Musjids of the World Series 12

The Musjid serves as the focal point of any Muslim community and is the most important structure to Muslims.

Great Musjid of Brussels, Belgium. Oldest Musjid in Brussels and seat of the Islamic and Cultural Centre of Belgium. The original building was built in an Arabic style to form the Oriental Pavilion of the National Exhibition in Brussels in 1880. In 1967, King Baudouin of Belgium gifted it to King Faisal of Saudi Arabia to be turned into a Musjid. Reconstruction was funded by Saudi Arabia and inaugurated in 1978 in the presence of King Khalid of Saudi Arabia and Baudouin. It has a school, Islamic research centre for propagation and provides Arabic courses for adults and children, as well as introductory courses in Islam.


Ali Pasha Musjid, Sarajevo, Bosnia. Built 1560-61 as a Waqf (legacy or perpetual endowment) of Hadim Ali Pasha, former Ottoman governor of the Budapest and Bosnian districts. Built according to classical Istanbul architectural style. The dome covers the prayer area and three small domes cover the cloister. The Musjid was heavily damaged by Serbian forces in the 1990s war. It was renovated in 2004. It is on the list of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Nurd Kamal Musjid, Norilsk, Russia. World’s northernmost Musjid located in the Arctic Circle where temperatures drop below -50˚C (plans are afoot for a Musjid even further north in Norway). The Musjid was built in 1998 by Mukhtad Bekmeyev, a Tartar Muslim. About 500 people attend Juma.