Mariam Al-Batool Mosque
| Mariam Al-Batool Mosque | |
|---|---|
| Moskea | |
Mariam Al-Batool Mosque
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 Shown within Malta
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Paola, Malta |
| Geographic coordinates | 35°52′33″N 14°30′32″E / 35.875897°N 14.508822°ECoordinates: 35°52′33″N 14°30′32″E / 35.875897°N 14.508822°E |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Branch/tradition | Sunni Islam, but hosts other Muslims and occasionally other faiths |
| Administration | Islamic Call Society |
| Ownership | Islamic Call Society |
| Leadership |
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| Website |
mariamalbatool |
| Architectural description | |
| Architect(s) | Mohammed Abid Elshukri |
| Architectural type | Mosque |
| Architectural style | Islamic architecture |
| General contractor | Gemco International Ltd Co. |
| Date established | 1982 |
| Construction cost | Lm 900,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 500 worshippers |
| Interior area | 225 m2 (2,420 sq ft) |
| Dome(s) | 1 |
| Minaret(s) | 1 |
| Minaret height | 31.5 m (103 ft) |
| Materials | Limestone |
Mariam Al-Batool Mosque (Arabic: مسجد مريم البتول, "The Virgin Mary Mosque"), also known as Paola Mosque,Corradino Mosque and among the Maltese as il-Moskea (the Mosque), is a mosque located in Paola, Malta. The first stone of the mosque was laid by Muammar Gaddafi in 1978 and its doors were open to the public in 1982, and officiated in 1984. The initial scope of the building was to serve the Muslims in Malta, at the time mainly economic migrants from Libya, and to promote conversions to Sunni Islam among the Maltese society.
Even though there are a number of other Muslim places of worship in Malta, the Mariam Al-Batool Mosque is the only officially recognized and mosque-designed structure in the country, while the building of others have been proposed.
The mosque is built at Corradino Hill, close to the Corradino Lines and the Kordin III megalithic temple. The formerly public land, circa 6,700 square metres (0.0026 sq mi), was bought (or donated) from the Maltese government in 1975 which consisted of an undeveloped site. Construction on the mosque started in 1978 and finished in 1982 when it was opened to the public. The mosque was officially opened in 1984 by Muammar Gaddafi when Malta and Libya signed the Treaty of "Friendship and Cooperation". The mosque and Islamic centre were given diplomatic immunity by the Maltese Government.Muammar Gaddafi directly contributed to the project both by buying the land and by partly funding the construction of the mosque.
The mosque is found on the side of Dom Mintoff Road (formerly Corradino Road) and is administered by the World Islamic Call Society (WICS). It was built during Prime Minister Dom Mintoff's term in office during the first wave of economic negotiations between Malta and Libya. The Government of Malta, under Prime Minister Dom Mintoff, has also contributed to the building of the Mosque. The Mosque and the minaret costed roughly Lm 900,000.
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Wikipedia