The Süleymaniye Mosque: A Respite For Prague’s Muslims
This piece is published in cooperation with the European Journalism Institute held in Prague, an annual summer program co-sponsored by The Media Project.
PRAGUE — Nestled among the calm and modest apartment blocks of the small district of Strašnice in the Czech capital is an equally modest site of worship. From the outside, it looks like just another construction complex decorating the ordinary streets of Strašnice. However, closer inspection reveals that there is something more than meets the eye.
Established by a small group of Turkish immigrants originally coming from Germany, the Süleymaniye Mosque has been part of Prague’s predominantly atheistic community for more than 30 years.
While the number of Muslims in Czechia is quite small — some studies say it’s around 5,000 people, and other estimates say it’s closer to 20,000 in a country of almost 11 million — the Süleymaniye Mosque has been steadfast in its commitment to provide the Islamic community much-needed prayer services and a sense of community, united by faith.
READ: Faith Deserves Better News Coverage — And Here’s How You Can Help
“Our door is open to everyone,” said Mustafa Hoca, the head of the mosque and its main imam. “You were able to enter just like that, no? For us, it is important that our door is open to everyone.”
He was indeed correct. I had not called ahead in any capacity before I got to the Süleymaniye Mosque. When I arrived, I was graciously greeted by Ali Kamil, one of the müderris, or teachers.
As I took off my shoes to step inside, I informed the gentleman that I was an aspiring journalist looking to prepare a piece on the religious lives of the Turkish Muslim diaspora in Prague. Although initially reserved, the Turkish people running the mosque welcomed me with open arms.
On top of his religious duties, such as leading prayers, the well-spoken Turkish teacher also handles the day-to-day operations of running the mosque, communicating with external visitors, and planning renovations of the building.
The Süleymaniye Mosque is not only a place of worship. It is also a place of education for youngsters, religious debate, food services, and even accommodation. It is designed and maintained in accordance with Islamic customs, which mandate a separation between men and women in terms of the functioning of the mosque: boys and girls do not attend the same classes, and other activities similarly do not mix the two sexes together.
“We do much in this mosque,” said Hoca. “During Ramadan, we have iftars that are open to everyone in the community. We don’t ask people if they are fasting; we don’t even ask them if they are Muslims,” he says with a smile. Indeed, he also told me that university students from all backgrounds often attend these iftar feasts. “They are students, after all. They have to eat.”
Because of this, the Süleymaniye Mosque has apparently built up somewhat of a reputation in Prague. “They call us the ‘Turkish mosque.’ That’s how we are known,” continued Hoca, but emphasized Islam’s international character.
“I got a call on my WhatsApp from an Indonesian tourist group,” he said. “They said that they were on a trip and wanted to have their Friday prayers here in this mosque as they were on their way to another city “And so, they did. Like I said, our door is open to everyone.”
Although the mosque is quite low-key to the unassuming eye, its reputation precedes it. This is not by design, either.
“We try our best to be as integrated with the community as possible,” Hoca said. “At times when we would have construction work being done in our mosque, we would make sure to tour all of our neighbors to notify them of the upcoming noise and other environmental disturbances.”
Being so well integrated into a largely atheist city, the community of the mosque sets an important precedent for other religious congregations.
When I asked whether they ever had a problem with discrimination, Hoca was very clear in his answer:
“Not at all,” he replied. “We have fostered good neighborly relations and have not faced any Islamophobia.”
Toprak Sezgin is a writer based in Turkey. He was a student who took part in this past summer’s European Journalism Institute held in Prague, an annual program co-sponsored by The Media Project.