london central mosque school visit

This Grade II* Listed London Mosque Is Home To One Of The Oldest And Largest Islamic Reference Libraries

Located on the outskirts of Regent's Park; London Central Mosque was built almost 50 years ago and can accommodate over 5,000 worshippers at a time.

London Central Mosque is one of the city’s most famous Islamic places of worship. Situated on the edge of Regent’s Park ; the prominent white building is topped with a beautiful golden dome and an 140-foot high minaret that can be seen through the treetops.

The mosque can accommodate over 5,000 worshippers in its grand prayer hall, and is decorated with intricate mosaics, marble floors and pretty impressive chandelier (which was once the largest in the UK ).

The history of the London Central Mosque

London Central Mosque is joined to the Islamic Cultural Centre which was opened in 1944, when the acquisition of the site was first authorised. The mosque wasn’t actually designed until 1973 , when English architect, Sir Frederick Gibberd’s design was selected from hundreds of applicants during an international competition. Construction started in 1974 and the mosque was completed and opened to the public in 1977 .

The construction of London Central Mosque took over two years to complete, costing around £6 million in total – £2 million of which was in the form of a generous donation from H.M King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Over the years, the mosque has received various donations and contributions towards the extension and renovations of the mosque and the Islamic Cultural Centre. The landmark mosque was given Grade II* listed status 2018, in recognition of its historic, cultural and architectural importance.

The Islamic Cultural Centre

The Islamic Cultural Centre boasts one of the largest and oldest Islamic reference libraries , with a rich selection of historic books and journals in both English and Arabic. The library holds more than 25,000 books , and copies of the Quran in 30 different languages.

The centre also holds an Islamic exhibition – the first of its kind in the UK. Occupying over 60 metres of wall space; the exhibition provides visitors with a visual journey through the Islamic faith.

Find out more and plan your visit to the London Central Mosque here .

📍 146 Park Road, NW8 7RG.

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London Central Mosque

London has one of the most diverse Muslim community in the world through waves of immigration from the 19th Century to our times. The Mosque houses an Islamic cultural centre which first opened by King George VI in 1944. The Land is a gift from the King to the Muslim community in Britain in return of a land donation in Egypt. King Farouk of Egypt and Sudan donated a land to build an Anglican Cathedral in Cairo. Completed in 1977 the Mosque is located in Regent’s Park in North London. People often refer to Regent’s Park Mosque in mentioning it. Like almost all large Mosques, this place contains patterns of Islamic arts and calligraphy completed in 1989. The architect is Sir Frederick Gibberd. The Mosque has a restaurant, cafeteria, exhibition room, conference room. Religious lessons are also given there.

The pictures below shows the main prayer hall with the minbar (pulpit) where Friday sermons takes place.

Calligraphy on the ceiling and the lady’s prayer room upstairs.

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London Central Mosque

North London

Completed in 1977 this striking large white mosque is topped with a glistening golden dome and a minaret, and can hold more than 5000 worshippers. Provided you take your shoes off and dress modestly (females must cover their hair), you’re welcome to go inside but, as is the way with mosques, the interior is very simple.

146 Park Rd. NW8

Get In Touch

020-7725 2213

https://www.iccuk.org

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Year 5’s visit London Central Mosque

Posted: 8th March 2023

The Y5 children went on a trip to the London Central Mosque as part of their studies about Islam (Perspectives). Our tour guide in the Mosque was very impressed with the children’s knowledge and manners. The most interesting part was visiting the beautiful prayer hall of the Mosque, where the children could witness one of the daily prayers (Salah).

Houses of Worship

London Central Mosque

The London Central Mosque is a mosque located near Regent’s Park in London, United Kingdom. It was designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd, completed in 1977, and has a prominent golden dome. The main hall can accommodate over 5,000 worshippers, with women praying on a balcony overlooking the hall. The mosque holds a chandelier and a vast carpet.

Between 1900-1930 several efforts were made to build a mosque in Central London, including one initiated by Lord Headley. Headley was born in London in 1855 and educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He then entered Middle Temple, before commencing studies at King’s College London. Headley embraced Islam in 1913 and adopted the Muslim name of Shaikh Rahmatullah al-Farooq.

It was in 1940 that the British Government was persuaded to present a site in London to the Muslim Community of Great Britain. The Churchill war cabinet authorised the acquisition of a site to build a mosque in London on 24 October 1940. A prime site adjacent to Hanover Gate in Regents Park almost 2.3 acres in size was presented by the British Government as an unconditional gift to the Muslim Community in Britain so they may conduct affairs pertaining to the Islamic Faith. The Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, delegated an imam for the newly built mosque in Central London and continued to do so for many decades.

