Brick Lane Mosque facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brick Lane Jamme Masjid |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Sunni |
| Leadership |
|
| Location | |
| Location | Brick Lane, Tower Hamlets, London, United Kingdom |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Mosque |
| Architectural style | Georgian architecture |
| Date established | 1743 (built), 1976 (mosque) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 3,200 (including women) |
| Minaret(s) | 1 |
The Brick Lane Mosque, also known as Brick Lane Jamme Masjid, is a special mosque (a Muslim place of worship) located in the East End of London. It's not just any mosque; its building has a truly amazing history!
This building at 59 Brick Lane has been a place of worship for different communities over hundreds of years. It started as a Christian church, then became a Jewish synagogue, and now it's a Muslim mosque. This shows how many different groups of people have made their home in the Spitalfields area of London.
Contents
The Mosque Today
.jpg)
Today, most people who pray at the Brick Lane Mosque are of Bangladeshi descent. This area has the largest group of Bangladeshi Muslims in the UK.
The mosque is quite large and can hold up to 3,200 people. This includes a special area for 200 women. It gets very busy, especially during the jummah prayers on Friday afternoons. These are special weekly prayers for Muslims.
All the sermons (religious talks) are given in English, Arabic, and Bengali. The mosque follows the traditions of Sunni Islam, which is a major branch of Islam.
The mosque also works closely with the Bangladesh Welfare Association. This group helps people with their social and community needs. If you're a child, you can even take Arabic and your mother tongue language classes on the top floors of the mosque!
The Brick Lane Mosque was once known as the London Great Mosque. However, bigger mosques were built later in London. These include the London Central Mosque in Regent's Park (opened in 1978) and the East London Mosque in Whitechapel Road (opened in 1985).
A Building with Many Stories
The building at 59 Brick Lane has a fascinating past. It has changed its purpose several times, serving different religious communities throughout history.
From Church to Chapel
The building was first built in 1743. It started as a Protestant chapel called "La Neuve Eglise," which means "the New Church." It was built by Huguenots, who were French Protestants. They had to leave France in 1685 to escape being treated badly by Catholics. Many Huguenots came to Spitalfields and brought their skills in silk-weaving and textiles. Since they weren't part of the official Church of England, they built their own chapels.
The building stayed a Huguenot chapel for over 60 years. In 1809, it became a Wesleyan chapel, known as The Jews' Chapel. This was rented by a group that wanted to promote Christianity among Jewish people. But this only lasted for 10 years. From 1819, the building became a regular Methodist chapel.
A Jewish Synagogue
In 1891, the building changed again! It became a synagogue called the Machzike Hadath, or the Spitalfields Great Synagogue. At this time, many Jewish refugees from Russia and Central Europe were coming to the area. They were fleeing harsh laws and attacks in their home countries. About 140,000 Jewish people from Eastern Europe settled in Britain.
From 1916, a very important leader named Abraham Isaac Kook led this synagogue. He later became the first chief rabbi for Ashkenazi Jews in British Mandatory Palestine. Over time, fewer Jewish people lived in the area. Many moved to other parts of London. So, the synagogue eventually moved to a new location.
Becoming a Mosque
During the 1970s, many Bangladeshis came to Britain. They came from the Sylhet region of Bangladesh, looking for better work. Many found jobs in factories and the textile industry in Spitalfields and Brick Lane. As this community grew, they needed a place to worship.
So, the building at 59 Brick Lane was bought and updated. In 1976, it reopened as a mosque, first called the London Jamme Masjid. Even though its name has changed slightly, it still serves the Bangladeshi community as a mosque today.
See also
- Islam in the United Kingdom
- Islamic schools and branches
- List of mosques
- List of mosques in the United Kingdom
- Saheb Qiblah Fultali
- Sufism
