1910

East London Mosque & London Muslim Centre

Posted in:

Building

Author:

Mahima Khan

'The East London Mosque Trust has rich a history spanning more than a century. It is London’s oldest Mosque, serving communities in the heart of the East End and beyond.'

In 1910, a group of notable Muslim personalities formed the London Mosque Fund with the intention of building a mosque in London. By 1926, the fund had accumulated a significant amount of money, and a Deed of Declaration of Trust was executed. For the next three decades, rooms were rented for Friday prayers and other events.

In 1940, three houses on Commercial Road in London E1 were purchased and converted into a mosque, which opened on August 1, 1941. Distinguished individuals associated with the fund included the Rt. Hon. Syed Ameer Ali, the first Indian Privy Counsellor, and His Royal Highness the Aga Khan, who served as life President of the Board of Trustees. Additionally, notable non-Muslims who supported the cause included Lord Lamington, Professor T.W. Arnold, Sir Ernest Houston, Sir John Woodhead, and the Rt. Hon. Earl Winterton.

In 1975, the Greater London Council acquired the Commercial Road premises under a compulsory purchase order, and temporary buildings were used until the new East London Mosque was built in Whitechapel Road. Construction on the purpose-built mosque began in 1982 and was completed in 1985, becoming a prominent landmark in London's East End.

In 1999, the mosque launched a successful campaign to acquire adjacent land and build the London Muslim Centre, which opened in 2004. As the congregation and number of projects grew, the Maryam Centre was built in 2009, offering additional prayer space, improved funeral facilities, and extensive new amenities for women.

TIMELINE: (From ELM History & Archives)

1910 - Notable figures, both Muslim and non-Muslim, decide London needs a mosque, so they establish the London Mosque Fund. Initially, a small room is hired for Friday prayers.

1926 - The Fund has grown to a sizeable amount, so a Deed of Declaration of Trust is made.

1940 - Three houses are purchased in Commercial Road, London E1, as a permanent place of prayer.

1941 - Official inauguration of the East London Mosque in the houses on Commercial Road. They become the focal point for the religious needs of a small but growing Muslim community. As migrant workers help to rebuild Britain in the post-war years, the function of the mosque evolves to meet the socio-economic needs of local people.

1975 - The Greater London Council (GLC) buys the houses in Commercial Road under a compulsory purchase order and provides temporary buildings on a new site on Whitechapel Road. The Muslim community sets about raising enough money to erect a purpose-built mosque on this site.

1982 - Laying of foundations for the new mosque.

1985 - The new mosque opens its doors on Whitechapel Road.

1999 - The East London Mosque, with huge local support, succeeds in its campaign to acquire adjoining land for development.

2001 - HRH Prince Charles launches the project to develop the London Muslim Centre.

2002 - Work begins on the new London Muslim Centre development.

2004 - The new London Muslim Centre opens, adding substantial usable space to the adjacent mosque. HRH Prince Charles returns to see the already thriving development.

2009 - Construction begins on the Maryam Centre, to include a dedicated space for women’s services.

2013 - Opening of the Maryam Centre.

2015 - Purchase of neighbouring Syngogue, later refurbished as a Zakat centre.

Read 'An Ottoman Connection with the East London Mosque - Halil Halid Bey' https://www.eastlondonmosque.org.uk/halil-halid-bey

Sources and Attribution

https://www.eastlondonmosque.org.uk/Pages/Category/history-archives

Licensing

CC Attribution 4.0 International

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