Ljubljana Mosque
Ljubljana Mosque
- The Islamic Religio-Cultural Center, commonly referred to as the Ljubljana Musjid, is an Islamic Musjid and cultural complex located in Ljubljana’s Bežigrad district, Slovenia’s capital. This center represents the culmination of a long-standing effort by the Islamic Community of Slovenia and includes facilities such as a library, classrooms, a wudhu fountain, and the Imam’s offices and residence.
- During the 1960s and 1970s, many Muslims migrated internally from other Yugoslav republics to Slovenia. The initial request for a construction permit for a Musjid was made in 1969 but was denied. Efforts to revive the project re-emerged in the 1990s, which sparked a nationalist backlash and significant public opposition. In late 2003, the City Council sought to initiate a municipal referendum to block the Musjid’s construction. However, Ljubljana’s mayor, Danica Simšič, condemned this as a “constitutionally-forbidden encroachment on the rights of a religious minority.” The Constitutional Court subsequently rejected the referendum in July 2004.
- In December 2008, city councilor Mihael Jarc began collecting signatures for a second referendum aimed at removing the proposed 40-meter minaret from the Musjid, despite opposition from Mayor Zoran Janković. This time, the Constitutional Court allowed the signature-gathering to proceed, although the mayor pledged to continue opposing it.
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In September 2013, a ceremony was held to lay the foundation stone for the complex, with construction expected to start in November and take around three years.
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The Musjid was finally completed and opened to the public in February 2020.