It will cost the cash-strapped Greek government -- which is cutting pay, raising taxes, and slashing pensions for workers, pensioners, and the poor -- some 846,000 euros (about $1.1 million) to build an official mosque in Athens for the city's Muslim population, the Greek Reporter website reports today (March 11, 2013).
All that's needed for the project to begin is for the Transportation Ministry to start the bidding procedures for construction.
The idea of a mosque is still a sensitive one in Greece, which suffered under 400 years of Ottoman occupation when churches were prohibited. Around 300,000 Muslims now live in Athens -- the only capital city in Europe without a mosque.
As the country that gave the world democracy, Greece -- which is more than 90 percent Orthodox Christian -- has decided to build and pay for the mosque primarily because of its religious tolerance. The mosque in Athens will have a capacity of 350 people, but the design will not feature a minaret because architects determined that a minaret would not blend well with the neighboring ambiance.
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