Preston Mosque, Islamic prayer center in Preston, Melbourne, Australia.
The Umar bin Al-Khattab Mosque, known as Preston Mosque, is a Sunni mosque in the Melbourne suburb of Preston. The building, begun in 1975 and completed in 1976, has a dome and minaret added later. It is run by the Islamic Society of Victoria Inc (ISV), which is co-located with the mosque.
Construction of the mosque began in 1975 after Muslims initially gathered at a residential property. It was completed and officially opened in 1976, with architectural features like the dome added in the years following.
The mosque is run by the Islamic Society of Victoria, which is based at the same site. Its construction was funded mainly by Bosnian, Arab, Indian and Pakistani immigrants, and the City of Darebin, where it stands, is home to people from 148 countries speaking 105 languages.
It helps to check prayer times before visiting, as these change with the seasons. Women and men have separate prayer areas, so be prepared for different rooms and sections.
In 2009 the mosque signed an agreement with the local city council for community projects together. This partnership between a religious institution and local government was uncommon in the area at that time.
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