It was not, however, until 1974 that construction of a purpose-built mosque began. The present building is based on a design by Sir Frederick Gibberd, selected in 1973 from many others in an international competition. The mosque took over two years to complete at the cost of £6 million, with a generous donation from H.M King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It was later completed by His Highness Sheikh Zayed of the United Arab Emirates. Until today many countries participated in this unique mosque. In the 1990’s the London Central Mosque Trust and Islamic Cultural Centre received a generous donation from His Majesty King Fahad of Saudi Arabia for the extension of the administration wing. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos of the Sultanate of Oman granted a generous donation for the establishment of the restaurant and dining facilities. More recently His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani the Emir of Qatar has made significant contributions to the extension and renovation of the Centre. The State of Kuwait have also invested heavily in support of the Centre. With the Board of Trustees of the Centre comprising the Muslim Ambassadors and High Commissioners in London, the Centre receives invaluable support and sustenance from across Muslim nations in allowing it to serve the wider community. Within the Centre there is an education unit which includes a weekend school with over 350 students. The purpose of the weekend school is to teach Arabic Language and Islamic Studies to students of many backgrounds and nationalities. The Centre also holds an interfaith department which collaborates with more than 30 organisations with regular dialogues and interfaith scriptural reasoning events to promote peace, interconnectedness and coexistence in society. The Centre has an academic quarterly journal called the IQ – Islamic Quarterly which is published every 3 months containing numerous articles about the Islamic Civilisation.

Moreover, the Centre holds a religious affairs unit with qualified Imams to issue fatwa (Islamic Advice), hold question and answer sessions, conduct marriages, divorces and conversion certificates and hold regular Islamic classes through the collaboration with the Registrar’s unit. The new Muslim programme initiative has been set up by the Islamic Cultural Centre & London Central Mosque to provide a spiritual, educational, religious and social support network for those who are interested to learn more about Islam, for those who have recently converted to Islam and for those born Muslim and who would like to learn more about their religion. There are currently some 4,000 new Muslims from the Centre who take part in this initiative. The Islamic Cultural Centre is pleased to have one of the largest and oldest Islamic reference libraries. The Library has a rich selection of historic books and journals in English and Arabic. It holds copies of the Translations of the Qur’an in European/Arabic/Indic languages. There are more than 25,000 books in our library and copies of the Qur’an in 30 Languages. The Centre has many initiatives for Youth which include the Hikmah Youth Programme – a weekly Forum where students can take up many academic and interactive activities. Moreover, the Centre has an Arabic Cultural Saloon which fosters monthly intellectual lectures in Arabic for youth wanting to learn more about their cultures with topics ranging from history, literature, philosophy and Islamic heritage. An Islamic exhibition, the first of its kind to be built in the United Kingdom, occupies over 60 meters of wall space and provides visitors with a visual journey through the Islamic faith. The exhibition spans two of the basement halls and incorporates video screens, models and posters to provide a multidimensional viewing experience for visitors. The exhibition aims to provide a greater understanding of the universal message of Islam, thereby encouraging meaningful and positive dialogue and promoting greater community understanding and harmony.

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London mosque denies it advised school all prayers could be deferred

Statement says it made clear to Michaela community school that ‘in winter it would not be possible to pray later’

One of the UK’s most prominent mosques has denied providing advice to the Michaela community school that all afternoon prayers could be deferred, disputing claims heard in court.

Katharine Birbalsingh, who runs the non-faith state school in Wembley and is often called “Britain’s strictest headteacher”, defeated a high court challenge this week to her policy of stopping pupils praying at lunchtime.

The Muslim student who brought the legal case was banned from praying at the school after Birbalsingh claimed it broke up the cohesion of the school and undermined inclusion. However, the student argued the policy was discriminatory.

According to the written ruling, the head informed the court that she had spoken to the imam at the London Central mosque, who “agreed” with the view that the afternoon prayer could be done later and “offered to speak to any Muslim parents who had doubts on this point”.

However, a statement by the mosque released on X disputed this, saying it had told the school that in some circumstances “it would not be possible to pray later”.

The statement read: “In so far as the praying later is concerned, the London Central mosque explained that, in the summer, the time between Dhur (noon prayer) and Asr (afternoon prayer) is further apart so the earlier prayer (in this case the Dhur one) can be done later … this is an accepted practice called Al jamm al suri .

“We made it clear that in the winter it would not be possible to pray later as times are much shorter,” it added.

The tweeted statement also described the high court verdict as “very disappointing” and said that preventing prayer – one of the five pillars of Islam – was a “violation of their religious and human rights”.

