Amsterdam mosque hosts thousands of non-Muslims during Night of Museums

By Selman Aksunger

AMSTERDAM (AA) - The Fatih Mosque in Amsterdam opened its doors to more than 1,000 non-Muslim visitors this year during the annual Night of Museums.

Visitors to the mosque, which is affiliated with the Turkish Diyanet Foundation, received information about Islam, mosques and Islamic arts.

“The Dutch are very curious about the religion of Islam and the internal structure of our mosque,” said Kemal Gozutok of the Fatih Mosque.

“They want to learn everything from shoe cabinet to minbar, from mihrab to tiles,” he told Anadolu Agency.

A visitor who gave his name as Charn from the US, said that although he lived very close to the mosque he came for the first time. “I liked the interior of the mosque very much. The voices of the imams were great.”

Another visitor, Jaap Kapteyn, cited the importance of participating in the Night of Museums as a mosque and promoting Islam with art activities and works. “This affects the perspective of the Dutch -- who value art very much -- about Islam.”

“It is a very good way to combat Islamophobia in the Netherlands,” he added.

The Fatih Mosque, built in 1920 and converted from a church that was closed due to a lack of worshippers, was purchased by Turkish workers who came to Amsterdam in 1980 to meet the need for places of worship.

The Night of Museums, or the Long Night of Museum, is a cultural event across Europe in which museums and cultural institutions stay open late.