Turkish-backed Cambridge Central Mosque hosts historic visit by King Charles

Cambridge Central Mosque, Europe’s first eco-friendly mosque, built with the support of Türkiye and opened in 2019 in the English city of Cambridge, hosted what was seen as a symbolically significant day with the visit of King Charles III at a time when anti-Muslim hatred (Islamophobia) and discrimination are on the rise.

King Charles III visited Cambridge Central Mosque, described as “Europe’s first eco-friendly mosque,” and met with representatives of the Muslim community. During the visit, the king met the mosque’s imams, trustees, and members of the Muslim community in Cambridge.

Among those attending the visit were Türkiye’s Ambassador to London Osman Koray Ertas, Cambridge Mosque Trust Board members Zeynep Coskun Koc and Selim Argun, British researcher and author Abdulhakim Murad, who embraced Islam at the age of 19, as well as numerous invited guests.

As part of the visit, organized in support of the UK’s religious diversity, King Charles toured various sections of the mosque, which was built with contributions from the Turkish Diyanet Foundation, and received information from officials.

During the visit, King Charles was presented with a glass paperweight produced by Pasabahce inspired by the dome architecture of the Selimiye Mosque, a limited-edition copy of Fuat Sezgin’s work titled The Scientific Heritage of Islamic Civilization, and a prestige book describing the construction process, architectural approach and 23 awards received by Cambridge Central Mosque.

The mosque also hosted the exhibition Science and Technology in Islam, introducing important works and studies that Islamic civilization contributed to humanity in the fields of science and technology.

The exhibition was realized with the support of the late Ersin Arioglu, one of the founders of Yapi Merkezi, and made an important contribution not only to the mosque’s function as a place of worship but also to its educational and cultural heritage.

‘Islamic geometry and Cambridge’s local architectural elements were brought together’

Speaking to Anadolu after the visit, Cambridge Mosque Trust Board member Zeynep Coskun Koc said the visit was of historic importance both for Cambridge Central Mosque and for the public.

“For the first time, a British king paid an official visit to a mosque. Previously, his mother, Queen (Elizabeth), paid a visit to a mosque in 2002, but there had not been a visit for 20 years, and a king had never officially visited a mosque before,” she said.

Emphasizing that Cambridge Central Mosque is Europe’s first eco-friendly mosque, Koc said the mosque has received numerous awards and that Islamic geometry and Cambridge’s local architectural elements were brought together in its architectural design.

Stating that Türkiye’s support was decisive in the establishment of the mosque, Koc said: “It was the Turkish Diyanet Foundation that understood the value of building this mosque, what it would add here, and supported us. The Turkish Diyanet Foundation has been our biggest supporter from the very beginning.”

Koc underlined that the driving force behind the project was Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: “Our President was personally involved in every detail of the project and closely followed the construction of the mosque. After the construction of our mosque was completed, it was inaugurated in 2019 with the participation of our President.”

She also said that during the visit, a letter written by Erdogan and addressed to King Charles was presented, noting that in the letter Turkish president said he considered the king’s visit to the mosque valuable at a time when Islamophobia and racism are on the rise.

“The King was also very pleased to receive such a letter from our president. Our president also extended an invitation to him. We conveyed it as well. He was very pleased and said: ‘I already very much want to visit Türkiye,’,” Koc said.

She said King Charles stated as he was leaving the visit that he had been deeply impressed by the mosque’s architecture and its environmentally friendly features, adding that the king drew attention to the importance of worship being performed in a structure built specifically as a mosque.

“Everyone is well aware that this mosque could not have been built without Türkiye’s support. It is very nice to hear that. This also demonstrates the vision under the leadership of our president,” Koc said.

‘KING CHARLES’ VISIT IS A HISTORIC DAY’

Cambridge Mosque Trust Board member Selim Argun also pointed out that for the first time in the history of the British monarchy, a king had visited a mosque.

“Today is a very important, historic day for the city of Cambridge, for the Muslim and Turkish community here, and for Cambridge Central Mosque,” he said.

