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Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
World

Athens’ first mosque officially opens

Athens’ first mosque officially opens

The first mosque in the Greek capital has opened after 14 years of bureaucratic delays.

Athens’ first official mosque in 200 years has faced right-wing protests and legal challenges since the project began in 2006.

Athens was the only European Union capital without an official mosque. According to Reuters, the city has a Muslim population of approximately 500,000.

“It is a historic moment for the Muslim community living in Athens,” Heider Ashir, a governing council member of the mosque, said.

“There were so many bureaucratic barriers and some legal issues with the construction of the mosque but, thanks to God, finally we have a mosque which is open and we can pray here freely.”

This video was edited by Al Jazeera Newsfeed’s Adam Adada.

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