Hundreds of people from the Stoke Newington community came together for an open day at the remarkable Aziziye Mosque.
Neighbours, police and politicians – including Diane Abbott and Hackney mayor Philip Glanville – got a taste of what goes on inside the former Apollo cinema.
People of all faiths and none turned out to show support and take part in the event on May 14, which featured talks about the mosque from Dr Mufti Abdur-Rahman Ibn Yusuf and a Q&A.
An exhibition, short presentations, henna application, Arabic calligraphy demonstrations and a wide range of cultural foods were offered at the community hall on the ground floor.
Visitors also had the opportunity to witness the salaah prayers and the azaan call to prayer.
Ebu Bekir Tezgul, vice-chair of the association, said: “It was an amazing day for us to see so many local residents visiting of all ages and backgrounds.
“Many neighbours said they were always curious about what goes in inside our Mosque. One of our first visitors on the day told us that he had last been in the building 45 years ago.
“We had a great positive atmosphere on the day and we hope everyone that attended enjoyed the event. The day was a means of breaking barriers and creating greater unity for the future and we hope we have achieved that.”
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