Madni Jamia Masjid wins European Competition for
minarets
The minarets at Madni
Jamia Masjid have been named the most beautiful in Europe
.
The distinctive
structures at the Madni Jamia Masjid Mosque in Thornbury, BD3 beat those
at more than 50 other mosques across the continent in a contest run by
COJEP International, a youth charity partnered with the Council of
Europe.
A panel made up of
artists, architects, heritage experts and representatives of different
faiths met at the European Parliament in Strasbourg to determine the winner.
They examined photographs of 53 minarets from 13 countries before
selecting those at the Bradford mosque.
Ishtiaq Ahmed, of
Bradford Council for Mosques, said: “It’s very proud and
welcome news for Bradford . In the last
ten to 15 years we have seen an emergence of some beautiful mosque
structures in the city, and this is one of them. “The fact that
it’s recognised not only in the UK
but in Europe is tremendous news for Bradford
.”
Minarets at mosques in Stockholm , Rome , Granada and Oslo
were shortlisted in the competition.
The four minarets at
Madni Jamia Masjid were added last year during the final phase of
construction of the mosque, which was started ten years ago.
Mohammed Ashfaq, vice-
chairman of the mosque’s management committee, which chose the
design of the minarets, said: “They are beautiful. A lot of work
has gone into them. Winning the competition is a pleasant
surprise.”
The mosque is also home
to the Islamic Cultural and Educational Association. Around 6,000 people
are thought to use its facilities each week. Activities include religious
conferences and community events. In 2007, the mosque beat more than
1,000 others in the UK
in a competition run by Islam Channel to be named Britain ’s Model Mosque
for its community work.
Source: Telegraph and Argus
