The dream of having a first mosque with minaret in southern Croatia’s Dubrovnik city will become a reality in just two years according to news reports, Total Croatia News reported.
“The project will go its way, it will not take long until we get the construction permit, so we’re currently preparing the paperwork, and everything will be ready for construction in two years,” said the Islamic Community’s president, Fehim Vukotić.
“We have to emphasize the fact that we in the Islamic community have great cooperation with the city authorities which have been coming to meet with us.”
Citing Al Jazeera Balkans, the report said that the new Islamic center will be located in the Gruž area of the City of Dubrovnik.
The mosque, complete with a minaret, will be built in Mediterranean or Moroccan style.
The new Islamic center, which will act as a Muslim community center, is expected to serve a rising Muslim population in Dubrovnik.
According to the census of 2011, there are 1,499 Muslim in the city. The number is expected to have grown over the past decade.
The origin of Muslims in Croatia is mainly from Bosnia, Turkey, Albania, and the Arab world.
In Croatia, there is only one Islamic authority called the Islamic Community of Croatia which is headed by a Mufti who is elected by the Muslim community.
In Croatia, there are three mosques with minarets and 15 without minarets and now the Muslim community is building three new mosques with minarets to accommodate the worshipers.
The Islamic Center in Zagreb holds regular lessons in Qura’n and organizes an annual international Quran recitation competition.