Suraya Mosque Explained

Building Name:Suraya Mosque
Native Name:Mezquita Suraya
Map Type:Mexico Coahuila#Mexico
Location:Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico
Coordinates:25.5599°N -103.4405°W
Religious Affiliation:Islam, primarily Shia
Consecration Year:1989
Architecture Style:Mozarabic
Groundbreaking:1986
Year Completed:1989
Dome Quantity:1
Minaret Quantity:1

Suraya Mosque (Spanish; Castilian: Mezquita Suraya) is a mosque located in Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico. The mosque was completed in 1989 and was the first purpose-built mosque constructed in Mexico.[1] Most of its attendees belong to the Shia branch of Islam.[2]

History

The region around Torreón has had a Middle Eastern immigrant presence since the early 20th century. However, it wasn't until 1983 that approximately 35 people, descendants of first generation immigrants, founded the first Islamic meeting house in Mexico. The meeting house was led by Hassan Zain Chamut.[3] [4]

One of the attendants, Elias Serhan Selim, proposed the meeting house have a dedicated place of worship built for the community. He sponsored the project and sought the expertise of architect Zain Chamut in order to design a mosque that reflected both Islamic and Hispanic architectural tradition. Construction of a mosque began in 1986 and was completed in 1989.

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Desde Torreón hasta Chiapas: islam en México. 2014-10-04. Excélsior. 2016-10-12.
  2. Web site: Espacio 4 - Ramadán en el desierto ...de Torreón. www.espacio4.com. 2016-10-12.
  3. News: El Islam en La Laguna, una tradicional minoría religiosa . Coah . Yohan Uribe Jiménez. El Siglo de Torreón . 2016-10-12.
  4. Book: Islam en el Mexico Contemporaneo . Fitra Ismu Kusumo . 8 November 2014.