Omar Ibn Al-Khatab Mosque, Islamic architectural landmark in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil.
Omar Ibn Al-Khatab Mosque is a Sunni mosque in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil, inaugurated on 23 March 1983. Its white architecture is inspired by the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, and its two minarets rise 15 metres. The main prayer hall covers 400 square metres of a 600-square-metre built area, with a decorated mihrab in the back wall indicating the direction to Mecca.
The mosque opened in 1983 and takes its name from Omar Ibn Al-Khatab, the second caliph of Islam in the 7th century. Its founding reflects the arrival of Arab immigrants in this border region, who began settling here in the early 20th century.
The mosque is a meeting point for the Arab-descended community that has lived in Foz do Iguaçu for generations. Visitors who enter during open hours step into a space where language, food traditions, and daily prayer all come together.
The building sits in the central area of Foz do Iguaçu and can be reached on foot or by car without difficulty. Visitors should cover their shoulders and knees, and shoes must be removed before entering the prayer hall.
Foz do Iguaçu is home to one of the largest Arab-descended populations in Brazil, which makes this mosque a genuine hub of daily life rather than just a religious building. The streets around it are lined with Arabic restaurants and shops that give this part of the city a character unlike most Brazilian cities.
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