First eco-mosque for the region to be unveiled in Sisak, Croatia

The idea for the Islamic temple was born over half a century ago

The inauguration of a new eco-mosque and Islamic centre in the Croatian town of Sisak is scheduled for Thursday, 8 September, as reported by the Bulgarian News Agency reports (BTA) quoting Hina. The official event will take place in the presence of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and diplomats. This will be only the third largest religious facility for Muslims in the country, following the ones in Zagreb and Rijeka.

The first eco-mosque in the region

The construction of the said mosque is considered historic, as the idea dates over 50 years back and it has been the dream of many generations of Muslims, according to Alem Crnkić, the imam of Sisak. The centre is expected to serve over 4000 people in the county from a Muslim community that traces its official roots to 1968.

The new Islamic centre will cover an area of ​​about 2,600 square meters. One-fifth of the complex will be dedicated to prayers only, while the remaining approximately 2,000 square meters are intended for all visitors.

A feature of the mosque in Sisak is its energy efficiency, which is why it is described as the first eco mosque in this part of Europe. The centre has heat pumps, solar panels on the roof and a photovoltaic plant of 30 kilowatt hours, on top of energy-efficient LED lights.

Crnkic points out that he is especially glad that the mosque also has an ecological aspect, because humanity is "getting more and more warnings about the extent to which it is its own enemy and how it will destroy itself" if it does not think about the environment, as he said in an interview for Hina, quoted by BTA.

In addition to the prayer area, the Center has multipurpose classrooms designed for religious students as well as other topics, such as Islamic culture. There is also a restaurant with Islamic specialities and a large convention centre that can host interfaith conferences. There is also a sofa room - a space for rest and communication, where visitors will be able to read in an oriental setting with a hot drink.

On the weekend following the inauguration, there will be open days for residents and tourists, interested in discovering the centre.

Croatia also has a smaller mosque in Gunja, which is the first and oldest in the country, and a smaller Islamic centre in Umag.