund paid for a new Educational & Administrative wing which was completed in 1994. This was donated by the king of Saudi ArabiaFahd bin Abdul Aziz.
2007The programmeUndercover Mosque, an episode ofChannel 4 documentaryDispatches, claimed that extremist preaching takes place at the mosque.
2011TheGuantanamo Bay files leak revealed that 35Guantanamo Bay detainees had passed through both Regent's Park Mosque andFinsbury Park Mosque.[14]
2018Mosque givenGrade II* listed status.[3][15]
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