Mideast countries co-fund new mosque

Mideast countries co-fund new mosque

SEMARANG: Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agil Husin Al-
Munawar officiated on Friday the ground-breaking ceremony to mark
the start of a construction project for the building of a grand
mosque in the Central Java capital of Semarang.

Built on a 7,669-square meters of land, the mosque will
combine traditional and Islamic universal architectures. Its main
tower will stand 99 meters tall, with an additional four
secondary towers which will emulate those of Nabawi Mosque in the
Saudi Arabian second holy city of Medina.

The project will be funded by the local administration, the
central government and a number of Middle East country
governments. The preliminary project will cost Rp 24.5 billion
(US$2.7 million).

Governor Mardiyanto said the people in the province fully
supported the construction of the new mosque, which is situated
on Jl. Gajah Mada.

He said the mosque, aside from being a place of worship, would
be a home to various religious and societal activities designed
to uphold solidarity among Muslims. -- Antara