Albanian Mosque (Carlton North) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Albanian Mosque Albanian Australian Islamic Society Mosque Carlton Mosque
Albanian: Xhami shqiptare
Religion
Affiliation	Islam
Rite	Sunni Islam
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Mosque
Ownership	Albanian Australian Islamic Society (AAIS)
Leadership	Perparim Sulaj (Imam)
Status	Active
Location
Location	765 Drummond Street, Carlton North 3054, Melbourne
State	Victoria
Country	Australia
Location in Melbourne
Architecture
Architectural type	Mosque
Groundbreaking	1967
Completed	1969
Minaret(s)	1

The Albanian Mosque (also called Xhami shqiptare in Albanian) is a special place of worship for Muslims. It is also known as the Albanian Australian Islamic Society Mosque or Carlton Mosque. You can find it in Carlton North, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

This mosque has a tall tower called a minaret and other useful community spaces. It is very important to the Albanian Australian community. The Albanian Australian Islamic Society (AAIS) owns and runs the mosque. About 1000 people are members of this society. The mosque was built in the late 1960s. It is the oldest mosque in Melbourne and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register, which means it's a protected historical site.

Building the Mosque

Street sign at Drummond St entrance pointing to mosque and AAIS location

After World War II, many Muslim immigrants, including people from Albania, moved to Victoria. They found that there were not many Islamic places of worship. Before this, some small, temporary mosques existed in Melbourne. These were often just small rooms used for prayers, but they did not last long.

In 1961, Muslim immigrants created the Islamic Society of Victoria (ISV). This group helped meet their religious needs. Most of the money for this group came from Albanian donors. Members of the ISV met in a small house that was used as a mosque for a short time. This house became a center for Muslim life in Carlton. In 1963, the Albanian community started their own group, the Albanian Australian Islamic Society (AAIS).

By the late 1960s, Albanians in Melbourne had to travel far. They went to the Albanian mosque in Shepparton, Victoria. This was for special celebrations like Bajram (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha) and for Muslim burial services (called janaza). Traveling was difficult because of the long distances. Phone calls were expensive, and telegrams were only sent when someone died.

This situation made the Melbourne Albanian community want to build their own mosque. By then, many of them had stable jobs and enough money.

Original signage above entrance door noting mosque founding and name

The AAIS successfully raised money for the mosque. One of its founders, Memet Zuka, was a community leader. He asked for and received donations from Muslims, Catholics, and Orthodox Christians in the Albanian community. The AAIS bought a property at 765 Drummond Street, Carlton. It had an old two-story house from the Victorian era. This house used to belong to a police commissioner named Thomas O'Callaghan. There was also a large empty plot of land next to it.

The first design for the mosque was a square building made of brownish bricks. Construction started in 1967 and was finished in 1969.

A Community Hub

Since it was built, the Albanian Mosque has been a center for Albanian religious and cultural activities. It has also helped other communities. For example, in the 1970s, Albanians shared their mosque with new Turkish immigrants. At that time, it became an important place for the Turkish Australian community. The mosque also helped students from Southeast Asian countries like Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia. In the 1970s and 1980s, a Muslim Palestinian volunteer named Omar Hallak taught the Quran and Arabic language at the mosque.

In 1981, Rexhep Idrizi became the imam (religious leader) at the mosque. A minaret was added to the mosque in 1994. This happened after the High Court of Australia gave permission. The building had big renovations in 2003. Many new facilities were added. The outside of the mosque was painted white. Red carpet was put inside to match the color of the Albanian flag.

Rexhep Idrizi continued as imam until 2011. There was a disagreement, and he left his position. Dr. Bekim Hasani then became the imam of the mosque.

• 

  Mosque on Drummond St

• 

  Close up of mosque

• 

  Mosque entrance

• 

  Covered mosque portico

• 

  Mosque minaret

• 

  Metal plaque informing people about the mosque

In 2019, the mosque held an open day on March 17. This was to show support for the victims of the Christchurch mosque shootings. It was also a chance for the public to learn about Islam and Muslims.

Poster marking 50 year anniversary

The AAIS held a big outdoor festival at the mosque on November 17, 2019. This celebrated its 50th anniversary. About 3000-4000 people attended. These included Muslim Australians of Albanian and other backgrounds. Non-Muslim Australians of other faiths also came. Political leaders like local MP Adam Bandt and City of Yarra mayor Danae Bosler were there. Heads of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and some police officers also attended.

At the same time, an exhibition was held inside the mosque. It showed the mosque's history. For this special event, the adhan (call to prayer) was performed from the mosque's minaret. It was heard in the surrounding area through loudspeakers. This was the first time this had happened in the mosque's history.

Over its 50 years, the mosque's community has grown and become very diverse. People from many different backgrounds now attend and donate. Imam Hasani left the mosque in 2020. He became the head of Islamic law affairs at the Islamic Coordinating Council of Victoria (ICCV). The current imam is Perparim Sula.