Mubarak Mosque (Tilford)

The Mubarak Mosque (English: The Blessed Mosque) is a mosque in Tilford, Surrey, England. It currently serves as the mosque on the site of the international headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, known as Islamabad.[2] It was inaugurated on 17 May 2019 by Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the fifth caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.[3]

Mubarak Mosque
Religion
AffiliationIslam
Branch/traditionAhmadiyya
Location
LocationTilford, Surrey, England
AdministrationAhmadiyya Muslim Community
Geographic coordinates51°11′26.5″N 0°45′3.6″W
Architecture
TypeMosque
Completed2019
Specifications
Capacity500 (up to 2,000 with neighbouring halls)[1]
Dome(s)1
Minaret(s)2
Minaret height13m

Islamabad

History

The place was established as Sheephatch Camp School, one of the 32 camp schools erected in 1939, designed by Thomas S Tait of Burnet, Tait & Lorne architects following the Camp Act 1939. During World War II, it was used as wartime evacuation centre for Ruckholt Road Central School in Leyton and later closed in 1943. The camp was leased to Surrey County Council from National Camps Corporation in 1946 and maintained it as a co-educational boarding school until its closure in 1977. The land was sold for £80,000 but was again put on auction in 1984 and bought by Ahmadiyya Muslim Association.[4][5][6][7][8]

Jalsa Salana

The Islamabad site was used for the Jalsa Salana, the annual convention of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community between 1985 and 2004. Since then it has moved to Hadeeqatul Mahdi near Alton.

International Headquarters

The International Headquarters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community moved from Fazl Mosque, London to Islamabad on 15 April 2019, after serving for a period of 35 years since the forced exile of the fourth caliph of the community, Mirza Tahir Ahmad from Pakistan in 1984.[9]

In 2015, the Waverley Council granted building permission for a new mosque and other facilities. The Islamabad site is 10.3 hectares in size and major redevelopment to design a complete modernisation of the facilities was commissioned by Carter Jonas[5][10] The mosque building consists of one dome and 32 fins including a glazed window in each fin. To the east of the mosque are two minarets with gilded finials., standing just over 13m high.[10] The formal inauguration of the mosque was held on 29 June 2019 in the presence of faith, civic and religious leaders. Around 300 guests were in attendance, including MP Dominic Grieve, former attorney general, MP Sir Ed Davey, chair of Tilford Parish Council Debra Lee, and former mayor of Farnham David Attfield.[11]

The facilities on the site include:[11]

  • Mubarak Mosque
  • Residence of the Caliph
  • 32 additional residences
  • Administrative buildings
  • Muslim Television Ahmadiyya facilities[12]
  • Equestrian centre
  • Sports hall
  • Courtyard[13]

It is also the final resting place of Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the fourth caliph of the Ahmadiyya Movement.

See also

References

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