| Great Mosque of Brussels | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni Islam |
| Leadership | Salah Echallaoui (2019-2020) |
| Location | |
| Location | Brussels, Belgium |
| Geographic coordinates | 50°50′36″N 4°23′16″E / 50.84333°N 4.38778°E |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Ernest Van Humbeeck Mongi Boubaker[1] |
| Type | Mosque |
| Style | Arabic |
| Completed | 1879 (original building) 1978 (transformation) |
The Great Mosque of Brussels (French: Grande mosquée de Bruxelles; Dutch: Grote Moskee van Brussel) is located in the Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark. Originally built in 1897 as an exhibition attraction, it was transformed into a Muslim place of worship in 1978 by Saudi Arabia, which managed it for forty years. From April 2019 to June 2023, it was run by the Muslim Executive of Belgium, close to the Moroccan administration.
The Great Mosque's role as the leading religious institution within the Belgian Islamic community—as well as its intended role as a diplomatic bridge between the Saudi and Belgian monarchies—has been a point of debate since its re-foundation.[2][3] The mosque is popular with Muslim diplomats and is a popular location for Belgians seeking to convert to Islam.[4] It has also taught thousands of Muslim students.[4]
- ^ "La Grande Mosquée de Bruxelles". ReflexCity. Retrieved 16 March 2018.
- ^ (in French) Ural Manço. Voix et voies musulmanes de Belgique. Volume 43 of Publications des Facultés universitaires Saint-Louis: Travaux et recherches, 2000. ISBN 9782802801368 pp.87-102
- ^ "Molenbeek, Brussels: How did a suburb created by royalty become a breeding ground for terror?". News Ltd. 22 November 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
- ^ a b "In Belgium, arguments about Islam grow louder". The Economist. 15 October 2017.