The Muslim community in Tromsø. Norway, wants to build the world's northernmost mosque. With the help of funding from Saudi Arabia, the mosque is planned as a local landmark building.
The mosque will not be traditional one with towers and arches but a modern building which can become a local attraction both for locals and visitors, the initiators say to NRK.
The Muslim community in Tromsø has about 1000 members. They have long worked for the construction of their own mosque. Now, the community has secured funding with the help of a 20 million NOK grant from a Saudi Arabian financer. Also other donors are reported to have signaled interest in the project.
Municipal authorities have expressed their support to the project. The community might get land for the building centrally located by the seaside.
Tromsø is the administrative centre for the county of Troms. It has about 53,000 inhabitants.
The Tromsø mosque will be located slightly further north than the planned mosque in Murmansk, Russia. That project has the last couple of years been deadlocked however following major protests from local inhabitants.
Source: Barents Observer (English)
