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Baitun Nur Mosque

Coordinates: 51°06′06″N 113°58′19″W / 51.10167°N 113.97194°W / 51.10167; -113.97194 (Baitunnur)
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Baitunnur mosque
Religion
AffiliationIslam (Ahmadiyya Muslim Community)
ProvinceAlberta,  Canada
Year consecrated2008
Location
Location4353 54 Avenue NE
MunicipalityCalgary
Geographic coordinates
Baitun Nur Mosque is located in Calgary
Baitun Nur Mosque
class=notpageimage|
51°06′06″N 113°58′19″W / 51.10167°N 113.97194°W / 51.10167; -113.97194 (Baitunnur)
Architecture
Architect(s)Manu Chugh Architects
TypeIslamic architecture
Groundbreaking2005
Completed2008
Construction costC$15 million
Specifications
Minaret(s)1
Minaret heightTemplate:Ft to m
Website
baitunnur.org

Baitunnur (also spelled Baitun Nur or Baitun Noor) (Arabic for "House of Light"[1]) is a mosque of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the Castleridge community of Calgary, Alberta.[2][3][4] It is known for being the largest mosque in Canada.[2][5][6] It is estimated that there about 3,000 members of the Ahmadiyya community in Calgary.[7]

Public opening

The cornerstone of the mosque was laid in 2005.[2] Construction was completed in 2008 for an estimated cost of C$ 15 million,[1] with roughly C$ 8 million of that coming from local Calgarians.[4]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper (left) seated with Mirza Masroor Ahmad (right) at the grand opening of the Baitunnur mosque to the public on July 5, 2008

Baitunnur had its grand opening to the public on July 5, 2008, with 5000 people in attendance, including dignitaries such as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Opposition Leader Stéphane Dion, and Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier.[2] As well the Roman Catholic Bishop of Calgary, Fred Henry, attended.[8] Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the supreme head of the worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, oversaw the opening.[2]

While members of various faiths were invited, according Kaufman of the Edmonton Sun, the Sunni Muslim group Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, led by Syed Soharwardy, was pointedly not invited, due to its belief that Ahmadiyya Muslims are not “real” muslims[9], and did not consider Baitunnur a “mosque”.[8]

Praise for the Ahmadiyya community came from attendees, including Harper, who said, amongst other things, "In this mosque, we see the love and benevolent faith of Islam".[2] According to Embassy magazine, regarding Harper's praise of the Ahmadiyya community, a governing party insider said "It's an important signal the prime minister is sending, not just to militant Islamists abroad, but to their sympathizers here at home, that he's perfectly prepared to ignore them and side with persecuted minorities within the faith."[9]

Structure

The steel dome and steel-capped minaret tower of the Baitunnur mosque

The mosque complex is Template:M2 to ft2 in size.[1] A Template:Ft to m tall[10] steel-capped minaret tower and large steel dome are the most noticeably externally visible features of the mosque.[4] Around the exterior of the building are written 99 Arabic words, each an attribute of Allah's character as stated in the Qur'an.[11] In addition to a place for worship, the mosque complex includes classrooms, office space, a children's area, a kitchen and a community centre.[2] In the prayer hall of the mosque hangs a 400-kilogram chandelier[2] that cost $50,000.[10] Baitunnur is the seventh Ahmadiyya mosque by Naseer Ahmad, the chief designer.[10] Manu Chugh Architects served as the local architects for the project.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Canada opens its largest mosque". afp.google.com. AFP. 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-07-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Morton, Graeme (2008-07-05). "Politicians and faithful open Canada's largest mosque". canada.com. Canwest News Service. Retrieved 2008-07-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Morton, Graeme (2008-07-06). "Canada's largest mosque opens in Calgary". Calgary Herald. Canwest. Retrieved 2008-07-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ a b c "Harper: Mosque shows 'benevolent face of Islam'". ctv.ca. The Canadian Press. 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-07-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ Stevenson, James (2008-07-06). "Islam's 'true and benevolent face': PM welcomes $15m Calgary mosque built by often-persecuted sect". Halifax Chronicle-Herald. Retrieved 2008-07-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "Big mosque on the Prairie opens in Calgary". cbc.ca. CBC News. 2008-07-05. Retrieved 2008-07-15. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ Jeffrey, Jones. "Small Muslim community builds Canada's biggest mosque". ca.reuters.com. Reuters. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
  8. ^ a b Kaufman, Kaufman (2008-07-12). "New mosque a bridge to other faiths". Edmonton Sun. Canoe Inc. Retrieved 2008-07-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ a b Davis, Jeff (2008-07-09). "PM Stirs Debate By Cozying Up to Moderate Muslims". Embassy Magazine. Hill Times Publishing Inc. Retrieved 2008-07-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ a b c Platt, Michael (2008-06-23). "Calgary's $15M not-so-little mosque on the prairie -- the largest of its kind in Canada -- will officially open July 5". Calgary Sun. Canoe Inc. Retrieved 2008-07-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Morton, Graeme (2008-06-29). "Muslims open new house of worship: Calgary's new northeast landmark is Canada's largest mosque". Calgary Herald. Canwest. Retrieved 2008-07-13. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. ^ "Canada's largest mosque under construction: Manu Chugh Architects act as local architect for the largest mosque in Canada". WorldArchitectureNews.com. 2008-01-15. Retrieved 2008-07-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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