This oldest Turkish mosque in London is in trouble, about to be locked

Britain’s first Turkish mosque is on the verge of closure. Masjid Intejamia does not have the money to keep Masjid Ramzan in Dalston, north-east London, in working order. According to reports, due to the increasing expenses of the mosque and decreasing number of worshippers, the option of closing it or reducing its size is being considered.

Erkin Guni, who manages the mosque, while talking to the media, said that the bill of the mosque has tripled in recent years. He also admitted that they have started receiving more donations and support from the Muslim community of the area but there are still questions about the future of the mosque. Guni told the media that he does not want to close the mosque, but he is left with no option.

Erkin Guni said that we are Turkish Cypriots. Our people have either left or died and 10-15 more mosques have opened in the city. Let us tell you that this mosque is a synagogue built in 1903, which was abandoned by the Jewish people in the 1970s. After which Erkin Guni’s father took it and built the first Turkish mosque here. Guni also said that on Friday, a good number of worshipers come to the mosque but on other days of the week, very few people come here to offer namaz. Explaining the reason behind this, he said that the rates in the area have increased, and due to the rising prices, people in our community have moved to other places.

Describing the expenses of the mosque, Erkin Guni said that the monthly expenses are around 4 thousand pounds and the donations from the worshipers are collected every Friday at 200 to 400 pounds. Which is insufficient to meet the expenses. Apart from this, 17 thousand to 20 thousand pounds are spent every year on the maintenance of the mosque. Guni hopes that Allah will find a way soon and we will not have to close the mosque.