, native_name_lang = , image = Albanian Mosque (Dandenong) 6.jpg , image_upright = 1.20 , alt = , caption = , map_type = Australia Melbourne , map_size = 260 , map_alt = , map_relief = 1 , map_caption = Location in greater metropolitan Melbourne , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , religious_affiliation =

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

, locale = , location = 10-12 Dalgety St, 3175,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, deity = , rite =

Sunni Islam Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagre ...

, sect = , tradition = , festival = , cercle = , sector = , municipality = , district = , territory = , prefecture = , state =

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, province = , region = , country = , administration = , consecration_year = , organisational_status =

Mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

, functional_status = Active , heritage_designation = , ownership = Albanian Sakie Islamic Society of Dandenong , governing_body = , leadership = , bhattaraka = , patron = , religious_features_label = , religious_features = , architect = , architecture_type =

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

, architecture_style = , founded_by = , creator = , funded_by = , general_contractor = , established = , groundbreaking = , year_completed = 1985 , construction_cost = , date_demolished = , facade_direction = , capacity = , length = , width = , width_nave = , interior_area = , height_max = , dome_quantity = , dome_height_outer = , dome_height_inner = , dome_dia_outer = , dome_dia_inner = , minaret_quantity = 1 , minaret_height = , spire_quantity = , spire_height = , site_area = , temple_quantity = , monument_quantity = , shrine_quantity = , inscriptions = , materials = , elevation_m = , elevation_footnotes = , nrhp = , designated = , added = , refnum = , footnotes = , website = The Albanian Mosque ( sq, Xhamija Shqiptare Dandenong Këshavë), also known as the Albanian Islamic Centre Mosque and Albanian Sakie Islamic Centre, is a

located in

Dandenong Dandenong is a southeastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, about from the Melbourne CBD. It is the council seat of the City of Greater Dandenong local government area, with a recorded population of 30,127 at the . Situated mainly ...

, a south eastern suburb of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It is one of the earliest mosques in the country. The mosque is a large building, built next to

Dandenong Creek The Dandenong Creek ( Aboriginal Bunwurrung: ''Narra Narrawong'' or ''Dandinnong'') is an urban creek of the Port Phillip catchment, located in the eastern and south-eastern Greater Melbourne region of the Australian east coast state of Vic ...

and residential neighbourhood, with a

minaret A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گل‌دسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...

, and community facilities. Associated with the

Albanian Australian Albanian Australians ( sq, Shqiptarë Australian) are residents of Australia who have Albanian heritage or descent; many are from Albania and North Macedonia but some are from Kosovo, Montenegro, Greece, Turkey, Bosnia and Italy. Albanian Austr ...

community, the mosque is owned by and the centre of the Albanian Sakie Islamic Society of Dandenong.

History

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

immigrants mainly from

Kišava Kišava, (, ) is a village in the Municipalities of North Macedonia, municipality of Bitola Municipality, Bitola, North Macedonia. It used to be part of the former municipality of Bistrica, Bitola, Bistrica. Demographics and History Kišava is pop ...

(), a village in south-western

North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Socialist Feder ...

arrived and settled in Dandenong from the early 1960s onward and over many decades became a large and concentrated community living in the area. A mosque was built and opened in 1985. At the mosque, Albanians are in charge of administrative functions, whereas the Islamic Association of Australia, an organisation with multicultural members also uses the premises. Mosque membership is mainly composed of Albanians with a Kišava origin. The committee of the Dandenong Albanian Sakie Islamic Society, an influential organisation among Dandenong Albanians, has it stipulated in the mosque constitution that only individuals with Kišava Albanian origins can be on its board. The mosque holds sway over the provision of services conducted by the imam, such as Islamic prayers, Sunday school, and undertaking other events (circumcisions, weddings, funerals and so on). Only people with membership can have a funeral at the mosque, although exceptions have occurred for other non-Albanian Muslims. Albanians in Dandenong are secular or non-observant Muslims, with a few devout in

. In the early twenty first century, regular attendance to the mosque consists of a small number of Albanian men. The rest of the congregation are mainly

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...

, some

Afghans Afghans ( ps, افغانان, translit=afghanan; Persian/ prs, افغان ها, translit=afghānhā; Persian: افغانستانی, romanized: ''Afghanistani'') or Afghan people are nationals or citizens of Afghanistan, or people with ancestry f ...

and Muslims from other backgrounds. Few women, often elderly, go to the mosque, unless in the event of a funeral where attendance increases especially if it is of a woman. According to community members, low attendance by local Albanians is due to work and raising children preoccupying people and making it difficult to visit the mosque and pray. Individuals attending mosque school are from a non-Albanian background. Mosque sermons are mainly conducted in the

Albanian language Albanian ( endonym: or ) is an Indo-European language and an independent branch of that family of languages. It is spoken by the Albanians in the Balkans and by the Albanian diaspora, which is generally concentrated in the Americas, Europ ...

, with some

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

for non-Albanian Muslim worshipers. File:Albanian Mosque (Dandenong) 14.jpg, View of mosque from bridge over Dandenong Creek File:Albanian Mosque (Dandenong) 2.jpg, View from Dalgety Rd. Mosque (left) and its community facilities (right) File:Albanian Mosque (Dandenong) 3.jpg, Mosque and car park File:Albanian Mosque (Dandenong) 8.jpg, View from Canberra Ave.

References

External links

Official Website
{{Mosques in Australia Dandenong, Victoria Mosques in Melbourne Mosques completed in 1968 1968 establishments in Australia Albanian diaspora Buildings and structures in the City of Greater Dandenong

History

See also

References

External links