Athens mosque to be completed in early May, head of consortium says
Construction of the Greek capital’s first official mosque, a controversial project beset with myriad setbacks, will be completed in early May, the head of the consortium and Intrakat CEO, Petros Souretis, has said.
The mosque – a 1,000 square meter building without a minaret, split over two levels – will be able to accommodate about 350 worshippers. It is being constructed at an old naval base in Votanikos, an industrial, run-down neighborhood west of central Athens.
Works – undertaken by J&P-Avax, Terna, Aktor and Intrakat – started in November. Total cost is estimated at 887,000 euros.
The capital’s Muslims have for years had to pray in hundreds of makeshift mosques as plans to build an official place of worship foundered due to opposition from senior Church officials and local authorities.
