Cologne Mosque to Become City Landmark

The Week in Germany: Politics

September 5, 2008

Cologne Mosque to Become City Landmark

Landmark: A computer rendering of plans for the new Cologne mosque © picture- alliance/dpa

One of Germany's main Islamic groups, Ditib, won planning clearance to build a much-discussed new mosque expected to become a landmark in the western city of Cologne. The mosque will have a dome reaching 120 feet high and two 180-foot minarets.

Ditib, a foundation funded by Ankara to build mosques for Turkish- speaking Muslims, said Friday it would build the mosque as a "symbol of co-existence in peace and trust and without fear" and open it as a place of communication with non-Muslims. "We are building this for all the people of Cologne, not just Muslims," said Ditib in a statement. Its head office is in Cologne.

The mosque will go up in the city's multi-ethnic Ehrenfeld district. Cologne's city council approved the building plans, with center and left parties joining mayor Fritz Schramma to vote in favor of the new house of worship.

An estimated 3.3 million people of Muslim background live in Germany, 1.8 million of them Turkish citizens. About 65,000 turkish citizens live in Cologne among 1 million inhabitants.

Source: dpa

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