Edinburgh Central Mosque
The Edinburgh Central Mosque is located on Potterrow near the University of Edinburgh central area and the National Museum of Scotland. The mosque and Islamic centre was designed by Dr. Basil Al Bayati, and took more than six years to complete at a cost of £3.5M. The main hall can hold over one thousand worshippers, with women praying on a balcony overlooking the hall. The mosque holds chandeliers and a vast carpet, with very little furniture.
The architecture combines traditional Islamic features with a Modernist Scots baronial style. Geza Fehervari, Professor of Islamic Art & Archaeology at London University, said "The architectural elements and decorative details, while basically relying on Islamic, mainly Turkish traditions, successfully interact with the architectural and decorative age-old customs of Scotland."
History
Prior to its construction, there was no mosque large enough to fulfill the needs of the Muslims in the city centre of Edinburgh. As the Muslim population increased a large mosque became viable. Eventually, the project was able to purchase land from the City Council with the proviso that an existing listed building be preserved and used. The project ran into funding difficulties; but these were solved when King Fahd of Saudi Arabia donated 90% of the project's total cost. On 31 July 1998 the mosque was opened by his son Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Fahd, who was also the project patron.Architecture
The mosque is built from stone and has calligraphy instilled in the design, facing the courtyard. The calligraphy found on the mosque is square kufic, highlighting God's name in Arabic as Allah.The main hall is where the Friday prayer and the five daily prayers are held. There are two chandeliers, a vast carpet, and chairs for the elderly and disabled. Many short lectures and small discussion groups are held here, although such groups must give notice. The mosque also offers funeral services and the prayer Salat al-Janazah. There are two side entrances to the hall and a small glass room which also has a separate entrance/exit with a ramp for the disabled.
There are separate ablution rooms for both male and female. The males' contains 21 ablution washers, nine flush toilets, four Squat toilets and six sinks. As of 2010, the mosque has received additional funding and the decision has been made to upgrade the ablution facilities to accommodate more people; there will also be a separate room for the Islamic funeral process of bathing the dead body and enshrouding.
A second hall is located downstairs; it is much smaller than the main prayer hall. The room is sometimes opened for Friday prayers and Salat al Eid. The room is mainly used for storage but opens every year for the Islam Festival Edinburgh.
There is a medium-sized library that holds a large variety of Islamic books for selling and lending. The library is opened from the morning to evening. It also holds many services such as classes in Arabic and the Qur'an as well as group discussions such as the "Brother circle", since there are two medium-sized tables and chairs.