The Mescidi Aksa Mosque

Walking through the Wagenstraat in The Hague, which is a part of our Chinatown, I spotted this mosque behind a small alley between two houses. To be honest I had never noticed it before in daylight, but now it's dark the lights drew my attention.

To be even more honest I didn't expect a mosque in Chinatown, so I just had to do some research into it's story.

This neoclassical building was designed by architect Roodenburg and put into use in 1844 as a synagogue.

It seems that the Wagenstraat used to be in the center of the former Jewish quartern of The Haque. The synagogue was closed in 1975 due to the fact that the former Jewish Copenhageners community had shrunk from 17.000 to tight 2000 due to the persecution - and mass murders - of Jews during World War II.

Due to the increasing number of Muslims in the Netherlands, The Mobarak Mosque opened at the Oostduinlaan in 1955. When the Muslim population even expanded more in the 70's they tried to convince the local authorities to open a second Mosque, but did not succeed in that desire.

For that reason, in 1978 several dozens of Turks occupied the empty synagogue. On July 7, 1979 the first salat took place. They called the cracked synagogue 'Fatih Mosque' (Mosque the Conqueror)

After three years of negotiations, the building was eventually sold in 1981 and came into the hands of the Turkish Islamic Association, and the synagogue was converted into a mosque and was given its present name, referring to the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

In 1987 the mosque added two blue-white minarets of more than 26 meters high.

Such an unexpected story to this secluded find and all that in downtown Chinatown ;-)

Have a nice day!