The Islamic Religio-Cultural Center ( sl, Islamski versko-kulturni center), colloquially known as the Ljubljana mosque ( or ) is an Islamic
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, ...
and cultural-center complex in the
Bežigrad district of
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
, the capital of
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
. It is the culmination of a decades-long effort by the
Islamic Community of Slovenia. A library, a classroom, an
ablution fountain and the
Imam
Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...
's offices and quarters are included in the complex.
History
Many Muslims were among the wave of internal migrants from other
Yugoslav republics who gravitated to Slovenia during the 1960s and 1970s. A permit for the construction of a mosque was first requested in 1969, but was not granted; the effort was revived during the 1990s. The 1990s proposal produced a nationalist backlash, with considerable public opposition to the mosque. The City Council made an attempt to call a municipal referendum to prohibit the construction of the mosque in late 2003. Opposed by Ljubljana mayor
Danica Simšič as a "constitutionally-forbidden encroachment on the constitutionally-guaranteed rights of a religious minority", the referendum was rejected by the
Constitutional Court
A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ...
in July 2004. In December 2008, city councilor
Mihael Jarc began gathering signatures for a second referendum, this time to delete the mosque's proposed 40 m
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 ...
, over the opposition of mayor
Zoran Janković. This time the Constitutional Court approved the signature-gathering process; the mayor however vowed to continue to fight it.
The reaction among the-then prominent national political parties was mixed;
LDS
LDS may refer to:
Organizations
* LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah, US Religion
* Latter Day Saint movement (LDS movement), a collection of independent church groups
**The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the largest group within t ...
and
Zares
Zares – Social Liberals ( sl, Zares – socialno-liberalni) was a social-liberal political party in Slovenia.
Its first president was Gregor Golobič, former Secretary General of the Liberal Democracy of Slovenia and former close advisor to the ...
voiced support for the construction of the mosque;
SD,
DESUS
The Democratic Party of Pensioners of Slovenia ( sl, Demokratična stranka upokojencev Slovenije, also known by the acronym DeSUS) is a political party in Slovenia led by Ljubo Jasnič. The party claims broadly liberal values with a strong focus ...
and
SDS remained neutral on the matter, while
SNS expressed opposition.
A ceremony was held at the future site of the complex in September 2013 to lay the foundation stone. Construction is expected to begin in November and last about three years.
In February 2020, the mosque was completed and opened to the public.
Site and design
In 2004, a 2800 m
2 site on ''Cesta dveh cesarjev'' Road was planned, bought by the municipality from the
Lazarite order for 350,000 euros to be made available for purchase by the Islamic Community of Slovenia. By late 2008, the location had changed to a plot between Kurilniška and Parmova streets. The design of the center has seen several changes, with the maximum size and height of the structure the subject of debate. A final decision was reached in late 2008. The construction cost is projected to total €12 million. A large donation from
Qatar
Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...
is expected to pay for about 70% of this.
See also
*
Islam in Slovenia
References
{{Mosques in Slovenia
2020 establishments in Slovenia
Bežigrad District
Buildings and structures in Ljubljana
Mosques in Slovenia
Mosques completed in 2020
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, ...