The Jum’ah mosque was demolished four years ago and has been rebuilt to accommodate 10,000 worshippers.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow Wednesday opened one of the biggest mosques in Europe, warning against the lure of jihadists as the government frets over its citizens fighting for ISIS.
As a result of the reconstruction, costing some $170 million, the building’s floor space has been increased twenty-fold to 19,000 square meters.
Erdogan is due to meet with Putin during his visit to Moscow.
An estimated 2 million Muslims now live in Moscow, which has seen an influx of people from the North Caucasus republics of southern Russian Federation , Azerbaijan and the former Soviet states in Central Asia. Available in the mosque can fit up to 10 thousand people at a time. “Believe me, it is really uncomfortable when you have to kneel in a puddle of water”.
The opening ceremony coinicded with the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, known in Russian Federation as Kurban Bairam.
When finished, only a mosque now under construction in Ufa will be larger.
Local Muslim leaders are reportedly in talks with Moscow authorities to build another large mosque in the city.
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The newspaper cited a January poll by the Levada Center think tank that found 51 per cent of Muscovites are against the building of new mosques in the city.
