Athens: The first mosque was built in the capital of Greece’s European country, 100 years after the fall of the Ottoman Caliphate.
Athens was criticized by Muslims around the world for being the only capital of European countries without a mosque. Last year, Muslims living here began efforts to build a mosque.
Finally, after years of constant struggle, the mosque in Athens was inaugurated on Tuesday after the first prayer. Due to the growing coronavirus epidemic in Greece, prayers were offered to implement social distance and other SOPs.
The mosque, which is being monitored by the Greek government, has no dome or minaret. It has 350 people and was built near a refugee camp in the industrial area of Illinois. The first Imam of the mosque, Zaki Mohammed, 49, is a Greek citizen of Moroccan descent and inaugurated the mosque by leading prayers on Tuesday.
Earlier, in 2006, it was decided to build a mosque in Athens for 1 million costs. However, the plan could not be implemented due to bureaucratic hurdles and protests from hard-line right-wing organizations.