He stressed that despite his busy schedule, King Charles did not cancel the visit and recalled that the same day also marked the 75th anniversary of Cambridge being granted city status.

Stating that Cambridge Central Mosque was built with Türkiye’s contributions, Argun said: “This mosque was built and brought into existence primarily under the instructions of our president, with significant contributions from the Turkish Diyanet Foundation and the Presidency of Religious Affairs.”

Argun said they hosted King Charles during the visit and informed him about the activities of the Religious Affairs Directorate and the Turkish Diyanet Foundation.

He also noted that the board of trustees includes businesspeople who have carried out significant construction and charitable activities in Türkiye.

Stating that Cambridge is one of the UK’s leading centers for business, academia, intellectual life, and the health sector, Argun drew attention to the city’s rich cultural structure.

“Within such an intellectual mosaic, we are here representing our Presidency and our President in order to bring the spirit of Anatolian wisdom from Türkiye here,” he said.

‘KING CHARLES III’S VISIT IS SYMBOLICALLY IMPORTANT’

British researcher and author Abdulhakim Murad, one of those who contributed to the opening of Cambridge Central Mosque, also emphasized that King Charles III’s visit was symbolically important.

Murad said the visit carried significance for the Muslim community in the UK at a time when there is anxiety, uncertainty, and ignorance among communities.

Stating that it was important for the Muslim community in Cambridge to be visited, respected and recognized by the king, the head of the British state, he said the king also met members of the mosque’s board of trustees, including the Turkish trustees, during the visit.

Murad said King Charles showed close interest in the environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies used in the construction of the mosque, adding that the king spent a long time talking especially with young people and children.

He said social cohesion is important to King Charles, noting that the mosque is also a center for good interfaith relations and that the local bishop and the local rabbi were also present during the visit.

Murad said the mosque may appear to be an unfamiliar place of worship to some people from outside, but added that it is a center that brings different communities together.

“Turkish, Arab and Nigerian communities come together to worship under the same roof of Islam, but the doors here are also open to the wider world,” he said.

He underlined that Cambridge Central Mosque is a place where social relations develop and environmentally friendly technologies are implemented. “We like being good neighbors,” he said.

He added that the king, as a symbol of national unity, was pleased to see that places of worship play a role in bringing communities together and standing against division and misunderstanding.

EUROPE’S 1ST ECO-FRIENDLY MOSQUE

Cambridge Central Mosque, built in the English city of Cambridge and inaugurated in 2019 in a ceremony attended by Erdogan, stands out as “Europe’s first eco-friendly mosque.”

The mosque uses photovoltaic panels, air-source heat pumps, a sedum roof, natural ventilation systems and timber obtained from sustainably managed forests.

Constructed largely from natural materials such as wood and marble, the mosque also stands out for its zero-carbon-footprint feature.

Rainwater is collected for watering saplings and cleaning, while approximately 40% of the mosque’s electricity is generated from solar energy.

Thanks to a system on the mosque’s roof that converts air temperature into heat, the water in the hot water tanks and the underfloor heating system is heated.

Through sensors, when the oxygen level inside decreases or the temperature rises, warm air is extracted through upper vents and fresh air is supplied into the building.

Because of its environmentally friendly features, dome-shaped windows were installed in the mosque’s ceiling to allow natural light from above and reflect sunlight directly into the interior.

The mosque’s architecture incorporates elements inspired by the fan vaults of the nearby King’s College Chapel and the cross-pattern Victorian brickwork commonly found in Cambridge’s Romsey district.

In addition, Cambridge Central Mosque regularly delivers food parcels to families experiencing financial hardship in the city and organizes health awareness events.

The mosque, which served as a local vaccination center during the COVID-19 pandemic, also hosts social responsibility activities, including volunteer litter collection campaigns by young people.

The mosque also maintains close ties with the Cambridge Mosques Council, Cambridge Muslim College, and other religious communities in South Cambridgeshire.