Mosques in Canada

In our series, Houses of Allah, we introduce beautiful mosques in different countries. The mosques we will recognize this time round will be mosques in Canada.

El Rashid Mosque (Edmonton/AB)

Rashid Al-Farouk Mosque, the first mosque in Canada, was opened on 12 December 1938. At the time the mosque was opened, there were about 700 Muslims in Canada. Hilwie Hamdon is the most important person who contributed to the construction of the mosque. He spoke with Edmonton Mayor John Fry and led the purchase of land to build the mosque, with this he also collected funds from Jews, Christians, and Muslims for the construction of the mosque.

The construction of the mosque was undertaken by a Canadian citizen with Ukrainian origins, contractor MikeDrewoth. The mosque built by Drewoth was built in a style like the Eastern Christian immigrant churches. In the 1940s, the mosque was moved to another location to expand a school located nearby. By the 1980s, the mosque was in an unusable state. When the calendars showed the 90s, this time the closing of the mosque occurred to expand a nearby hospital. However, instead of closing the mosque, it was decided to move it to Fort Edmonton Park. Moved to Fort Edmonton Park, the mosque reopened about a year later, on May 28, 1992. 

Baitul Mahdi Mosque (Ontario)

This building, which does not look like a mosque when viewed from the outside, was later converted into a mosque. Reminiscent of castles in the Netherlands, Baitul Mehdi Mosque was opened in 2006 and functions both as a mosque and a gathering center for Muslims in the region. In addition, to this, the plot is used by the community for regional sports events. 

Midnight Sun Mosque (Inuvik)

The Midnight Sun Mosque, which is the most northern mosque in Canada, emerged as a natural result due to the needs of the increasing population. This mosque, which has a remarkably interesting story, was built in Manitoba and brought here after a long journey of 4,500 km. The story of this interesting mosque, which makes both land and sea journeys, has also been the subject of a documentary. The mosque, which was born due to the need for a place of worship for about 100 people, includes a kitchen and a library, apart from the women’s-only area.

Mescid-i Nur Mosque (Newfoundland and Labrador)

Masjid-i-Nur is the first and only mosque in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The mosque is in the capital of the state, St. John’s, and was built in 1990 by the Muslim League of Newfoundland and Labrador. A large part of his congregation is made up of students at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. In addition to this, in 2016, the five daily prayers in the lives of Muslims who come to this mosque have been the subject of a thesis.

Baitun Nur Mosque (Alberta)

The foundation of the mosque, which has a huge dome on top, was laid in 2005. In 2008, it was inaugurated with the participation of many influential figures such as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Calgary Mayor Dave Bronconnier, Calgary Roman Catholic Bishop Fred Henry. The prominent features of the mosque are its 97m tall minaret with a steel cover and the 99 names of Allah inscribed on the outside of the building. The mosque complex is spread over a total area of 4.500 m2 and there are various classrooms, children’s playgrounds, a kitchen, and an office in this complex.