Birbalsingh did not comment on the mosque’s claims but in a statement of her own released after the ruling, wrote: “At Michaela we expect all religions and all races to make the necessary sacrifices to enable our school to thrive. The vast majority do so without complaint.”

Birbalsingh said 50% of the school’s intake was Muslim, adding: “If our families did not like the school, they would not repeatedly choose to send their children to Michaela.”

Mr Justice Linden, in his 83-page written judgment, said the prayer ban was a “proportionate means of achieving the legitimate aims” of the school.

Linden added: “The claimant at the very least impliedly accepted, when she enrolled at the school, that she would be subject to restrictions on her ability to manifest her religion.”

However, the judge also acknowledged the prayer ban indirectly discriminated against Muslims because they were more likely than other pupils to wish to pray during school hours.

After the ruling, the student said in a statement that she was “disappointed”, adding: “As is set out in the judgment, I do not agree that it would be too hard for the school to accommodate pupils who wished to pray in the lunch break.”

The Michaela community school, which is rated outstanding by Ofsted, has previously attracted attention as students are expected to adhere to strict rules including remaining silent in corridors and observing restrictions on uniform.

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Call for Papers: SSEES Postgraduate Conference 2024

Visions of Hope and Resilience in Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus

The continuation of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, political repressions, crackdowns on LGBTQ+, women’s, ethnic and religious communities’ rights, environmental crises, and the ramifications of colonial legacies have marked the past several years in the region of Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. While indispensable academic research is being carried out to investigate various forms of political, social, cultural, and economic oppression and violence, it is crucial to highlight positive alternatives nurtured in these hostile contexts. Throughout history, individuals, communities, institutions, and states have and continue to navigate, adapt, and resist multiple overlapping challenges, fighting for their right to imagine and realize a better future. 

The 2024 SSEES Postgraduate Conference celebrates the champions of hope and resilience of the past, present, and future of the region. In this Call for Papers, we invite early-career researchers (including MA students, PhD students, and scholars who recently received their PhDs) who work in various academic disciplines (including but not limited to political science, international relations, economics, history, anthropology, sociology, literature, and inter-disciplinary fields) to share their insights on how diverse actors and institutions have found, constructed, and negotiated political, social, cultural, and economic alternatives in the face of oppression, structural marginalization, and numerous overlapping threats and vulnerabilities. 

As such, paper proposals can address, but are not limited to, the following issues:

• social and political mobilization, activism, and protest movements
• everyday practices of resistance and coping
• amplifying marginalized voices and rewriting narratives
• future imaginaries, the transformative potential of art/literature, visionaries and pioneers 
• business and technological innovation, problem-solving, and adaptation

Applications can be submitted by filling out the following form: https://forms.gle/qTynVa8XhBytSqraA

Abstracts should be between 250 and 350 words. The deadline for submissions is 14 June 2024 . The conference will take place on 4-5 November 2024, at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University College London, and will be conducted in English.

Any questions can be addressed to: [email protected] .

We look forward to reading your submission!

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A TRANSFORMATIVE GUIDED TOUR

Pictures & posts may gain a thousand likes, but nothing quite captures Cambridge Central Mosque like experiencing it for yourself. Whether you visit alone or with others, whether you are local or just passing by, and regardless of background or faith, we welcome you all.

Our guided tours take you from the hustle and bustle of the world famous Mill Road on a transformative voyage… Starting at our gardens, we journey through its trees, flower beds and fountain. We then pass through the portico and atrium, via our ablution areas, cleansed and ready to enter the grand prayer hall: an oasis of calm, and the perfect space for spiritual contemplation and connection with the unseen.

Whilst marvelling at the award winning architecture, we explore the evolution of this eco-friendly project and furnish you with an appreciation of the concepts behind the craftsmanship that define this incredible space.

Each of our guides has a unique story to tell, and after your guided tour, so will you.

General Public Guided Tours

Guided tours for the general public – as individuals or groups of families & friends up to 9 people – are available on weekend mornings at 11:30am. If tickets are unavailable, please check back at the end of the month for release of new dates for the following month.

Organisational Guided Tours

If you and your family & friends are planning to come as a group 10 or larger, or if you represent an organisation – a school, university or local community group – use the link below to request a guided tour. After submitting your request, await final confirmation of your booking via email.

Book via Bookeo

Please note that, unfortunately, we cannot offer slots outside those offered on Bookeo.

Tickets are free but we rely on your generous donations to continue to serve our community.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can we come with a coach where can the coach offload people.

