The opening of the Great Mosque of Granada in the summer of 2003 was a historic landmark, just as its silhouette on the Albaicín skyline against the majestic backdrop of the Alhambra and Sierra Nevada is a landmark in the landscape of Granada.

The Great Mosque of Granada represents the restoration of a lost link and marks the continuity, after a break of 500 years, of a fruitful and enriching tradition in all spheres of human endeavour.

The Great Mosque of Granada is also a sign of the vitality of Islam's prophetic message and its relevance in Europe and the West. The contributions to knowledge, thought and culture of the Islamic world through Spain were very important in the past and European Muslims today aspire to contribute to the transformation of the world we live in where so many pressing injustices and dilemmas affect us all.

Islam is the ultimate revealed message, offering the viable and natural alternatives to rapacious capitalism and the rapid dissolution of all values in today's consumer society.

What is a mosque?

The word mosque comes from the Arabic 'masjidwhich means: the place of prostration. Prostration is the most obvious form of submission to the Creator of the Universe. The Muslim prostrates five times a day: at dawn, at midday, at mid-afternoon, at sunset and when the darkness of night covers the sky. The whole earth, any place that is not impure or unclean, is a place of worship and prostration. Nevertheless, from the earliest days of Islam, the Muslim community has created reserved, clean and protected spaces in the centre of cities to establish prayer in congregation. These are mosques.

The mosque is the heart of the Muslim community. It serves not only as a place of prayer. It is also a place of knowledge and study. Some mosques were schools and universities. The earliest mosques were also town halls and parliaments: meeting and gathering places to decide and resolve community issues.

Large mosques usually have other free and charitable institutions attached or nearby, such as hospitals, travellers' hostels, canteens for the poor, hospices for orphans, schools, public baths and often a market with free access and no reserved places.

These charitable institutions and a free market with real gold and silver coin around the mosque form the primary cell of a compassionate and generous society.

What is the Great Mosque of Granada like?

The Great Mosque of Granada is made up of three distinct elements. The Garden, the prayer hall, which is the Mosque itself, and the Centre for Islamic Studies.

The Garden overlooks the valley of the river Darro and the Sabika mountain, on top of which stands the Alhambra. In the background you can see the peaks of the Sierra Nevada. The botanical varieties in this garden are all Mediterranean, pine, olive, pomegranate, orange and lemon trees and the two mosaic fountains are purely Andalusian.

The mosque is decorated with sober elements taken from the traditions of the Islamic world. The mihrab that marks the direction of prayer towards Mekkah is a replica of the one in the Great Mosque of Córdoba. The hand-carved Atlas cedar wood panels contain a aleya from the Qur'an where some of the divine attributes are named.

The different-coloured marble panels are identical to those of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The large windows in the qibla are a copy of those in the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The fountain and the mosaics in the courtyard leading to the prayer hall were made by craftsmen from Fez who have preserved the same designs and techniques used in Muslim Granada a thousand years ago.

The minaret is a tower of genuine Albaicinese proportions and silhouette. The mosaic inscription in calligraphic script kufa that can be read under its eaves is the declaration of faith: 'There is no god but Allah. Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah'.

Finally, the Centre for Islamic Studies contains a library with texts on Islam in Arabic, Spanish and other languages, as well as audio-visual aids. It also includes a conference room with capacity for 140 people and an exhibition hall. On the ground floor and in the main entrance hall is the reception area and the shop selling books, handicrafts and souvenirs of the mosque.

What are the activities of this Mosque?

In the Great Mosque of Granada the five daily prayers are celebrated in congregation at their established times, every day of the year and the communal prayer on Fridays at midday, thesalat al Yumu'ah. In the mosque there is a year-round daily schedule of recitation and study of the Qur'an and Islamic jurisprudence for Muslim children and adults.

The Islamic Studies Centre of the Mosque has an ongoing programme of lectures, Arabic language classes, exhibitions, and courses on topics related to Islam and the Islamic heritage of Spain and is open to the participation and attendance of all interested members of the public.

There is also a point of assistance for the needy, travellers and Muslims in general, with an open line and a team of volunteers who collaborate with institutions and non-governmental organisations.

The Centre has a library with texts and audiovisual materials on Islam in Arabic, English and Spanish.

How to contact us?

For guided group tours or for information on courses, classes, exhibitions and other educational activities, please contact us by calling 958 202 526 or through the e-mail.