Abdullah Abu Deif (Cairo)
The Tokyo Mosque is located in the lively Shibuya district of the Japanese capital, in a majestic building that attracts attention with its distinguished architecture and towering minarets. Its design combines the ancient Ottoman style with the aesthetics of Japanese architecture.
The history of the mosque dates back to 1938, with the help of a group of immigrants coming from the Russian city of Kazan, with assistance from Japan at the time. The building was made of wood only in the style of traditional Japanese homes, but it did not withstand the natural elements and was demolished in 1986. It was rebuilt again and opened in 2000 by a number of Turkish craftsmen who came specifically for this task.
The mosque has an area of 734 square meters and can accommodate 2,000 worshipers. It consists of a basement and 3 floors, a prayer hall for men and a prayer hall for women on the upper floor. The cultural center is on the ground floor, and each floor is distinguished by its own decoration.
Architectural combination
The architecture of the mosque, which is also called the Yoyogi Mosque, takes the visitor on a journey through time in a rare architectural style, with a minaret reaching a height of 42 meters, decorated with delicate artistic decorations inspired by the ancient history of Islamic architecture. As for the main dome, its diameter is 23 meters, on a hexagonal base equipped with marble columns. Elegant, and other smaller domes are spread over the roof of the mosque. The mosque, with its arts and architectural style, is considered similar to the Blue Mosque in Turkey, as well as to the Muhammad Ali Mosque in Cairo, so much so that the mosque’s doors, stairs, and external columns all bear the style found in famous historical mosques, and its features are decorated with Arabic words and sentences.
The interior architecture of the Tokyo Mosque complements the splendor of its exterior construction. There are colorful patterns that mix between traditional Islamic and modern Japanese decorating the walls and ceiling, and the small colored windows on the sides of the dome give a beautiful view of the mosque.
Visits
The ancient history and beautiful architecture attract visitors to the mosque from various parts of Japan to view it and learn closely about the teachings of Islam. Therefore, it has become an Islamic beacon that conveys the nobility of Islamic heritage through decorations, collectibles, and architecture. The mosque’s cultural center holds several activities ranging from teaching the Arabic language to the sciences of the Holy Qur’an, in addition to a large library equipped for students wishing to learn about Arab culture.
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