Seoul Central Mosque, Islamic mosque in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea
Seoul Central Mosque is a two-storey building of 1,532 square metres in Hannam-dong, with two minarets modelled on the Masjid al-Haram and a single dome where three were planned. The prayer hall on the upper floor is reached by 40 steps from the forecourt; its red carpet is marked with cream bands of geometric lattice, and the qibla wall has a recessed arch flanked by two black panels. The wooden minbar was donated by King Hassan II of Morocco.
The Korean Muslim Federation held Friday prayers in a makeshift hall downtown before President Park Chung Hee offered land for a proper mosque. A 5,000-square-metre site in Itaewon was chosen in 1969, and construction began in October 1974. The mosque opened on 21 May 1976, with delegations from 51 countries attending the ceremony.
The mosque gives its name to the surrounding 'Muslim Street', where shops sell halal food and Islamic goods. Lectures are held in English, Arabic and Korean, and Friday prayers draw 400 to 500 worshippers, sometimes up to 800. The wooden minbar used for the Friday sermon was donated by King Hassan II of Morocco.
The prayer hall is on the second floor, reached from the forecourt by a flight of 40 steps. Worshippers remove their shoes before entering the red-carpeted hall. The mosque is in Hannam-dong, Itaewon, and halal restaurants and shops line the surrounding streets.
The building houses a hand-carved wooden pulpit gifted by Moroccan King Hassan II, considered one of the mosque's most valued religious artifacts. This piece reflects the international connections and mutual respect between different Islamic nations.
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