Cambridge Mosque

Cambridge New Mosque
Basic information
Location United Kingdom Cambridge, United Kingdom
Affiliation Islam
Region Romsey Area (Mill Road)
Status Active
Website www.cambridgemosquetrust.org
Architectural description
Architect(s) Marks Barfield
Architectural type Mosque
Architectural style Eco-technology design
Completed Late 2018 expected
Construction cost 20.3m euros (approx.)
Specifications
Capacity 1,000
Dome(s) 1
Minaret(s) 0
Materials Woods, bricks and tiles

The new Cambridge Mosque will become the first purpose-built mosque within the city of Cambridge, UK and Europe's first eco-friendly mosque. Its mandate is to meet the needs of the Muslim community in the UK and beyond by facilitating good practice in faith, community development, social cohesion & interfaith dialogue.[1] The build is expected to be completed by the end of 2018 and opened to the public in early 2019.

Background

The Muslim Academic Trust (MAT) proposed the site location to be situated in the Romsey area of Mill Road in Cambridge, UK. Thereafter the Cambridge Mosque Project was established in 2008 by Dr Timothy Winter, a lecturer in Islamic studies at the University of Cambridge, to raise funds for the project.[1][2]

After the £4m purchase of a one-acre site in 2009 on Mill Road, Marks Barfield Architects was appointed to design the new mosque in association with Professor Keith Critchlow, a world leading expert in sacred architecture and Islamic geometry along with the UK's leading Islamic garden designer Emma Clark.[3]. Marks Barfield Architects are known for innovative designs such as the London Eye and Kew Gardens Treetop Walk, to name a few. Plans for the mosque were submitted to the Cambridge City Council by the MAT and it was approved by the council in 2012.[4] The project however was controversial and it was met with objections.[5][6][7][8]

With its emphasis on sustainability and high reliance on green energy, the mosque will be Europe's first eco-mosque.[9] In addition to the mosque’s dedicated areas (ablution, teaching, children’s area, morgue) there will be a café, teaching area and meeting rooms for use by the local Muslim and non-Muslim communities and will accommodate up to 1000 worshippers.[10]

Donors from Europe, Middle East, Asia and the Americas have heavily supported the project.[11] Construction started in September 2016 and the mosque is scheduled to be completed in late 2018 and opened to the public in early 2019.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Cambridge Mosque Project".
  2. ↑ Pukas, Anna. "Islam's green future: Inside Europe's first eco-mosque". My Salaam.
  3. ↑ "Emma Clark".
  4. ↑ "Cambridge £15m mosque plans approved for Mill Road site". BBC. 22 August 2012.
  5. ↑ "1,400 sign petition against planned £17m mosque in Cambridge". 5pillarz.com. 16 February 2014.
  6. ↑ "Stop construction of mosque on Mill Road, Cambridge". causes.com.
  7. ↑ "Cambridge Mill Road mosque objection leaflets delivered". bbc.co.uk. 13 December 2011.
  8. ↑ "UAF outnumbers EDL in Cambridge demonstration". cambridge-news.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 March 2013.
  9. ↑ "Eco-Mosque". Cambridge Mosque Trust.
  10. ↑ Brown, Raymond (2 November 2016). "Watch massive new £15 million mosque in Cambridge being built for 1,000 worshippers". Cambridge News.
  11. 1 2 Brown, Raymond (20 June 2017). "Cambridge's new £15 million mosque to open next year - with donations flooding in from across the world". Cambridge News.

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Coordinates: 52°12′01″N 0°08′10″E / 52.20018°N 0.136053°E / 52.20018; 0.136053

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