The Mosque of Lima,[1] also known as the Mosque of Magdalena del Mar,[2] is a mosque in Lima, Peru. It is one of two mosques in the country, the other being Bab al-Islam Mosque.[2]
It was erected in the areas of a mansion in 1986 by the Palestinian community in the Magdalena del Mar district of the city.[3] The religious building is open to the general public.[2]
History
In 1986 Miguel Abdalá Hamideh, a Palestinian businessman, donated his home to the Muslim community in Peru that saw its image affected by the actions of the Arab-Israeli conflict, at the same time also to provide an opening for Palestinian refugees arriving in Lima.[2]
The Islamic Association of Peru, which took leadership of the mosque, announced between the decades of 2000 and 2010 that it planned to build a much larger mosque in the same district of Magdalena del Mar, since the number of faithful already reached two thousand, between immigrants (refugees and tourists from the Islamic world)[1] and Peruvian converts, most of them from the Sunni branch.[3]
The mosque is often used as a protest point by Muslims who reject any act of jihadism or Islamophobia.[1][2]
On May 14, 2019, the mosque was the scene of the Interreligious Council between several religious congregations that coexist in Peru.[4]
Its façade is not exactly similar to that of an Asian mosque, so many do not use the term "masjid" to define the temple.[3] Its interior has separate musallas for women and men, filled with carpets for prayer towards Mecca in Saudi Arabia.[1]
It is the main place of the Muslim community in Peru, it is the celebration point for Ramadan in the country and it is the main headquarters of the Islamic Association of Peru.[5]
