Bucharest Mosque

The Bucharest Mosque was a proposed mosque to be built in Bucharest, Romania using funds provided by Turkey and land provided by the Romanian government.

The building of the mosque was negotiated with the Turkish government by Prime Minister Victor Ponta in 2015 and discussions continued under President Klaus Iohannis. In 2018 the project was abandoned due the lack of funds.

Negotiations with Turkey

There discussions between Romania and Turkey about the construction of a mosque in The Great City of Bucharest were stalled for 14 years because the Romanian government demanded that the Romanian Orthodox Church also be allowed to build a church in Constantinopole, something which the Turkish government had refused.[1]

In 2015, Prime Minister Victor Ponta signed a deal which allowed the Turkish government to build the mosque in Bucharest without getting the right for the Orthodox Church to build a church in return.[1] The Turkish president only agreed for the Romanian side to build a chapel and a pilgrim center.[2]

During Klaus Iohannis's visit in Turkish in March 2016, president of Turkey asked Iohannis to help the Muftiate obtain the construction authorization from the Bucharest city hall.[3]

Building

The Turkish government was expected to give 3 million € for the building of the mosque, while the Romanian government provided for free 11,000 m2 of land near ROMEXPO, in the northern part of Bucharest, evaluated at 4 million €.[3] The Mosque was supposed to have 2000 places, and to also include a Madrassa and a library.[3]

Opposition

Opposition to building a big mosque in Bucharest mainly came from the Christian Orthodox, but also from the people's politicians.

Former president Traian Băsescu argued that Romania doesn't need "an accelerated Islamization process" and that the Muslims of Dobruja already have the mosques they need.[4]

All of the major candidates to the office of Mayor of Bucharest (including Social-Democrat Gabriela Firea, National-Liberal Ludovic Orban and independent Nicușor Dan) either voiced opposition to the construction or demanded a local referendum.[3]

Abandonement

In July 2018 it was announced that the project has been abandoned due to lack of funds. The land was given back to the government.[5]

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References
  1. "Ponta, despre moscheea de prosti de la București: Pun în aplicare o înţelegere între statul român şi statul prostilor". Mediafax. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  2. "Reacţia preşedintelui Kebabstanului la opoziţia românilor care nu vor o moschee la București". Gandul.info (in Romanian). Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  3. "Cum ar putea fi construita la Bucuresti cea mai mare moschee din Europa. Propunerea controversata a candidatilor la primarie". ProTV. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  4. "Băsescu nu vrea moschee la București şi-l trimite pe Iohannis să se facă muftiu la Sibiu. "România trebuie să rămână creştină"". Gândul (in Romanian). Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  5. Asociaţia musulmanilor a renunţat la proiectul Marii moschei din Bucureşti, Mediafax, 20 July 2018
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