Moscow’s mosque construction confirms Russia’s role in Arab world - Abbas

MOSCOW, September 23. /TASS/. The reconstruction of Moscow’s Grand Mosque confirms Russia’s importance for the Arab world, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday. "The construction of this mosque confirms Russia’s high positions in the world, its importance for the Arab and Muslim world," Abbas said at the mosque’s opening ceremony also attended by the Russian and Turkish presidents, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "The construction of this mosque is also a major achievement of the Moscow government," he said. "I am convinced that this mosque will become a center spreading the spirit of peaceful coexistence of religions and peoples. This mosque will become an important spiritual and religious message." Moscow’s Grand Mosque has opened after a decade of construction work to become one of the biggest places of worship in Europe. As a result of the construction work, the building’s floor space has been increased twenty-fold to 19,000 square meters and the mosque will be able to accommodate up to 10,000 people simultaneously. The mosque was originally expected to open in May 2016, but authorities decided to speed up the work and hold the opening ceremony this year celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945). Russia’s largest, the Heart of Chechnya, is located in Chechnya’s capital Grozny and can accommodate more than 10,000 worshippers. The Grand Mosque in Moscow, built in 1904, is the second largest and has been under reconstruction since 2005, costing some $170 million. Read more