Wales' largest mosque to be built

The mosque is expected to become a tourist attraction

Plans for a £5m mosque - the largest in Wales - have been given the go ahead in Cardiff.

The landmark building has been given a traditional design by a firm of Egypt-based architects.

The Madina Mosque features four minarets and a domed prayer hall which will accommodate more than 3,000 worshippers.

It will replace the current mosque in Cathays and include a community resource centre for local people.

The building will have underground parking for 130 cars, a library and educational facilities.

It will also incorporate a community centre which will offer advice, education, and sporting facilities which will be available for people living locally no matter what their faith is.

Mohammed Javed who is the chairman of the Muslim Society of Wales said that fundraising efforts were now in place to try to reach the £5m building costs.

The design of the building has been based on Islamic architecture

"It will be an amazing building and I am sure it will become a tourist attraction," he said.

"We have already raised £1.5m from the local community and now we want to collect as much money as possible."

He said that the new building would be built on the site of the current mosque in Woodville Road.

Worshippers will be able to use temporary premises while the building work is carried out.

"It will probably take around a year and a half once the building work starts for the new mosque to be ready," said Mr Javed.

"We want to show that there are many churches and places of worship across the country that have spare space which could be used for community use irrespective of the faiths of the people in the community.

"And that is why we are going to have a community centre in the new building."

The building will replace the existing mosque

He said that the new building would replace the facilities lost to the community when a fire devastated a mosque in nearby Broadway in 1989.

"This is something very special - the architectural design is fantastic and it is very special," he added.

He said that officials from the mosque were in the process of sending out tenders for the building work.