There is a bus stop and layby immediately outside the mosque on Mill Road for dropping off and picking up passengers. Although we have a carpark, it is not tall enough to accommodate a coach and so coaches would need to drive to alternative parking areas whilst the tour takes place.

Is there parking? Can we use the carpark?

Free parking for up to 76 cars is available in the mosque underground car park on a first come, first served basis. If your tour is in the morning then generally spaces will be available.

What are the transport options for getting to and from the mosque?

The mosque has underground parking for cars and motorbikes (76 spaces), accessed via the ramp on Mill Road. There are disabled parking spaces and an electric charging point. However, where possible we encourage our visitors to arrive by bus, bike or on foot to reduce their carbon footprint. The bus stop is directly outside the mosque and bike racks are provided in the front and rear gardens and in the car park.

Can Tour Groups include children?

Children of all ages are welcome. However we do ask that they are supervised at all times.

What should we wear?/ What is the dress code?

Out of respect for this place of worship, adult visitors are requested to observe modest dress that covers their arms and legs. Women will be asked to cover their heads before entering the prayer hall, so please bring a scarf with you. All visitors will be asked to remove their shoes at the entrance. If visitors are unable to remove their shoes for any reason, shoe covers can be provided.

What will the tour include?

The tour will start in the Islamic garden through to the entrance hall and adjoining rooms. The ‘Wudu’ or ablution areas will be visited before guests are taken through to the main prayer hall and gallery.

How long does the tour take?

Tours generally last approximately 1 hour.

Can we meet the imam?

Sometimes Imam Sejad will be available however he is very busy with many commitments. If he is in the prayer hall then he will no doubt come and say hello.

How will it work with the male and female areas?

If your tour is in the morning then there won’t b e any worshippers in the mosque and so access to the male and female areas will be unrestricted. If at other times, it may be necessary to split male and female guests when visiting the ablution areas.

Can we take pictures/videos?

Yes however we ask that you do not take photos or videos of people praying.

There is someone in a wheelchair. Can the mosque accommodate this?

Yes. All of the mosque apart from a small gallery area is wheelchair accessible. There is also a lift from the basement car park which can be used.

Does the mosque have an area where the group can eat after the tour?

There is a cafeteria although this isn’t yet open. Should you wish, you can bring a packed lunch and eat it in the cafeteria or on the tables outside. There are also cafes nearby should you prefer to eat there.

Who will be our contact person?

We will let you know the name of your guide but you can always contact [email protected] should you need to let us know about any changes to your booking.

Privacy Overview

Mosque/School Visits

Important information regarding visits, update: we have had some issues with the form with responses not coming through to us. we do apologise for this. we have added a new form below. thank you all..

This page contains a contact form for schools/organisations to request school or mosque visits. Mosque/School visits can last between 90 -120  minutes. We can organise shorter sessions in the evenings for Scout groups.

We try to accommodate everyone but we have the following limitations:

• We can only accommodate 40 visitors in total for health and safety reasons.  
• We do try to arrange the visits as soon a possible, but please email us at least month before  the desired school/mosque visit date.
• Visits are preferred in the mornings before 12 pm. Visits normally start at 10 am .
• We  cannot  host mosque visits on  Friday , or during busy periods of the year like Ramadhan.
• We  cannot  guarantee dates but we will try our best to accommodate you.
• Most areas of the mosque are wheelchair accessible.  Please inform us in advance to ensure we can accommodate your accessibility needs.

Attire & Dress Code

All adult visitors and children are requested to wear modest clothing when visiting the mosque. For school children, most aspects of a standard school uniform are appropriate.

If you would like to visit the Mosque or to request someone to visit your school to speak about Islam, please fill in the contact form by clicking on the button below. 

London Central Mosque Trust & The Islamic Cultural Centre

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Religious Services > Prayer Time Guide

Islamic marriage nikah service.

Book Your Nikah With Us! Click here for all your marriage services. We now offer the larger halls and restaurant bookings to cater for your big day. MORE INFORMATION >> >>

Commission of Fatwa & Islamic Affairs

Book Your Nikah With Us! --> The Islamic Cultural Centre has established the Commission to guide Muslims in the UK. Matters relating to religious issues aswell as solving complex inheritance (Mirath) cases, marriage, divorce and islamic arbitration. MORE INFORMATION >> >>

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Get Involved! Dedicate your precious time and energy in serving our community. Volunteer with us today and bring a range of skills, expertise and experience that help enhance the services at The Islamic Cultural Centre. MORE INFORMATION >> >>

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The London Central Mosque Trust Ltd.

Address: 146 Park Road, London, NW8 7RG United Kingdom