Moscow opens biggest mosque in Europe

Russian president Vladimir Putin, his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Mahmoud Abbas, as well as a number of Islamic countries authorities attended the inauguration ceremony of the biggest mosque in Europe located in the Russian capital of Moscow, reported Taqrib News Agency (TNA).

The new mosque has the capacity for more than 10'000 prayers making number one mosque of Europe in size.

He referred to the history of Islam in Russia and said," Islam has spread across Russia during centuries and Muslims play an important role in the cultural combination of Russia."

Russian president in this ceremony denounced the crimes committed by ISIL terrorist group and stressed," Qur'an teachings on hurrying to do good is a lesson for all of us."

Vladimir Putin denounced the heinous crimes committed by terrorist groups including ISIL and said," These crimes have nothing to do with Islam, same way that terrorist groups like ISIL are not representatives of Islam. They only tarnish the image of Islam."

Islam is the second religion in Moscow with Muslims making a total of 15 per cent of the Russian population.

The central Moscow mosque (Moscow Cathedral Mosque) was demolished and rebuilt and is now one of the biggest in the country. Its minarets are 72 meters tall and its central dome is 46 meters high. It will be the second largest Muslim prayer facility in Russia after the Salawat Yulayev mosque, which is being built in Ufa.

The new Moscow mosque has nearly 20 times as much space as the old building and will be able to accommodate up to 10,000 people. The mosque has seven elevators, air conditioning and is disabled-friendly.